10 And the angel of Yahveh said unto her, I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of Yahveh said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Yishmâ'êl, because Yahveh hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he shall be as a wild-ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of Yahveh that spake unto her, Thou art a God that seeth (attah êl roy): for she said, Have I even here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beêr-la'hay-rôy (the well of the Living One who seeth me): behold, it is between Qâdêsh and Bârâd.1

XVI.

YIÇE'HAQ'S BIRTH PROMISED.

XVIII. 1 And Yahveh appeared [to Abrâhâm] by the terebinths of Mamrê, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

The 15th and 16th verses of chap. xvi. of the present text, which relate the birth of Yishmâ'êl, belong to the Elohist. The narrative of the Jehovist must assuredly have ended by a similar verse, left out by the latest reviser, which stated the fact of the birth of the son promised in verse 11.

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

3 And said, My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy

servant :

4 Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abrâhâm hastened into the tent unto Sârâh, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.

7 And Abrâhâm ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.

8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sârâh thy wife? and he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And (one of them) said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sârâh thy wife shall have a son. And Sârâh heard in

the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abrâhâm and Sârâh were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sârâh after the manner of women.

12 And Sârâh laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And Yahveh said unto Abrâhâm, Wherefore did Sârâh laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for Yahveh? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sârâh shall have a son.

15 Then Sârâh denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay, but thou didst laugh.

XVII.

ABRAHAM INTERVENES ON BEHALF OF SEDÔM.

XVIII. 16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sedôm; and Abrâhâm went with them to bring them on the way.

17 And Yahveh said, Shall I hide from Abrâhâm that which I do;

18 Seeing that Abrâhâm shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahveh, to do justice and judgment; to the end that Yahveh may bring upon Abrâhâm that which he hath spoken of him.

20 And Yahveh said, Because the cry of Sedôm and 'Amôrâh is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned from thence, and went towards Sedôm; [and Yahveh stood yet before Abrâhâm].

23 And Abrâhâm drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26 And Yahveh said, If I find in Sedôm fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.

27 And Abrâhâm answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto my Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous wilt thou destroy all the city for the lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.

1

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said,

Replaced according to the Jewish tradition. See note on this passage, ante, p. 54.

Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.

30 And he said, Oh let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto my Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.

33 And Yahveh went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abrâhâm; and Abrâhâm returned unto his place.

XVIII.

DESTRUCTION OF SEDÔM AND 'AMÔRÂH.

XIX. 1 And the two angels came to Sedôm at even; and Lôt sat in the gate of Sedôm; and Lôt saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face to the earth;

2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go