¹And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And he sat at the tent-door in the heat of the day.

¹Zvino Jehovha wakaonekera kwaari pamiouki* yeMa­mure, ndokugara pamusuwo wetende pakupisa kwezuva;

²And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing near him. And when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself to the earth,

²ndokusimudza meso ake akaona, zvino tarira, varume vatatu vamire pamberi pake; zvino paakavaona wakamhanya kunovachingamidza pamusuwo wetende, akakotamira pasi,

³and said, Lord, if now I have found favour in thine eyes, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.

³ndokuti: Ishe wangu, kana zvino ndawana nya­sha pameso penyu, ndinokukumbirai, musapfuura pamura­nda wenyu.

⁴Let now a little water be fetched, that ye may wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

⁴Ngakuuiswewo mvura shoma, mugoshambidza tsoka dzenyu, muzorore pasi pemuti.

⁵And I will fetch a morsel of bread; and refresh yourselves; after that ye shall pass on; for therefore have ye passed on towards your servant. And they said, So do as thou hast said.

⁵Zvino ndichauisa chi­medu chechingwa, mugonyaradza moyo yenyu, mugozopfuura, nekuti ndi­zvo zvamapfuurira nekumuranda wenyu. Ivo ndokuti: Ita saizvozvo sezvawataura

⁶And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Knead quickly three seahs of wheaten flour, and make cakes.

⁶Abhurahamu ndokukurumidza kupi­nda mutende kuna Sara, akati: Kurumi­dza ugadzire zviyero zvitatu zveupfu hwakatsetseka! Kanya, ubike zvingwa zviduku.

⁷And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf tender and good, and gave [it] to the attendant; and he hasted to dress it.

⁷Abhurahamu ndokumhanyira kumombe, akatora mhuru ine nyama yakapfava, yakanaka, akapa kujaya, ndokukurumidza kuigadzira.

⁸And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.

⁸Zvino wakatora mukaka wakafa, nemukaka mumbishi, nemhuru yaakange agadzira, akazviisa pamberi pavo; akamira pedo navo munyasi memuti, ivo ndokudya.

⁹And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

⁹Ivo ndokuti kwaari: Uripi Sara mukadzi wako? Iye ndokuti: Tarirai, mutende.

¹⁰And he said, I will certainly return to thee at [this] time of the year, and behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him.

¹⁰Zvino akati: Zvirokwazvo ndichadzoka nenguva iyi yeupenyu; zvino tarira, Sara mukadzi wako uchava nemwanakomana. Sarawo akazvinzwa ari pamusuwo wetende shure kwake.

¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old [and] advanced in age: it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹¹Zvino Abhurahamu naSara vakange vakwegura, vava nemakore mazhinji; kwakange kwaguma kuna Sara nemutowo wevakadzi.

¹²And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am become old, shall I have pleasure, and my lord old?

¹²Naizvozvo Sara wakaseka mukati make achiti: Ndakwegura, ndingava nemufaro here, naishe wangu wachemberawo?

¹³And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why is this, that Sarah laughs, saying, Shall I indeed bear, when I am become old?

¹³Jehovha ndokuti kuna Abhurahamu: Sara wasekerei, achiti: Zvirokwazvo neni ndichabereka ndakwegura here?

¹⁴Is [any] matter too wonderful for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return to thee, at [this] time of the year, and Sarah shall have a son.

¹⁴Kune chi­nhu chinorema kukunda Jehovha here? Nenguva yakatarwa, ndichadzoka kwauri, nenguva ino yeupenyu, uye Sara achava nemwanakomana.

¹⁵And Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, No; but thou didst laugh.

¹⁵Sara ndokuramba achiti: Handina kuseka, nekuti waitya. Asi iye akati: Kwete asi waseka.

¹⁶And the men rose up thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to conduct them.

¹⁶Zvino varume vakasimuka kubva ipapo ndokutarira Sodhoma; Abhurahamu ndokuenda navo achivaperekedza.

¹⁷And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?

¹⁷Zvino Jehovha akati: Ini ndicha­vanzira Abhurahamu zvandinoita here?

¹⁸Since Abraham shall indeed become a great and mighty nation; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.

¹⁸Abhurahamu zvaachava zvirokwazvo rudzi rukuru rwune simba, nendudzi dzose dzenyika dzicharopafadzwa nemaari.

¹⁹For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him.

¹⁹Nekuti nda­kamuziva, kuti araire vana vake nei­mba yake vanomutevera, vagoche­ngeta nzira yaJehovha kuti vaite kururamisira nekutonga; kuti Jehovha auyise pamusoro paAbhurahamu izvo zvaakataura maererano naye.

²⁰And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grievous,

²⁰Jehovha ndokuti: Nekuti kuchema kweSodhoma neGomora kukuru, uye nekuti zvivi zvavo zvinorema zvikuru,

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

²¹ndichaburuka zvino ndigoona kana vakaita zvizere zvinoenderana nekuchema kwaro kwasvika kwandiri; asi kana zvisina kudaro, ndichazviziva.

²²And the men turned thence, and went towards Sodom; and Abraham remained yet standing before Jehovah.

²²Zvino varume vakafuratira ipapo, va­kaenda vakananga Sodhoma; asi Abhurahamu wakange achakamira pamberi paJehovha.

²³And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also cause the righteous to perish with the wicked?

²³Zvino Abhurahamu wakaswedera, akati: Mu­chaparadzawo vakarurama pamwe ne­vakaipa here?

²⁴There are perhaps fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are therein?

²⁴Zvimwe varipo vakarurama makumi mashanu mukati meguta; muchaparadzawo mukasaregerera nzvimbo iyo nekuda kwevakarurama makumi mashanu varimo here?

²⁵Far be it from thee to do so, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked -- far be it from thee! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?

²⁵Ngazvive kure nemwi kuita chinhu chakadaro, kuuraya wakarurama pamwe newa­kaipa, kuti wakarurama ave sawakaipa; ngazvive kure nemwi. Mutongi wenyika yose haangaiti kururamisira here?

²⁶And Jehovah said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sakes.

²⁶Jehovha ndokuti: Kana ndikawana muSodhoma vakarurama ma­kumi mashanu mukati meguta, ipapo ndicharegerera nzvimbo yose nekuda kwavo.

²⁷And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes.

²⁷Zvino Abhurahamu wakapindura ndokuti: Tarirai zvino, ndatsunga kutaura naJehovha, ini guruva nedota.

²⁸Perhaps there may want five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city on account of the five? And he said, If I shall find forty-five there, I will not destroy [it].

²⁸Zvimwe kuchashaikwa vashanu kuvakarurama makumi mashanu; muchaparadza guta rose nekuda kwevashanu here? Ndokuti: Handingariparadzi kana ndikawa­namo makumi mana nevashanu.

²⁹And he continued yet to speak with him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.

²⁹Zvino wakataurazve naye akati: Zvimwe kuchawanikwamo makumi mana. Iye ndokuti: Handingazviiti nekuda kwamakumi mana.

³⁰And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.

³⁰Akabva ati: Ndinokumbira Jehovha arege kunditsamwira, kana ndikataura. Zvi­mwe makumi matatu vachawanikwamo. Iye ndokuti: Handingazviiti kana ndikawanamo makumi matatu.

³¹And he said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak with the Lord. Perhaps there may be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for the twenty's sake.

³¹Zvino akati: Tarira zvino, ndatsunga kutaura naJehovha; zvimwe kuchawanikwamo makumi maviri. Iye ndokuti: Handingari­paradzi nekuda kwemakumi maviri.

³²And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, that I speak yet but this time! Perhaps there may be ten found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for the ten's sake.

³²Zvino wakati: Ndinokumbira Jehovha ngaarege kutsamwa, ndikataurazve ka­mwe; zvimwe kuchawanikwa gumi. Iye ndokuti, Handingariparadzi nekuda kwevane gumi.

³³And Jehovah went away when he had ended speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

³³Zvino Jehovha wakabva apedza kutaura naAbhurahamu; naAbhurahamu akadzokera kunzvimbo yake.