| First reading | Genesis 18:16-33 |
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From Mamre the men set out and arrived within sight of Sodom, with Abraham accompanying them to show them the way. Now the Lord had wondered, ‘Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do, seeing that Abraham will become a great nation with all the nations of the earth blessing themselves by him? For I have singled him out to command his sons and his household after him to maintain the way of the Lord by just and upright living. In this way the Lord will carry out for Abraham what he has promised him.’ Then the Lord said, ‘How great an outcry there is against Sodom and Gomorrah! How grievous is their sin! I propose to go down and see whether or not they have done all that is alleged in the outcry against them that has come up to me. I am determined to know.’
The men left there and went to Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Approaching him he said, ‘Are you really going to destroy the just man with the sinner? Perhaps there are fifty just men in the town. Will you really overwhelm them, will you not spare the place for the fifty just men in it? Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike! Do not think of it! Will the judge of the whole earth not administer justice?’ the Lord replied, ‘If at Sodom I find fifty just men in the town, I will spare the whole place because of them.’
Abraham replied, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this to my Lord, I who am dust and ashes. But perhaps the fifty just men lack five: will you destroy the whole city for five?’ ‘No,’ he replied ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five just men there.’ Again Abraham said to him, ‘Perhaps there will only be forty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the forty.’
Abraham said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry, but give me leave to speak: perhaps there will only be thirty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this, but perhaps there will only be twenty there.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the twenty.’ He said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the ten.’
When he had finished talking to Abraham the Lord went away, and Abraham returned home.
Genesis 18:16-33
[Ġen:18:16] U l-irġiel qamu minn hemm, u dawwru wiċċhom lejn Sodoma; u Abraham mar magħhom biex iqabbadhom it-triq. [Ġen:18:17] U l-Mulej qal: “Se nibqa' naħbi x'se nagħmel minn Abraham? [Ġen:18:18] Għax Abraham għad ikun ġens kbir u qawwi, u bih jitbierku l-ġnus kollha ta' l-art. [Ġen:18:19] Jiena ħtartu sabiex iwissi lil uliedu u lil daru warajh biex iżommu fit-triq tal-Mulej u jagħmlu l-ħaqq u s-sewwa, u b'hekk il-Mulej iġib fuq Abraham kull ma wiegħdu.” [Ġen:18:20] U l-Mulej qal: “Hemm l-għajta qawwija ta' Sodoma u Gomorra u t-toqol kbir ta' dnubhom. [Ġen:18:21] U issa se ninżel u nara jekk għamlux għalkollox skond l-għajta tagħhom li waslet għandi. Jekk le, nkun naf.”
[Ġen:18:22] Dawk l-irġiel kisru minn hemm, u rħewlha lejn Sodoma; imma l-Mulej baqa' wieqaf quddiem Abraham. [Ġen:18:23] U Abraham resaq lejn il-Mulej u staqsieh: “U int se teqred it-tajjeb mal-ħażin? [Ġen:18:24] U jekk hemm ħamsin bniedem ġust f'nofs il-belt, jaqaw lil dawn se teqridhom u ma taħfirx lill-pajjiż minħabba l-ħamsin ġust li hemm f'nofsha? [Ġen:18:25] Ma jkun qatt li inti tagħmel ħaġa bħal din, li toqtol il-bniedem ġust mal-ħażin, u l-ġust u l-ħażin tmisshom l-istess xorti. Ma jkun qatt minnek, l-imħallef ta' l-art kollha, li ma tagħmilx ġustizzja.” [Ġen:18:26] U l-Mulej wieġeb: “Jekk jiena nsib ħamsin bniedem ġust f'nofs il-belt, jien naħfirha lill-post kollu minħabba fihom.” [Ġen:18:27] U wieġeb Abraham u qal: “Arani, jien issugrajt nitkellem mal-Mulej, għalkemm jien trab u rmied. [Ġen:18:28] U jekk hemm nieqsa ħamsa għall-ħamsin ġust, minħabba ħamsa u erbgħin se teqred il-belt kollha?” U wieġbu l-Mulej: “Ma neqridhiex jekk insib fiha ħamsa u erbgħin.” [Ġen:18:29] Imma Abraham kompla jitkellem miegħu u jgħidlu: “U jekk issib hemm erbgħin.” U wieġbu: “Ma nagħmilx dan, minħabba l-erbgħin.” [Ġen:18:30] U qallu: “La tagħdabx, Sidi, jekk nerġa’ nitkellem: u jekk jinstabu tletin?” U hu wieġeb: “Ma nagħmilx dan, jekk insib hemm tletin.” [Ġen:18:31] U raġa' qallu: “Ara kif nissogra nkellem lil Sidi: U jekk jinstabu hemm għoxrin?” U l-Mulej wieġeb: “Ma neqridhiex minħabba l-għoxrin.” [Ġen:18:32] U wieġeb: “La tagħdabx, Sidi, jekk nerġa' nitkellem darba oħra biss: U jekk jinstabu hemm għaxra?” U hu qallu: “Ma neqridhiex minħabba l-għaxra.” [Ġen:18:33] U malli l-Mulej temm jitkellem ma' Abraham, il-Mulej telaq, u Abraham raġa' lura lejn daru.