Museum De Lakenhal – When you have angels over for dinner

Made by Cornelis Boumeester between 1690-1730.

Abraham meets two angels and the Lord.

Genesis 18

DAer na verscheen hem de HEERE aende eycken bosschen van Mamre, als hy in de deure der tente satt, doe de dach heet wert.

Ende hy hief sijne oogen op, ende sach, ende siet, daer stonden drie mannen tegen over hem: als hyse sach, so liep hy hen te gemoete van de deure der tente, ende booch sich ter aerde.

Ende hy seyde; Heere, hebbe ick nu genade gevonden in uwe oogen, so gaet doch niet van uwen knecht voor by:

Dat doch een weynich waters gebracht worde, ende wasschet uwe voeten, ende lenet onder desen boom.

Ende ick sal eene bete broots langen, dat ghy u herte stercket; daer na sult ghy voortgaen, daerom om dat ghy tot uwen knecht over gecomen zijt: ende sy seyden; Doet so als ghy gesproken hebt.

Ende Abraham haestede sich nae de tente tot Sara; ende hy seyde; Haest u, kneedt drie maten meelbloeme, ende maeckt koecken.

Ende Abraham liep tot de runderen, ende hy nam een kalf, teeder ende goet, ende hy gaf ’t aen den knecht, die haestede om dat toe te maken.

Ende hy nam boter ende melck, ende het kalf, dat hy toegemaeckt hadde, ende hy settede ’t hen voor, ende stont by hen onder dien boom, ende sy aten.

Doe seyden sy tot hem: Waer is Sara uwe huysvrouwe? ende hy seyde; Siet, inde tente.

Ende hy seyde: Ick sal voor seker weder tot u komen, omtrent desen tijt des levens; ende siet, Sara uwe huysvrouwe sal eenen sone hebben: ende Sara hoorde ’t aen de deure der tente, de welcke achter hem was.

Abraham nu ende Sara waren out [ende] wel bedaecht: het hadde Sara opgehouden te gaen nae de wijse der wijven.

So loech Sara by haer selven, seggende: Sal ick wellust hebben, na dat ick out geworden ben, ende mijn heere out is?

Ende de HEERE seyde tot Abraham: Waerom heeft Sara gelacchen, seggende; soude ick oock waerlick baren, nu ick out geworden ben?

Soude yet voor den HEERE te wonderlick zijn? ter gesetter tijt sal ick tot u weder komen, omtrent desen tijt des levens, ende Sara sal eenen sone hebben.

Ende Sara loochende ’t, seggende; Ick en hebbe niet gelacchen, want sy vreesde: ende hy seyde; Neen, maer ghy hebt gelacchen.

Doe stonden die mannen op van daer, ende sagen nae Sodom toe: ende Abraham ginck met haer om haer te geleyden.

Ende de HEERE seyde: Sal ick voor Abraham verbergen, wat ic doe?

Dewijle Abraham gewisselick tot een groot ende machtich volck worden sal, ende alle volckeren der aerde in hem gesegent sullen worden?

Want ick hebbe hem gekent, op dat hy sijnen kinderen ende sijnen huyse na hem soude bevelen, ende sy den wech des HEEREN houden, om te doen gerechticheyt, ende gerichte: op dat de HEERE over Abraham brenge, het gene hy over hem gesproken heeft.

Voorts seyde de HEERE: Dewijle het geroep van Sodom, ende Gomorra groot is, ende dewijle hare sonde seer swaer is,

Sal ick nu afgaen, ende besien of sy nae haer geroep, dat tot my gekomen is, ’t uyterste gedaen hebben, ende so niet, ick sal’t weten.

Doe keerden die mannen het aengesichte van daer, ende gingen nae Sodom: maer Abraham die bleef noch staende, voor het aengesichte des HEEREN.

Ende Abraham tradt toe, ende seyde; Sult ghy oock den rechtveerdigen met den godtloosen ombrengen?

Misschien zijnder vijftich rechtveerdige in de stadt: sult ghyse oock ombrengen, ende de plaetse niet sparen, om de vijftich rechtveerdige die binnen haer zijn?

’T zy verre van u, sulck een dinck te doen, te dooden den rechtveerdigen met den godtloosen; dat de rechtveerdige zy gelijck de godtloose: verre zy het van u; soude de Richter der gantscher aerde geen recht doen?

Doe seyde de HEERE: So ick te Sodom binnen de stadt vijftich rechtveerdige sal vinden, so sal ick de gantsche plaetse sparen om harent wille.

Ende Abraham antwoordde, ende seyde; Siet doch, ick hebbe my onderwonden te spreken tot hen Heere, hoe wel ick stof ende assche ben:

Misschien sullen den vijftich rechtveerdigen vijve ontbreken, sult ghy dan om vijve de gantsche stadt verderven? ende Hy seyde; Ick salse niet verderven, so ick daer vijf en veertich sal vinden.

Ende hy voer voort noch tot hem te spreken, ende seyde; Misschien sullen aldaer veertich gevonden worden: ende Hy seyde; Ick en sal’t niet doen om der veertigen wille.

Voorder seyde hy; Dat doch de Heere niet en ontsteke, dat ick spreke; Misschien sullen aldaer dertich gevonden worden: ende Hy seyde: Ick en sal’t niet doen, so ick aldaer dertich sal vinden.

Ende hy seyde; Siet doch, ick hebbe my onderwonden te spreken tot den Heere; Misschien sullen daer twintich gevonden worden: ende Hy seyde; Ick en salse niet verderven om der twintigen wille.

Noch seyde hy; Dat doch de Heere niet en ontsteke, dat ick alleenlick dit mael spreke; Misschien sullen daer tiene gevonden worden: ende Hy seyde; Ick en salse niet verderven om der tiene wille.

Doe ginck de HEERE wech, als hy ge-eyndicht hadde tot Abraham te spreken: ende Abraham keerde weder nae sijne plaetse.


Genesis 18

And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

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

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

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.

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

And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

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

And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

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

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

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

And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

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

And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

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

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

And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

And he said unto him, Oh let not the 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.

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

And he said, Oh let not the 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 ten’s sake.

And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.