is My covenant, that you shall observe between My Word and you, and your sons after you :—Every male of you being circumcised, though he have not a father to circumcise him. And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, as a sign of the covenant between My Word and you. And the son of eight days shall be circumcised among you, every male in your generations; from him who is brought up in your house, or bought with your silver, unto every son of the peoples who is not of you. He who is circumcised shall circumcise him who is brought up among you, or bought with your silver; and it shall be My covenant in your flesh for a covenant for ever. And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, unless he have some one to circumcise him, that man shall be cut off from his people; he hath made My covenant to pass away. And the Lord said to Abraham, The name of Sara thy wife shall be no more called Sara; for Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her in her body, and will also give from her a son to thee, and I will bless him, and he shall be for assemblies, and kings ruling over nations shall be from her.

And Abraham fell on his face, and wondered, and said in his heart, Shall the son of a hundred years have progeny, and Sarah, the daughter of ninety years, bear a child? [Jerusalem. And Abraham bowed upon his face, and wondered.] And Abraham said before the Lord, May not Ishmael be established, and serve before Thee? And the Lord said, In truth Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Izhak; and with him I will confirm My covenant for an everlasting covenant to his sons after him. And concerning Ishmael I have heard thy prayer. Behold, I have blessed him; and I will spread him abroad, and multiply him very greatly. Twelve princes shall he

beget, and I will give him to be a great people. But My covenant will I establish with Izhak, whom Sarah shall bear to thee at this time in the year after. And He ceased speaking with him; and the Glory of the Lord ascended from Abraham.

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all brought up in his house, and all bought with money, every male among the household people of Abraham, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day in which the Lord spake with him. And Abraham was the son of ninety and nine years when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin. In the same day, in the fourteenth year, was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And every man of his house, the housetrained, and the purchased with money of the sons of the people, was circumcised with him.

SECTION IV.

VAYERA.

And the glory of the Lord was revealed to him in the valley of Mamre; and he, being ill from the pain of circumcision, sat at the door of the tabernacle in the fervour (or strength) of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three angels in the resemblance of men were standing before him; (angels) who had been sent from the necessity of three things; -because it is not possible for a ministering angel to be sent for more than one purpose at a time;—one, then, had come to make known to him that Sarah should bear a man-child; one had come to deliver Lot; and one to overthrow Sedom and Amorah. And when he saw

them, he ran to meet them from the door of the tent, and bowed himself on the earth.

[Jerusalem. Three angels were sent to our father Abraham; and the three were sent for three things; -because it is not possible that one of the high angels should be sent for more things than one. The first angel was sent to announce to our father Abraham, that, behold, Sarah would bear Izhak; the second angel was sent to deliver Lot from the midst of the overthrow; the third angel was sent to overthrow Sedom and Amorah, Admah and Zeboim. Therefore was there a word of prophecy from before the Lord unto Abraham the Just, and the Word of the Lord was revealed to him in the valley of vision; and he sat in the door of the tabernacle, comforting himself from his circumcision in the fervour (or strength) of the day.]

And he said, I beseech, by the mercies (that are) before Thee, 0 Lord, if now I have found favour before Thee, that the glory of Thy shekina may not now ascend from Thy servant, until I have set forth provisions under the tree. And I will bring food of bread, that you may strengthen your hearts, and give thanks in the Name of the Word of the Lord, and afterwards For therefore at the time of repast are you pass on. come, and have turned aside to your servant to take food. And they said, Thou hast spoken well; do according to thy word. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said to her, Hasten three measures of flour-meal, mix and make cakes. And unto the flock ran Abraham, and took a calf, tender and fat, and gave to a young man, and hastened to make prepared meats; and he took rich cream and milk and the calf which the young man had made into prepared meats, and set them before them, according to the way and conduct (hilkath) of the creatures of the world;

and he served before them, and they sat under the tree; and he quieted himself (to see) whether they would eat. And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, she is in the tent. And One of them said, Returning I will return to thee in the coming year; and you shall be revived, and, behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was hearkening at the door of the tent, and Ishmael stood behind her, and marked what the Angel said.

[Jerusalem. And He said, Returning I will return to thee at that time, to revive you, and, behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a male child. And Sarah was hearkening at the door of the tent, and Ishmael stood behind her.]

But Abraham and Sarah were old, they had mounted (alu) in days, and with Sarah the way of women had ceased. And Sarah wondered in her heart, saying, After that I am old shall I have conceptions, and my lord Abraham is old? [Jerusalem. And Sarah de rided in her heart, saying, After that I am old, is it possible to return to the days of my youth, for me to have conception, and Abraham old ?] And the Lord said to Abraham, Why hath Sarah so laughed, saying, Can it be in truth that I shall bear, being old? Is it possible to hide anything from before the Lord ? At the gracious time I will return to thee, in the time when you shall be revived, and Sarah shall have a son. And Sarah denied and said, I wondered not; for she was afraid. And the Angel said, Fear not yet in truth thou didst laugh.

And the angels, who had the likeness of men, arose from thence, and the one who had made known the tidings to Sarah ascended to the high heavens; and two of them looked toward Sedom; and Abraham went with them. [Jerusalem. And they looked towards.]

And the Lord said, with His Word, I cannot hide from Abraham that which I am about to do; and it is right that before I do it, I should make it known to him. For Abraham is to be a great and mighty people, and through him shall all the peoples of the earth be blessed. [Jerusalem. And the Lord with His Word said, Shall I hide from Abraham, My friend, that which I am about to do? Forasmuch as the town of Sedom is among the gifts that I have given to him, it is just that I should not overthrow it, till I have made it known to him.] Because his holiness (piety, chasidutha) is manifest before Me, (and) that he will instruct his sons, and the men of his house after him, to keep the ways that are right before the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.

And the Lord said to the ministering angels, The cry of Sedom and Amorah, because they oppress the poor, and decree that whosoever giveth a morsel to the needy shall be burned with fire, is therefore great, and their guilt exceedingly weighty. I will now appear, and see whether, as the cry of a damsel torn away, which ascendeth before Me, they have made completion of their sins; (or, whether they have made an end of their sins;) and if they have wrought repentance, shall they not be as (if) innocent before Me? and as if not knowing, I will not punish. [Jerusalem. Now will I appear and see, according as the cry of the people of Sedom and Amorah hath ascended before Me, whether they have made a complete end. It may be, that some among these sinners do not know that their works of evil are manifest before Me. And if they seek to work repentance, behold, they shall be considered before Me as if those works had not been known.]

And the angels who had the likeness of men, turned