ordinance. And thy wife Sara shall be called no more Sara but she shall
be called Sarah, and I shall bless her, and shall give to thee a son of
her, whom I shall bless also. I shall him increase into nations, and
kings of peoples shall come of him. Abraham fell down on his face
toward the earth and laughed in his heart, saying: May it be that a
woman of ninety years may bear a child? I beseech thee, Lord, that
Ishmael may live before thee. Our Lord said to Abraham, Sarah shall
bring forth a son whom thou shalt name Isaac, and I shall keep my
covenant to him for evermore, and to his heirs after him. And I have
heard thy request for Ishmael also. I shall bless him and increase, and
shall multiply his seed into much people, twelve dukes shall come of
him. I shall keep my covenant to Isaac, whom Sarah shall bring forth the
next year.

After this on a time, as Abraham sat beside his house in the vale of
Mamre in the heat of the day, and as he lift up his eyes, he saw three
young men coming to him, and anon as he saw these three standing by him
he ran to them and worshipped one alone; he saw three and worshipped but
one. That betokeneth the Trinity, and prayed them to be harboured with
him, and took water and washed their feet: and prayed them to tarry
under the tree, and he would bring bread to them for to comfort them.
And they bade him do as he had said, he went and bade Sarah to make
three ashy cakes and sent his child for a tender fat calf, which was
sodden and boiled. And he served them with butter and milk, and the
calf, and set it tofore them. He stood by them, and when they had eaten
they demanded him: Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said: Yonder in the
tabernacle. And he said, I shall go and come again, and Sarah thy wife
shall have a child. And she stood behind the door and heard it and
laughed, and said softly to herself: How may it be that I should bear a
child? She thought it impossible. Then said our Lord to Abraham: Why