18:22 The two men turned 1 and headed 2 toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 3 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare 4 the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge 5 of the whole earth do what is right?” 6
18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord 7 (although I am but dust and ashes), 8 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy 9 the whole city because five are lacking?” 10 He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
18:29 Abraham 11 spoke to him again, 12 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 13 said, “May the Lord not be angry 14 so that I may speak! 15 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 16 said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
18:32 Finally Abraham 17 said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
18:33 The Lord went on his way 18 when he had finished speaking 19 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 20