Genesis 18:20-33

English Standard Version

²⁰Then the Lord said, “Because ^(A)the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹^(B)I will go down to see whether they have done altogether^[a] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, ^(C)I will know.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

²²^(D)So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham ^(E)still stood before the Lord. ²³Then Abraham drew near and said, ^(F)“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, ^(G)so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! ^(H)Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶And the Lord said, ^(I)“If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

²⁷Abraham answered and said, ^(J)“Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³²Then he said, ^(K)“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.