Genesis 18:20-32

New American Standard Bible

²⁰ And the Lord said, “^(A)The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. ²¹ I will ^(B)go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know.”

Abraham Appeals for Sodom

²² Then ^(C)the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before ^(D)the Lord. ²³ Abraham approached and said, “^(E)Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not ^[a]spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from You to do ^[b]such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not ^(F)the Judge of all the earth ^[c]deal justly?” ²⁶ So the Lord said, “^(G)If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will ^[d]spare the entire place on their account.” ²⁷ And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ^[e]ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only ^(H)dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the entire city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹ And he said, “Now behold, I have ^[f]ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” ³² Then he said, “^(I)Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.”