Genesis 18:16-33

Modern English Version

Sodom and Gomorrah

¹⁶ Then the men rose up and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷ Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am doing, ¹⁸ since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? ¹⁹ I chose him, and he will instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He promised him.”

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has come to Me. If not, I will know.”

²² The men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, “Shall You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous in the city? Shall You also destroy, and not spare the place, for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated like the wicked; far be it from You. Should not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

²⁶ So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the entire place for their sakes.”

²⁷ Then Abraham answered and said, “I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord. ²⁸ Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous. Will You destroy all the city for lack of five?”

And He said, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there will be forty found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

³⁰ Then he said to Him, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose there will be thirty found there?”

Again He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

³¹ He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there?”

He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

³² Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. Suppose ten will be found there?”

Then He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

³³ So the Lord went His way as soon as He had stopped speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.