¹⁶ Then the men set out from there, and they looked down upon Sodom. And Abraham went with them to send them on their way.^{[a] 17} Then Yahweh said, “Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am going to do? ¹⁸ Abraham will surely become a great and strong nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed on account of him. ¹⁹ For I have chosen^[b] him, that he will command his children and his household after him that they will keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice, so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham that which he said to him.” ²⁰ Then Yahweh said, “Because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very serious,^{[c] 21} I will go down and I will see. Have they done altogether according to its cry of distress which has come to me? If not, I will know.”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

²² And the men turned from there and went toward Sodom. And Abraham was still standing before Yahweh. ²³ And Abraham drew near to Yahweh and said, “Will you also sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ If perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city, will you also sweep them away and not forgive the place on account of the fifty righteous in her midst? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to kill the righteous with the wicked, that^[d] the righteous would be as the wicked! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?” ²⁶ And Yahweh said, “If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, in the midst of the city, then I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” ²⁷ Then Abraham answered and said, “Look, please, I was bold to speak to my Lord, but I am dust and ashes. ²⁸ Perhaps the fifty righteous are lacking five—will you destroy the whole city on account of the five?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ And once again he spoke^[e] to him and said, “What if^[f] forty are found there?” And he answered, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” ³⁰ And he said, “Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if^[g] thirty be found there?” And he answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹ And he said, “Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What if^[h] twenty be found there?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” ³² And he said, “Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. What if^[i] ten are found there?” And he answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” ³³ Then Yahweh left,^[j] as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.