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