23 Abraham came to him and asked: "Are you really going to wipe out the good people along with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty good people in the town? Are you still going to wipe it out despite the fifty good people there? 25 No, you can't do something like that! You can't kill the good with the wicked, otherwise you would be treating the good and the wicked in the same way. You can't do that! Isn't the Judge of all the earth going to do the right thing?"

26 "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I'll spare the whole town because of them," the Lord replied.

27 "Since I've started, let me go on speaking to my Lord, even though I'm nothing but dust and ashes," Abraham continued. 28 "What if there are forty-five good people, just five less? Are you still going to wipe out the whole town just because there are five fewer people?"

"I won't destroy it if I find forty-five," the Lord replied.

29 Abraham spoke up again and he asked the Lord, "What if only forty can be found?"

"I won't do it for the sake of the forty," the Lord replied.

30 "My Lord, please don't get angry with me," Abraham went on. "Let me ask this—what if only thirty were found?"

"I won't do it if I find thirty," the Lord replied.

31 "I admit I've been very bold to speak to my Lord like this," Abraham said. "What if only twenty are found there?"

"I won't do it for the sake of the twenty," the Lord replied.

32 "Please don't get angry with me, my Lord," Abraham said. "Just let me ask one more thing. What if only ten are found there?"

"I won't destroy it for the sake of the ten," the Lord replied.

33 The Lord left once he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham went home.