place
for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from thee to do this:
to slay the righteous with the wicked! And that the righteous should be
treated as the wicked, far be it from thee! Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do what is just?" Jehovah said, "If I find in the city of
Sodom fifty who are righteous, I will spare the whole place for their
sake." Abraham answered, "I have dared to speak to Jehovah, even though
I am but dust and ashes. Suppose there be five lacking of the fifty
righteous. Wilt thou sweep away all the city for lack of five?" Jehovah
said, "I will not sweep it away, if I find forty-five there."

Then Abraham spoke to him again, and said, "Suppose forty are found
there?" He replied, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." Then
Abraham said, "Oh, let not Jehovah be angry, but let me speak. Suppose
thirty are found there?" He answered, "I will not do it, if I find
thirty there." Then Abraham said, "Thou seest that I have dared to speak
to Jehovah. Suppose twenty are found there?" He replied, "For the sake
of twenty I will not destroy it." Then Abraham said, "Oh, let not
Jehovah be angry, but let me speak just once more. Suppose ten are found
there?" And he said, "For the sake of the ten I will not destroy it."
Then Jehovah went his way, and Abraham returned home.

Two angels in human form came to Sodom in the evening, as Lot was
sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose up to meet
them, and he bowed with his face to the earth and said, "Sirs, turn
aside, I beg of you, into your servant's house and spend the night and
wash your feet; then you can rise up early and go on your way." They
said, "No, we will spend the night in the street." But he urged them so
strongly that they went with him and entered his house. And he made a
feast for them and baked bread made without yeast, and they ate.

But before they had lain down, the people of Sodom, both young and old,
all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called
out to Lot, "Where are the men who came in to you to-night? Bring them
out to us that we may do to them what we desire."

Then Lot went out to them at the entrance of his house, but he shut the
door after him. And he said, "I beg of you, my friends, do not do what
is wrong. Do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shadow
of my roof." But they replied, "Stand back, or we will treat you worse
than them." And they pressed hard against Lo