26. The Lord replied: If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
27. Abraham spoke up again: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am only dust and ashes!
28. What if there are five less than fifty righteous people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” I will not destroy it, he answered, if I find forty-five there.
29. But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?” He replied: I will refrain from doing it for the sake of the forty.
30. Then he said, “Do not let my Lord be angry if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied: I will refrain from doing it if I can find thirty there.
31. Abraham went on, “Since I have thus presumed to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” I will not destroy it, he answered, for the sake of the twenty.
32. But he persisted: “Please, do not let my Lord be angry if I speak up this last time. What if ten are found there?” For the sake of the ten, he replied, I will not destroy it.
33. The Lord departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned home.