17. when the Lord said, "Will I keep from Abraham what I’m about to do?
18. Abraham will certainly become a great populous nation, and all the earth’s nations will be blessed because of him.
19. I have formed a relationship with him so that he will instruct his children and his household after him. And they will keep to the Lord’s path, being moral and just so that the Lord can do for Abraham everything he said he would."
20. Then the Lord said, "The cries of injustice from Sodom and Gomorrah are countless, and their sin is very serious!
21. I will go down now to examine the cries of injustice that have reached me. Have they really done all this? If not, I want to know."
22. The men turned away and walked toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord.
23. Abraham approached and said, "Will you really sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
24. What if there are fifty innocent people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not save the place for the sake of the fifty innocent people in it?
25. It’s not like you to do this, killing the innocent with the guilty as if there were no difference. It’s not like you! Will the judge of all the earth not act justly?"