14. But is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come again in the spring, just as I said I would, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”
15. Sarah said, “I didn’t laugh!” (She said this because she was afraid.) Then the Lord said, “No, I know that is not true. You did laugh!”
16. Then the men got up to leave. They looked toward Sodom and began walking in that direction. Abraham walked with them to send them on their way.
17. The Lord said to himself, “Should I tell Abraham what I am going to do now?
18. Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed because of him.
19. I have made a special agreement with him. I did this so that he would command his children and his descendants to live the way the Lord wants them to. I did this so that they would live right and be fair. Then I, the Lord, can give him what I promised.”
20. Then the Lord said, “I have heard many times that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are very evil.
21. I will go and see if they are as bad as I have heard. Then I will know for sure.”
22. So the men turned and started walking toward Sodom while Abraham stood there before the Lord.
23. Then Abraham approached him and asked, “Will you destroy the good people while you are destroying those who are evil?
24. What if there are fifty good people in that city? Will you still destroy it? Surely you will save the city for the fifty good people living there.
25. Surely you would not destroy the city. You would not destroy fifty good people to kill those who are evil. If that happened, those who are good would be the same as those who are evil—both would be punished. As the judge of the whole world, surely you would do the right thing!”
26. Then the Lord said, “If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I will save the whole city.”