A reading from the book of Genesis.

Abram and the men who had visited him by the Tarabith of Mammaire set out from there and looked down toward Sodom.

Abram was walking with them to see them on their way. And the Lord reflected,

Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do now that he has become a great and populous nation?

All in all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him. Indeed, I have singled him out

that he may direct the children and his household

after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just so that the Lord may carry

into effect for Abraham the promises he made about him. Then the Lord said, the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is so

grave that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to cry against them

that comes to me. I mean to find out. While the two men walked on farther towards

Sodom, the Lord remained standing before Abraham. And Abraham drew nearer to him and said,

Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there are 50 innocent people in the city. Would you

wipe out that whole place rather than spare it for the sake of the 50 innocent people within

it? Far be it from you to do such a thing to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent

and the guilty would be treated alike, should not the judge of all the world act with justice?

The Lord replied, if I find 50 innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

Abraham spoke up again.

See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes.

What if there are five less than 50 innocent people? Will you destroy the

whole city because of those five? He answered, I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.

But Abraham persisted, saying, what if there's only 40 are found there? He replied, I will

forbear doing it for the sake of the 40. Then Abraham said, let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.

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