And Abraham went along with them to start them on their way. Jehovah said, "The complaint has come that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah have committed great and terrible sins. I will go down and see whether they have done exactly as the complaint comes to me; and if they have not, I will know." Then the men turned from there and looked off in the direction of Sodom. Then Abraham drew near to Jehovah and said, "Wilt thou sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are within the city fifty people who are righteous. Wilt thou sweep away and not spare the 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."