The Five Books of Moses - Genesis 18.16-33 by Robert Alter Lyrics
And the men arose from there and looked out over Sodom, Abraham walking along with them to see them off. And the Lord had thought, "Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do? For Abraham will surely be a great a mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. For I have embraced him so that he will charge his sons and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham all that He spoke concerning him."
And the Lord said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, how great! Their offense is very grave. Let Me go down and see whether as the outcry that has come to Me they have dealt destruction, and if not, I shall know." And the men turned from there and went on toward Sodom while the Lord was still standing before Abraham. And Abraham stepped forward and said,
"Will You really wipe out the innocent with the guilty? Perhaps there may be fifty innocent within the city. Will you really really wipe out the place and not spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent within it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put to death the innocent with the guilty, making innocent and guilty the same. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?"
And the Lord said, "Should I find in Sodom fifty innocent within the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." And Abraham spoke up and said, "Here, pray, I have presumed to speak to my Lord when I am but dust and ashes. Perhaps the fifty innocent will lack five. Would you destroy the whole city for the five?" And He said, "I will not destroy if I find there forty-five." And he spoke to Him still again and he said, "Perhaps there will be found forty." And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty." And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be incensed and let me speak, perhaps there will be found thirty." And He said, "I will not do it if I find there thirty." And he said, "Here, pray, I have presumed to speak to my Lord. Perhaps there will be found twenty." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty." And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be incensed and let me speak just this time. Perhaps there will be found ten." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the ten." And the Lord went off when He finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
And the Lord said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, how great! Their offense is very grave. Let Me go down and see whether as the outcry that has come to Me they have dealt destruction, and if not, I shall know." And the men turned from there and went on toward Sodom while the Lord was still standing before Abraham. And Abraham stepped forward and said,
"Will You really wipe out the innocent with the guilty? Perhaps there may be fifty innocent within the city. Will you really really wipe out the place and not spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent within it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put to death the innocent with the guilty, making innocent and guilty the same. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?"
And the Lord said, "Should I find in Sodom fifty innocent within the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." And Abraham spoke up and said, "Here, pray, I have presumed to speak to my Lord when I am but dust and ashes. Perhaps the fifty innocent will lack five. Would you destroy the whole city for the five?" And He said, "I will not destroy if I find there forty-five." And he spoke to Him still again and he said, "Perhaps there will be found forty." And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty." And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be incensed and let me speak, perhaps there will be found thirty." And He said, "I will not do it if I find there thirty." And he said, "Here, pray, I have presumed to speak to my Lord. Perhaps there will be found twenty." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty." And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be incensed and let me speak just this time. Perhaps there will be found ten." And He said, "I will not destroy for the sake of the ten." And the Lord went off when He finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.