Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” New Living Translation Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?” And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” English Standard Version He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Berean Standard Bible And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.” King James Bible And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. New King James Version And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.” New American Standard Bible And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” NASB 1995 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” NASB 1977 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” Legacy Standard Bible And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” Amplified Bible And he said, “Now behold, I have decided to speak to the Lord [again]. Suppose [only] twenty [righteous people] are found there?” And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” Christian Standard Bible Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there? ” He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of twenty.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose 20 are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of 20.” American Standard Version And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. Contemporary English Version Then Abraham said, "I don't have any right to ask you, LORD, but what would you do if you find only 20?" "Because of them, I won't destroy the city," was the LORD's answer. English Revised Version And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Look now, if I may be so bold as to ask you," Abraham said. "What if 20 are found there?" He answered, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20." Good News Translation Abraham said, "Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?" He said, "I will not destroy the city if I find twenty." International Standard Version "Look," Abraham said, "I've presumed to speak to my LORD… so what if 20 are found there?" "For the sake of those 20," the LORD responded, "I won't destroy it." Majority Standard Bible And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.” NET Bible Abraham said, "Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?" He replied, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty." New Heart English Bible He said, "Look, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake." Webster's Bible Translation And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord: Peradventure there will be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. World English Bible He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he says, “Now behold, I have willed to speak to the Lord: perhaps there are found there twenty?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], because of the twenty.” Young's Literal Translation And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the twenty.' Smith's Literal Translation And he will say, Behold now, I have begun to speak to the Lord If twenty shall be found there? And he will say, I will not destroy for sake of twenty. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleSeeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. Catholic Public Domain Version “Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.” New American Bible Abraham went on, “Since I have thus presumed to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” I will not destroy it, he answered, for the sake of the twenty. New Revised Standard Version He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he said, Behold, I have ventured to speak before the LORD; suppose there shall be twenty found there? And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And he said, “Behold, I have begun to speak before LORD JEHOVAH; and if twenty are found there?” And he said, “I shall not destroy for twenty.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And he said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And he said, Since I am able to speak to the Lord, what if there should be found there twenty? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there twenty. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Abraham Begs for Sodom…30Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.” 31And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”… Cross References Exodus 32:11-14 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? / Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. / Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’” ... Numbers 14:17-19 So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared: / ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’ / Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” Jeremiah 5:1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city. Ezekiel 22:30 I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no one. Amos 7:2-6 And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?” / So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said. / This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. ... Isaiah 1:9 Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah. Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Psalm 106:23 So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them. Job 42:8-10 So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” / So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. / After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions. 1 Samuel 12:23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone / who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” / And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people. James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. 1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. Romans 8:34 Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. Treasury of Scripture And he said, Behold now, I have taken on me to speak to the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. Genesis 18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: Matthew 7:7,11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: … Luke 11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. Jump to Previous Abraham Account Bold Destroy Found Mercy Peradventure Perhaps Sake Speak Suppose Thoughts Twenty Undertaken Ventured WilledJump to Next Abraham Account Bold Destroy Found Mercy Peradventure Perhaps Sake Speak Suppose Thoughts Twenty Undertaken Ventured WilledGenesis 18 1. The Lord appears to Abraham, who entertains angels.9. Sarah is reproved for laughing at the promise of a son. 16. The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham. 23. Abraham makes intercession for its inhabitants. And Abraham said This phrase marks the continuation of a profound dialogue between Abraham and God. Abraham, the patriarch, is depicted as a man of faith and intercession. The Hebrew root for "said" (אָמַר, 'amar) implies a declaration or a plea, highlighting Abraham's boldness and humility in approaching God. This interaction underscores the intimate relationship between God and His chosen servant, reflecting the privilege of prayer and intercession available to believers. Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord what if twenty are found there? He replied On account of the twenty I will not destroy it Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew And [Abraham] said,וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “Now that הִנֵּֽה־ (hin·nêh-) Interjection Strong's 2009: Lo! behold! I have ventured הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ (hō·w·’al·tî) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 2974: To show willingness, be pleased, determine, undertake (to do anything) to speak לְדַבֵּ֣ר (lə·ḏab·bêr) Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the Lord, אֲדֹנָ֔י (’ă·ḏō·nāy) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 136: The Lord suppose אוּלַ֛י (’ū·lay) Adverb Strong's 194: Perhaps twenty עֶשְׂרִ֑ים (‘eś·rîm) Number - common plural Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth are found יִמָּצְא֥וּן (yim·mā·ṣə·’ūn) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present there?” שָׁ֖ם (šām) Adverb Strong's 8033: There, then, thither He replied, וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “On account בַּעֲב֖וּר (ba·‘ă·ḇūr) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5668: Crossed, transit, on account of, in order that of the twenty, הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ (hā·‘eś·rîm) Article | Number - common plural Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth I will not לֹ֣א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no destroy [it].” אַשְׁחִ֔ית (’aš·ḥîṯ) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin Links Genesis 18:31 NIVGenesis 18:31 NLT Genesis 18:31 ESV Genesis 18:31 NASB Genesis 18:31 KJV Genesis 18:31 BibleApps.com Genesis 18:31 Biblia Paralela Genesis 18:31 Chinese Bible Genesis 18:31 French Bible Genesis 18:31 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 18:31 He said See now I have taken (Gen. Ge Gn) |