22 The men(A) turned away and went toward Sodom,(B) but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[a](C) 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?(D) 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?(E) 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing(F)—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous(G) and the wicked alike.(H) Far be it from you! Will not the Judge(I) of all the earth do right?”(J)

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.(K)

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,(L) 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”

“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”

He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry,(M) but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”

He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 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.”

32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more.(N) What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten,(O) I will not destroy it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 18:22 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham
  2. Genesis 18:24 Or forgive; also in verse 26

32 But now, please forgive their sin(A)—but if not, then blot me(B) out of the book(C) you have written.”

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When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.(A) For some days I mourned and fasted(B) and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,(C) who keeps his covenant of love(D) with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear(E) the prayer(F) your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess(G) the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly(H) toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember(I) the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter(J) you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather(K) them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’(L)

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.(M) 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive(N) to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor(O) in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer(P) to the king.

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So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting,(A) and in sackcloth and ashes.(B)

I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:(C)

“Lord, the great and awesome God,(D) who keeps his covenant of love(E) with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned(F) and done wrong.(G) We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away(H) from your commands and laws.(I) We have not listened(J) to your servants the prophets,(K) who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors,(L) and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, you are righteous,(M) but this day we are covered with shame(N)—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered(O) us because of our unfaithfulness(P) to you.(Q) We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you.(R) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving,(S) even though we have rebelled against him;(T) 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.(U) 11 All Israel has transgressed(V) your law(W) and turned away, refusing to obey you.

“Therefore the curses(X) and sworn judgments(Y) written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned(Z) against you. 12 You have fulfilled(AA) the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster.(AB) Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like(AC) what has been done to Jerusalem.(AD) 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord(AE) our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.(AF) 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster(AG) on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does;(AH) yet we have not obeyed him.(AI)

15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand(AJ) and who made for yourself a name(AK) that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts,(AL) turn away(AM) your anger and your wrath(AN) from Jerusalem,(AO) your city, your holy hill.(AP) Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn(AQ) to all those around us.

17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor(AR) on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear,(AS) our God, and hear;(AT) open your eyes and see(AU) the desolation of the city that bears your Name.(AV) We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.(AW) 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive!(AX) Lord, hear and act! For your sake,(AY) my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

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Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven(A) and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come.(B) Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.(C) For you granted him authority over all people(D) that he might give eternal life(E) to all those you have given him.(F) Now this is eternal life: that they know you,(G) the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.(H) I have brought you glory(I) on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.(J) And now, Father, glorify me(K) in your presence with the glory I had with you(L) before the world began.(M)

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have revealed you[a](N) to those whom you gave me(O) out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me(P) and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you,(Q) and they believed that you sent me.(R) I pray for them.(S) I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,(T) for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.(U) And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world,(V) and I am coming to you.(W) Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one(X) as we are one.(Y) 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost(Z) except the one doomed to destruction(AA) so that Scripture would be fulfilled.(AB)

13 “I am coming to you now,(AC) but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy(AD) within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them,(AE) for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.(AF) 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.(AG) 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.(AH) 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.(AI) 18 As you sent me into the world,(AJ) I have sent them into the world.(AK) 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.(AL)

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,(AM) Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.(AN) May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.(AO) 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me,(AP) that they may be one as we are one(AQ) 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me(AR) and have loved them(AS) even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me(AT) to be with me where I am,(AU) and to see my glory,(AV) the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.(AW)

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you,(AX) I know you, and they know that you have sent me.(AY) 26 I have made you[e] known to them,(AZ) and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them(BA) and that I myself may be in them.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 17:6 Greek your name
  2. John 17:11 Or Father, keep them faithful to
  3. John 17:12 Or kept them faithful to
  4. John 17:17 Or them to live in accordance with
  5. John 17:26 Greek your name

60 Then he fell on his knees(A) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”(B) When he had said this, he fell asleep.(C)

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For I could wish that I myself(A) were cursed(B) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(C) those of my own race,(D)

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you also, like living stones, are being built(A) into a spiritual house[a](B) to be a holy priesthood,(C) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit

But you are a chosen people,(A) a royal priesthood,(B) a holy nation,(C) God’s special possession,(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(E)

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