Jeremiah 5:1

²³Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵May it be far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”

²⁶The LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.” ²⁷Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes. ²⁸What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

²⁹He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”

³⁰He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

³¹He 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.”

³²He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”

⁹For the LORD’s eyes run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.”

³⁰“I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.

¹Misery is mine! Indeed, I am like one who gathers the summer fruits, as gleanings of the vineyard. There is no cluster of grapes to eat. My soul desires to eat the early fig. ²The godly man has perished out of the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net.

³They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

⁴No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

¹⁴Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter. ¹⁵Yes, truth is lacking; and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

²God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God. ³Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one. ⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God?

⁶Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?

¹Help, LORD; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men.