It’s pacing because it shows evidence
To inform because of the please help me out and say the is the right answer bro
I believe the answer is: “It is better that a few should perish than that the whole city should be destroyed,”
Pay attention to this line:
"<em>what have we done that you should wish thus to destroy us from the earth?"</em>
At this point, we can infer that the King hasn't fully made up his mind on whether he should destroy them or not.
When the elders reply with this line:
<em>“It is better that a few should perish than that the whole city should be destroyed,” </em>
The elders basically advance the plot by convincing the king that the act of destroying some of His people is correct.