The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. ²⁰ A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. ²¹ He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell^[a] from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores.

²² “One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In the afterlife,^[b] where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.’

²⁵ “But Abraham said, ‘My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings,^[c] while Lazarus received hardships.^[d] But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. ²⁶ Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.’

²⁷ “The rich man^[e] said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus^[f] to my father’s house— ²⁸ because I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they won’t end up in this place of torture, too.’

²⁹ “Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!’

³⁰ “But the rich man^[g] replied, ‘No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.’

³¹ “Then Abraham^[h] told him, ‘If your brothers^[i] do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.’”