²⁷ People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(A) This very night your life will be demanded from you.^(B) Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’^(C)

The Day of the Lord

5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates^(A) we do not need to write to you,^{(B) 2} for you know very well that the day of the Lord^(C) will come like a thief in the night.^{(D) 3} While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”^(E) destruction will come on them suddenly,^(F) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.^(G)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.^{(A) 20} At his gate was laid a beggar^(B) named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.^(C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

¹⁴ The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing:^(H) “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned^(I) for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

³⁶ When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high^(A) spirits and very drunk.^(B) So she told^(C) him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷ Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.^{(D) 38} About ten days later, the Lord struck^(E) Nabal and he died.

¹² Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,^{(A) 13} and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget^(B) the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.