Parables of Jesus
The Rich Man and Lazarus
A rich man and the poor Lazarus die. The roles are reversed in the afterlife.
Luke 16,19-31
19"There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted in splendor every day.
Ἄνθρωπος δέ τις ἦν πλούσιος, καὶ ἐνεδιδύσκετο πορφύραν καὶ βύσσον εὐφραινόμενος καθʼ ἡμέραν λαμπρῶς.
20At his gate lay a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
πτωχὸς δέ ⸀τις ὀνόματι ⸀Λάζαρος ἐβέβλητο πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ εἱλκωμένος
21and longing to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
καὶ ἐπιθυμῶν χορτασθῆναι ⸀ἀπὸ τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ πλουσίου· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐρχόμενοι ⸀ἐπέλειχον τὰ ἕλκη αὐτοῦ.
22Then the beggar died, and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.
ἐγένετο δὲ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπενεχθῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἰς τὸν κόλπον Ἀβραάμ· ἀπέθανεν δὲ καὶ ὁ πλούσιος καὶ ἐτάφη.
23In Hades,* where he was in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus at his side. [*Hades: the realm of the dead]
καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ, ὑπάρχων ἐν βασάνοις, ⸀ὁρᾷ Ἀβραὰμ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν καὶ Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις αὐτοῦ.
24So he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'
καὶ αὐτὸς φωνήσας εἶπεν· Πάτερ Ἀβραάμ, ἐλέησόν με καὶ πέμψον Λάζαρον ἵνα βάψῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ ὕδατος καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶσσάν μου, ὅτι ὀδυνῶμαι ἐν τῇ φλογὶ ταύτῃ.
25But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. Now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
εἶπεν δὲ Ἀβραάμ· Τέκνον, μνήσθητι ὅτι ⸀ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος ὁμοίως τὰ κακά· νῦν δὲ ὧδε παρακαλεῖται σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι.
26And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross from there to us.'
καὶ ⸀ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν χάσμα μέγα ἐστήρικται, ὅπως οἱ θέλοντες διαβῆναι ἔνθεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς μὴ δύνωνται, ⸀μηδὲ ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαπερῶσιν.
27He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house,
εἶπεν δέ· Ἐρωτῶ ⸂σε οὖν⸃, πάτερ, ἵνα πέμψῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου,
28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
ἔχω γὰρ πέντε ἀδελφούς, ὅπως διαμαρτύρηται αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλθωσιν εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦτον τῆς βασάνου.
29Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
λέγει ⸀δὲ Ἀβραάμ· Ἔχουσι Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας· ἀκουσάτωσαν αὐτῶν.
30'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Οὐχί, πάτερ Ἀβραάμ, ἀλλʼ ἐάν τις ἀπὸ νεκρῶν πορευθῇ πρὸς αὐτοὺς μετανοήσουσιν.
31He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ· Εἰ Μωϋσέως καὶ τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἀκούουσιν, οὐδʼ ἐάν τις ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ πεισθήσονται.