Luke 16:15-26

¹⁵So He said to them: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. That which is exalted among men is an abomination before God.

¹⁶The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the Kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and every one is trying to force his way into it.

¹⁷But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the Law to fail.

¹⁸“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

¹⁹“Now there was a certain rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, who had been placed at his gate,

²¹just wanting to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table—why even the dogs would come and lick his sores!

²²In due time the beggar died and was carried away to Abraham's bosom by the angels. “The rich man also died and was buried.

²³And in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance, and Lazarus very close to him. And being in torment,

²⁴he called out, saying, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; because I am tormented by this flame!’

²⁵But Abraham said: ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus had bad things; but now he is being comforted, and you tormented.

²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone from there cross over to us.’