19 “Once there was a rich man who dressed like a king and had everything in life to make him happy and content. 20 At the same time there was a poor beggar named Lazarus who was covered in ulcers. He had been carried to the rich man’s gate 21 where he lay, hoping to get any food that might fall off the rich man’s table. The dogs even came and licked his ulcers, 22 and eventually he died and was carried away by God’s messengers to recline at the table next to Abraham. Then the rich man also died and was buried 23 and was tormented in hell. However, when he looked up, he saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus reclining next to him 24 so he called out, ‘Father Abraham, be merciful to me and send Lazarus here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool down my tongue because I’m very distressed here in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, don’t forget that you enjoyed the good life while you were alive, whereas Lazarus had it bad, but now he’s here being comforted and you’re suffering. 26 Anyway, there’s a deep chasm that’s been established between us, so that anyone here who wanted to go to you can’t, nor can anyone from there cross over here to us.’ 27 ‘I have one request then,’ said the man who’d been rich. ‘Send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 because I have five brothers. Then he can warn them about this place of torment so that they won’t also come here.’ 29 ‘They have the scriptures,’ answered Abraham, ‘so they can find out what they say.’ 30 But the man insisted, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead went to them, then they’d turn from their sins.’ 31 ‘Well, if they ignore the scriptures,’ he answered, ‘even if someone from the dead went to them, they still wouldn’t be persuaded.’ ”