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 Eleazar (Lazarus; Grk. Lazaros) who was covered in ulcers. He’d 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 Avraham. Then the rich man also died and was buried 23 and was tormented in hell. However, when he looked up, he saw Avraham in the distance and Eleazar reclining next to him, 24 so he called out, ‘Father Avraham, be merciful to me and send Eleazar 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 Avraham replied, ‘Son, don’t forget that you enjoyed the good life while you were alive, whereas Eleazar 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 Eleazar 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 Avraham, ‘so they can find out what they say.’ 30 But the man insisted, ‘No, father Avraham, 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.’ ”