Thursday, April 09, 2009

A great gulf fixed

Was listening to the parable of the rich man in Hades in Luke 16:26. The rich man didn't care about the poor man during his lifetime. Now in hell he sees the poor man up in heaven. He sees the joys of heaven afar off and asks Abraham to send the poor man down to hell with some water to cool his tongue. Uhm-- is Abraham the only one he personally knew in heaven? What, did he think he and the poor guy were friends? or does he still think of the poor guy in heaven as lower-class and someone whom one can order around? Whatever his reasonings, he is told by Abraham that the poor man cannot be sent to give him any water. Because there is a great gulf fixed between heaven and hell.

Incidentally, this is one of those moments in the Bible where a prayer is answered in the negative. Abraham has no power to help the rich man, even if he wanted to.

No need to expound on it. The various translations is enough to terrify and to explain it.

International Standard Version (©2008)
Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.'

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn't cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.'

King James Bible
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

American King James Version
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there.

American Standard Version
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us.

Bible in Basic English
And in addition, there is a deep division fixed between us and you, so that those who might go from here to you are not able to do so, and no one may come from you to us.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And besides all this, between us and you, there is fixed a great chaos: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot, nor from thence come hither.

Darby Bible Translation
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those who desire to pass hence to you cannot, nor do they who desire to cross from there pass over unto us.

English Revised Version
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they which would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us.

Webster's Bible Translation
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Weymouth New Testament
And, besides all this, a vast chasm is immovably fixed between us and you, put there in order that those who desire to cross from this side to you may not be able, nor any be able to cross over from your side to us.'

World English Bible
Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'

Young's Literal Translation
and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from hence unto you are not able, nor do they from thence to us pass through.

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