Chronological timeline of texts tagged with Underworld
About This Tag
The concept of the underworld represents various realms of the dead, depicted in many ways across different texts and traditions. Terms such as Sheol in Hebrew scripture and Hades or Tartarus in Greek-influenced writings capture distinct yet interconnected views of the afterlife. Sheol typically denotes a shadowy place where all souls descend after death, regardless of moral standing, whereas Hades in New Testament usage similarly suggests a general abode of the dead. Tartarus evokes more specific imagery - a place of punishment reserved for the punishment of fallen angels or unrighteous people.
Note: Dates shown in this timeline are approximate and based on scholarly estimates.
Back to Tag2 Samuel 22:5 / Job 26:5
6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition)
2 Samuel 22:5
Hebrew Bible
3 My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence! 4 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies. 5 The waves of death engulfed me; the currents of chaos overwhelmed me. 6 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me; the snares of death trapped me. 7 In my distress I called to the Lord; I called to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.
5th Century B.C.E.
Job 26:5
Hebrew Bible
3 How you have advised the one without wisdom, and abundantly revealed your insight! 4 To whom did you utter these words? And whose spirit has come forth from your mouth? 5 “The dead tremble—those beneath the waters and all that live in them. 6 The underworld is naked before God; the place of destruction lies uncovered. 7 He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth on nothing.
6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition)
2 Samuel 22:5
Hebrew Bible
3 My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence! 4 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies. 5 The waves of death engulfed me; the currents of chaos overwhelmed me. 6 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me; the snares of death trapped me. 7 In my distress I called to the Lord; I called to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 69:15
Hebrew Bible
13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me. O God, because of your great loyal love, answer me with your faithful deliverance. 14 Rescue me from the mud. Don’t let me sink. Deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep water. 15 Don’t let the current overpower me. Don’t let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the Pit devour me. 16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good. Because of your great compassion, turn toward me. 17 Do not ignore your servant, for I am in trouble. Answer me right away.
7th-5th Centuries B.C.E.
Isaiah 38:18
Hebrew Bible
16 O Lord, your decrees can give men life; may years of life be restored to me. Restore my health and preserve my life.’ 17 “Look, the grief I experienced was for my benefit. You delivered me from the Pit of oblivion. For you removed all my sins from your sight. 18 Indeed Sheol does not give you thanks; death does not praise you. Those who descend into the Pit do not anticipate your faithfulness. 19 The living person, the living person, he gives you thanks, as I do today. A father tells his sons about your faithfulness. 20 The Lord is about to deliver me, and we will celebrate with music for the rest of our lives in the Lord’s temple.”
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 6:5
Hebrew Bible
3 I am absolutely terrified, and you, Lord—how long will this continue? 4 Relent, Lord, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness. 5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death. In Sheol who gives you thanks? 6 I am exhausted as I groan. All night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 7 My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 49
Hebrew Bible
1 For the music director, a psalm by the Korahites. Listen to this, all you nations. Pay attention, all you inhabitants of the world. 2 Pay attention, all you people, both rich and poor. 3 I will declare a wise saying; I will share my profound thoughts. 4 I will learn a song that imparts wisdom; I will then sing my insightful song to the accompaniment of a harp. 5 Why should I be afraid in times of trouble, when the sinful deeds of deceptive men threaten to overwhelm me? 6 They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches. 7 Certainly a man cannot rescue his brother; he cannot pay God an adequate ransom price 8 (the ransom price for a human life is too high, and people go to their final destiny), 9 so that he might continue to live forever and not experience death. 10 Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their grave becomes their permanent residence, their eternal dwelling place. They name their lands after themselves, 12 but, despite their wealth, people do not last. They are like animals that perish. 13 This is the destiny of fools, and of those who approve of their philosophy. (Selah) 14 They will travel to Sheol like sheep, with death as their shepherd. The godly will rule over them when the day of vindication dawns. Sheol will consume their bodies, and they will no longer live in impressive houses. 15 But God will rescue my life from the power of Sheol; certainly he will pull me to safety. (Selah) 16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and his wealth multiplies.
200-600 C.E.
Targum Psalm 49
Targum
1 For praise; by the sons of Korah; a hymn. 2 Hear this declaration, all peoples; give ear, all dwellers on earth. 3 Even the sons of the first Adam, even the sons of Jacob together, righteous and sinner. 4 My mouth will speak wisdom, and the murmur of my heart is understanding. 5 I will incline my ear to a parable, I will begin to open my riddle with the lyre. 6 Why should I fear on the day of the visitation of evil, except that the guilt of my sin at my end will encompass me? 7 Woe to the sinners, who trust in their possessions, and who boast in the size of their riches. 8 A man will by no means redeem his brother, who was taken captive, by his riches; and he will not give to God his price of redemption. 9 And he gives his glorious redemption, and his evil will cease, and vengeance forever. 10 And he will live again for eternal life; he will not see the judgment of Gehenna. 11 For the wise will see the wicked, in Gehenna they will be judged; together fools and the stupid will perish, and they will leave their money to the righteous. 12 In their tomb they will abide forever, and they will not rise from their tents for all generations, because they have exalted themselves; and they have acquired an evil name upon the earth. 13 And a wicked man will not lodge in glory with the righteous; he is likened to a beast, he is worth nothing. 14 This their way has caused folly for them; and in their end with their mouth they will recount their offenses in the world to come. 15 Like sheep, they have assigned the righteous to death, and killed them; they have destroyed the righteous and those who serve the Torah, and the upright they have punished; because of this, their bodies will decay in Gehenna, because they extended their hand and wrecked the dwelling place of his Presence. 16 David said in the spirit of prophecy, “Truly God will redeem my soul from the judgment of Gehenna, for he will teach me his Torah forever.”
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 6:5
Hebrew Bible
3 I am absolutely terrified, and you, Lord—how long will this continue? 4 Relent, Lord, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness. 5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death. In Sheol who gives you thanks? 6 I am exhausted as I groan. All night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 7 My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 88:11
Hebrew Bible
9 My eyes grow weak because of oppression. I call out to you, O Lord, all day long; I spread out my hands in prayer to you. 10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and give you thanks? (Selah) 11 Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave, or your faithfulness in the place of the dead? 12 Are your amazing deeds experienced in the dark region, or your deliverance in the land of oblivion? 13 As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord; in the morning my prayer confronts you.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 6:5
Hebrew Bible
3 I am absolutely terrified, and you, Lord—how long will this continue? 4 Relent, Lord, rescue me! Deliver me because of your faithfulness. 5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death. In Sheol who gives you thanks? 6 I am exhausted as I groan. All night long I drench my bed in tears; my tears saturate the cushion beneath me. 7 My eyes grow dim from suffering; they grow weak because of all my enemies.
150-100 B.C.E.
Baruch 2:17
Deuterocanon
15 so that all the earth may know that you are the Lord our God, for Israel and his descendants are called by your name. 16 O Lord, look down from your holy dwelling, and consider us. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; 17 open your eyes, O Lord, and see, for the dead who are in Hades, whose spirit has been taken from their bodies, will not ascribe glory or justice to the Lord; 18 but the person who is deeply grieved, who walks bowed and feeble, with failing eyes and famished soul, will declare your glory and righteousness, O Lord. 19 For it is not because of any righteous deeds of our ancestors or our kings that we bring before you our prayer for mercy, O Lord our God.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 16:10
Hebrew Bible
8 I set the Lord before me continually16; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 So my heart rejoices and I am happy; my life is safe. 10 You will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful follower to see the Pit. 11 You lead me in the path of life. I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.
75-85 C.E.
Acts 2:27
New Testament
25 For David says about him,‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor permit your Holy One to experience decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life;you will make me full of joy with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I can speak confidently to you about our forefather David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 18:4
Hebrew Bible
2 The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer. My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge. 3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies. 4 The waves of death engulfed me, the currents of chaos overwhelmed me. 5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, the snares of death trapped me. 6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried out to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.
3rd Century B.C.E.
Jonah 2:5
Hebrew Bible
3 You threw me into the deep waters, into the middle of the sea; the ocean current engulfed me; all the mighty waves you sent swept over me. 4 I thought I had been banished from your sight and that I would never again see your holy temple. 5 Water engulfed me up to my neck; the deep ocean surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever, but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God. 7 When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the Lord. And my prayer came to you, to your holy temple.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 30:3
Hebrew Bible
1 A psalm, a song used at the dedication of the temple; by David. I will praise you, O Lord, for you lifted me up and did not allow my enemies to gloat over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried out to you and you healed me. 3 O Lord, you pulled me up from Sheol; you rescued me from among those descending into the grave. 4 Sing to the Lord, you faithful followers of his; give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one’s life. One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning.
3rd Century B.C.E.
Jonah 2:6
Hebrew Bible
4 I thought I had been banished from your sight and that I would never again see your holy temple. 5 Water engulfed me up to my neck; the deep ocean surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the very bottoms of the mountains; the gates of the netherworld barred me in forever, but you brought me up from the Pit, O Lord, my God. 7 When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the Lord. And my prayer came to you, to your holy temple. 8 Those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Proverbs 30:16
Hebrew Bible
15 The leech has two daughters: “Give! Give!” There are three things that will never be satisfied, four that have never said, “Enough”— 16 the grave, the barren womb; earth has not been satisfied with water; and fire has never said, “Enough!” 17 The eye that mocks at a father and despises obeying a mother—the ravens of the valley will peck it out, and the young vultures will eat it.
1st Century B.C.E.
LXX Proverbs 30:16
Septuagint
15 The leech has three beloved daughters, and these three are never satisfied; the fourth does not say, ‘Enough.’ 16 Hades, the love of a woman, Tartarus, and the earth never filled with water; fire also never says, ‘It is enough.’ 17 The eye that scorns a father and dishonors the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valley pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 22:9
Pseudepigrapha
7 And he answered me saying: 'This is the spirit of Abel, whom his brother Cain killed, and he pleads against him until his seed is wiped from the face of the earth, and his descendants are destroyed among the seed of men.' 8 Then I asked about it, and about all the hollow places: 'Why is one separated from the other?' 9 And he answered me and said: 'These three have been made so that the spirits of the dead might be separated. And such a division has been made for the spirits of the righteous, which includes the bright spring of 10 water. And one has been made for sinners when they die and are buried in the earth and judgement has not been executed on them in their 11 lifetime. Here their spirits shall be kept in great pain until the great day of judgement and punishment and torment of those who are cursed forever, and retribution for their spirits. There
75-85 C.E.
Luke 16:26
New Testament
24 So 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 because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 51:1
Pseudepigrapha
1 In those days, the earth will return what has been entrusted to it, and Sheol will also return what it has received, and the underworld will return what it owes. 2 He will choose the righteous and holy from among them: for the day is near when they shall be saved. 3 In those days, the Elect One shall sit on My throne, and his mouth shall reveal all the secrets of wisdom and counsel: for the Lord of Spirits has granted these to him and has honored him. 4 In those days, the mountains will leap like rams, and the hills will skip like lambs full of milk, and the faces of all the angels in heaven will shine with joy. 5 For in those days, the Elect One shall rise, 6 And the earth shall rejoice, and the righteous shall live upon it, and the chosen shall walk there.
92-96 C.E.
Revelation 20:13
New Testament
11 Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 108:15
Pseudepigrapha
12 And I will bring forth in shining light those who have loved My holy name, and I will seat each on the throne of his honor. 13 And they shall be resplendent for times without number; for righteousness is the judgment of God; for to the faithful He will give faithfulness in the habitation of upright paths. 14 And they shall see those who were born in darkness led into darkness, while the righteous shall shine brightly. 15 And the sinners shall cry aloud and see them resplendent, and they indeed will go where days and seasons are prescribed for them.
75-85 C.E.
Luke 16:23
New Testament
21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So 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 because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
70-100 C.E.
4 Ezra 7:36
Pseudepigrapha
34 Judgment alone shall remain; truth shall stand firm and faithfulness be strong; 35 recompense shall at once begin and open payment be made; good deeds shall awake and wicked deeds shall not be allowed to sleep. 36 Then the place of torment shall appear and over against it the place of rest; the furnace of hell shall be displayed, and on the opposite side the paradise of delight. 37 ‘Then the Most High shall say to the nations that have been raised from the dead: “Look and understand who it is you have denied and refused to 38 serve, and whose commandment you have despised. Look on this side, then on that: here are rest and delight, there fire and torments.”
75-85 C.E.
Luke 16:23
New Testament
21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So 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 because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
70-100 C.E.
4 Ezra 7:36
Pseudepigrapha
34 Judgment alone shall remain; truth shall stand firm and faithfulness be strong; 35 recompense shall at once begin and open payment be made; good deeds shall awake and wicked deeds shall not be allowed to sleep. 36 Then the place of torment shall appear and over against it the place of rest; the furnace of hell shall be displayed, and on the opposite side the paradise of delight. 37 ‘Then the Most High shall say to the nations that have been raised from the dead: “Look and understand who it is you have denied and refused to 38 serve, and whose commandment you have despised. Look on this side, then on that: here are rest and delight, there fire and torments.”
75-85 C.E.
Luke 16:26
New Testament
24 So 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 because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house 28 (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’
75-85 C.E.
Luke 16:19
New Testament
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So 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 because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 26 Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’
375-425 C.E.
Jerusalem Chagigah 2.2.6
Rabbinic
A rich tax-gatherer called Ma’jan had done many evil deeds. In the same city, lived a young. poor student of the Torah. They both died and had funerals on the same day. Ma’jan’s was splendid. Work stopped throughout the city as the townspeople followed him to his final resting place. However, no-one took any notice of the death of the student, let alone his funeral. Why should this be? The answer is this …. Ma’jan had arranged a banquet to which he invited the city councillors – unsurprisingly, they refused to attend and eat with a tax-gatherer, and so, to show his contempt for them, Ma’jan invited all the poor, sick and beggars of the city to attend instead. As he presided over this magnificent charitable act, death overtook him, and all his evil deeds were forgotten by the people because of the good deed in which he was engaged at the moment of his death. Now, one of the student’s friends had a dream, in which he saw the fate of the two souls after their death. The student was in paradise, the garden of the King, enjoying its beauty and the richness of its vegetation and streams. The man who had been rich in his life, Ma’jan, was also standing on the banks of the stream, trying to reach the water, but unable to do so.
92-96 C.E.
Revelation 19:11
New Testament
7 Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men’s faces. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. 10 They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. 12 The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things!
450-550 C.E.
Eruvin 19a
Rabbinic
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Gehenna has seven names, and they are as follows: She’ol, Avadon, Be’er Shaḥat, Bor Shaon, Tit HaYaven, Tzalmavet, and Eretz HaTaḥtit. She’ol, as it is written: “Out of the belly of the netherworld [she’ol] I cried and You did hear my voice” (Jonah 2:3). Avadon, as it is written: “Shall Your steadfast love be reported in the grave or Your faithfulness in destruction [avadon]?” (Psalms 88:12). Be’er Shaḥat, as it is written: “For You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld; nor will You suffer Your pious one to see the pit [shaḥat]” (Psalms 16:10). And Bor Shaon and Tit HaYaven, as it is written: “He brought me up also out of the gruesome pit [bor shaon], out of the miry clay [tit hayaven]” (Psalms 40:3). And Tzalmavet, as it is written: “Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death [tzalmavet], bound in affliction and iron” (Psalms 107:10). And with regard to Eretz Taḥtit, i.e., the underworld, it is known by tradition that this is its name.
150-170 C.E.
Lucian Voyage to the Lower World 1
Classical
Mi. It is this way, my lady Fate. I find but cold comfort in that promise of the Cyclops: 'Outis shall be eaten last,' said he; but first or last, the same teeth are waiting. And then, it is not the same with me as with the rich. Our lives are what they call 'diametrically opposed.' This tyrant, now, was thought happy while he lived; he was feared and respected by all: he had his gold and his silver; his fine clothes and his horses and his banquets; his smart pages and his handsome ladies,—and had to leave them all. No wonder if he was vexed, and felt the tug of parting. For I know not how it is, but these things are like birdlime: a man's soul sticks to them, and will not easily come away; they have grown to be a part of him. Nay, 'tis as if men were bound in some chain that nothing can break; and when by sheer force they are dragged away, they cry out and beg for mercy. They are bold enough for aught else, but show them this same road to Hades, and they prove to be but cowards. They turn about, and must ever be looking back at what they have left behind them, far off though it be,—like men that are sick for love. So it was with the fool yonder: as we came along, he was for running away; and now he tires you with his entreaties. As for me, I had no stake in life; lands and horses, money and goods, fame, statues,—I had none of them; I could not have been in better trim: it needed but one nod from Atropus,—I was busied about a boot at the time, but down I flung knife and leather with a will, jumped up, and never waited to get my shoes, or wash the blacking from my hands, but joined the procession there and then, ay, and headed it, looking ever forward; I had left nothing behind me that called for a backward glance. And, on my word, things begin to look well already. Equal rights for all, and no man better than his neighbour; that is hugely to my liking. And from what I can learn there is no collecting of debts in this country, and no taxes; better still, no shivering in winter, no sickness, no hard knocks from one's betters. All is peace. The tables are turned: the laugh is with us poor men; it is the rich that make moan, and are ill at ease.
75-85 C.E.
Luke 16:19
New Testament
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 But at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, 21 who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in Hades, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 24 So 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 because I am in anguish in this fire.’