From The Second Testament (forthcoming)
Luke 16:19-31
Yēsous tells a story about providing for the poor
19 Some human was rich and he was dressing himself in purple and linen, gladdened daily ostentatiously. 20 Some beggar, with the name “God Helps [Lazarus],” had been tossed at his gate with ulcerated sores, 21 desiring to be satisfied with what falls from the rich man’s table, but instead the dogs, coming, were licking his sores.
22 The beggar happened to die and was carried by the envoys to Abra’am’s [Abraham’s] garment’s fold. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In Hadēs, lifting up his eyes, being in pains, [the rich man] saw Abra’am from a distance and “God Helps” in his garment’s fold. 24 He, voicing, said, ‘Father Abra’am, show me compassion and send “God Helps” so he may dip his finger’s tip in water and refresh my tongue, because I am sorrowing in this flame.’ 25 Abra’am said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things in your life and “God Helps” likewise [received his] bad things. Now here he is encouraged and you are pained. 26 In all these things a great chasm supports [the distance] between us and you so that those wanting to come over from here to you are not able and neither may they cross over from there to us.”
27 He said, ‘Therefore, I ask you, father, that you send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, so that he may witness to them so they may not come into this painful place.’ 29 Abra’am says, ‘They have Mōüsēs and the prophets—let them hear them.’
30 He said, ‘No, father Abra’am, but if someone journeys to them from among the dead ones they will convert.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they don’t hear Mōüsēs and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone arises from among the dead.’”
Love the similitude to some of the Jewish translations of the TaNaKh but this kind of syntax is unnecessarily stilted:“Some human”? “Someone” is better than this. And since it was a man Jesus referred to what’s wrong with “A man”? Just weird and causes me to stumble at the outset of the parable.