Luke 16:26
New International Version
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

New Living Translation
And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

English Standard Version
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

Berean Standard Bible
And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’

Berean Literal Bible
And besides all these things, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those desiring to pass from here to you are not able, nor can they pass from there to us.'

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.

New King James Version
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

New American Standard Bible
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’

NASB 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.’

NASB 1977
‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’

Legacy Standard Bible
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 are not able, and none may cross over from there to us.’

Amplified Bible
And besides all this, between us and you [people] a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’

Christian Standard Bible
Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.’

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.

Contemporary English Version
And besides, there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over."

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.

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

Good News Translation
Besides all that, there is a deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross over to us from where you are.'

International Standard Version
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.'

Majority Standard Bible
And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.?

NET Bible
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.'

New Heart 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.'

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 no one may cross over from there to us.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from here to you are not able, nor do they pass through from there to us.

Berean Literal Bible
And besides all these things, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those desiring to pass from here to you are not able, nor can they pass 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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And besides all these, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed: so that they wishing to pass through thence to you could not; neither could they cross over from thence to us.
Catholic Translations
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And besides all this, between us and you a great chaos has been established, so that those who might want to cross from here to you are not able, nor can someone cross from there to here.’

New American Bible
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’

New Revised Standard Version
Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Besides all these things, a great gulf is fixed between us and you; so that those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot, neither from there to cross over to us.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
'And along with all these things, there stands a great abyss between us and you, so that those who would pass from here to you are not able, neither is whoever is there able to pass over to us.'
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that they that would pass hence to you, can not; nor can they that would, pass thence to us.

Godbey New Testament
And in addition to all these things, there is a great gulf fixed between us and you, in order that those wishing to go hence to you may not be able, neither can they come thence to us.

Haweis New Testament
And besides all these considerations, between us and you there is a vast chasm fixed: so that they who might be willing to pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass through to us, from thence.

Mace New Testament
besides this, there is an unalterable chasm between us and you, so that the passage from one place to the other is impracticable to those who should attempt it.

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.'

Worrell New Testament
And, in all these things, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed; so that those wishing to cross from hence to you cannot; nor do they pass from thence to us.'

Worsley New Testament
And besides, there is a great gulf fixed between us and you; so that they, who would pass from hence to you, cannot; nor can they pass to us, who would come from thence.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Rich Man and Lazarus
25But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. 26And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’ 27‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,…

Cross References
Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Hebrews 9:27
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Revelation 22:11
Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. / But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.

John 8:21
Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

John 5:28-29
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice / and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

Romans 2:5-8
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. / God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” / To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. ...

Matthew 13:49-50
So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous / and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Revelation 20:12-15
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. / The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds. / Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. ...

Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. / Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

between.

1 Samuel 25:36
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

Psalm 49:14
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

Ezekiel 28:24
And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

they pass.

Luke 12:59
I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Psalm 50:22
Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

Matthew 25:46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

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Luke 16
1. The parable of the unjust steward.
14. Jesus reproves the hypocrisy of the covetous Pharisees.
19. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar.














And besides all this
This phrase serves as a transition, indicating that what follows is a continuation or an addition to the previous statements. In the context of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, it underscores the finality and seriousness of the situation. The Greek word "πλὴν" (plen) is often used to denote a strong contrast or an exception, emphasizing that despite any previous arguments or desires, the following truth remains unchangeable.

a great chasm
The term "chasm" comes from the Greek "χάσμα" (chasma), which refers to a deep, impassable gulf or void. This imagery is powerful, symbolizing the irreversible separation between the righteous and the unrighteous after death. Historically, this concept reflects Jewish beliefs about the afterlife, where a clear division exists between the abode of the blessed and the damned. The "great chasm" signifies the absolute and eternal nature of this separation, reinforcing the urgency of repentance and faith in this life.

has been fixed
The Greek verb "ἐστήρικται" (estēriktai) is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing results. This suggests that the chasm is not only established but remains permanently so. Theologically, this speaks to the unchangeable nature of God's judgment and the finality of one's eternal destiny once life on earth is over. It serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of making decisions for Christ while there is still time.

between us and you
This phrase highlights the relational aspect of the separation. "Us" refers to those in Abraham's bosom, representing the saved, while "you" refers to the rich man in Hades, representing the unsaved. The use of personal pronouns emphasizes the personal nature of salvation and judgment. It is not merely a matter of location but of relationship with God, underscoring the personal choice each individual must make regarding their faith.

so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot
The desire to cross indicates a recognition of the better state of those in Abraham's bosom. However, the impossibility of crossing underscores the permanence of one's eternal state after death. The Greek word "δύνανται" (dunantai) means "are able," highlighting the lack of ability or power to change one's eternal destiny after death. This serves as a warning to heed the call to salvation now, as there will be no opportunity to alter one's fate after death.

nor can anyone cross from there to us
This reinforces the idea of the fixed and unchangeable nature of the afterlife's separation. The repetition of the impossibility of crossing from either side emphasizes the finality of God's judgment. It also serves as a comfort to believers, assuring them that once they are in the presence of God, they are secure and will not be subjected to the torments of the unrighteous. This dual impossibility highlights the justice and mercy of God, who honors the choices made in life and provides eternal security for those who trust in Him.

(26) There is a great gulf fixed.--Literally, a chasm, the opening or gaping of the earth. The scene brought before us is like one of the pictures of Dante's Commedia--steep rocks and a deep gorge, and on one side the flames that burn and do not consume, and on the other, the fair garden of Paradise and the kingly palace, and the banquet at which Abraham presides. And those that are bearing the penalty, or reaping the reward, of their life are within sight and hearing of each other, and hold conversation and debate. It is obvious that no single detail of such a description can be pressed as a literal representation of the unseen world. What was wanted for the purpose of the parable was the dramatic and pictorial vividness which impresses itself on the minds and hearts of men, and this could not otherwise be gained.

So that they which would pass from hence . . .--So far as we may draw any inference from such a detail as this, it suggests the thought that the blessed look with pity and compassion on those who are in the penal fires, and would fain help them if they could. They that wish to pass are spoken of in tones which present a striking contrast to the vindictive exultation that has sometimes shown itself in Christian writers, such, e.g., as Tertullian (de Spectac. c. 30), and Milton (Reformation in England, ad fin.). A further lesson is, of course, implied, which strikes at the root of the specifically Romish theory of Purgatory and Indulgences--viz., that the wish is fruitless, that no interposition of the saints avails beyond the grave. The thought of their intercession that the discipline may do its appointed work is, indeed, not absolutely excluded, but that work must continue as long as God wills, i.e., till it attains its end.

Verse 26. - 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. Although the whole thought which runs through this parable is new, and peculiar to Christ, yet the colouring of the picture is nearly all borrowed from the great rabbinic schools; one of the few exceptions to this rule being this chasm or gulf which separates the two regions of Hades. The rabbis represented the division as consisting only of a wall. "What is the distance between Paradise and Gehenna? According to R. Johanan, a wall; according to other teachers, a palm-breadth, or only a finger-breadth" ('Midrash on Koheleth'). What, asks the awestruck reader, is this dreadful chasm? why is it impassable? will it be for ever there? will no ages of sorrow, no tears, no bitter heartfelt repentance succeed in throwing a bridge across it? Many have written here, and kindly souls have tried to answer the stern question with the gentle, loving reply which their souls so longed to hear. What is impossible to the limitless love of God? Nothing, wistfully says the heart. But, when interrogated closely, the parable and, indeed, all the Master's teaching on this point preserves a silence complete, impenetrable.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

besides
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

all
πᾶσι (pasi)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

this,
τούτοις (toutois)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

a great
μέγα (mega)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

chasm
χάσμα (chasma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5490: A gap, gulf, chasm. From a form of an obsolete primary chao; a 'chasm' or vacancy.

has been fixed
ἐστήρικται (estēriktai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4741: From a presumed derivative of histemi; to set fast, i.e. to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or to confirm.

between
μεταξὺ (metaxy)
Preposition
Strong's 3342: Meanwhile, afterwards, between. From meta and a form of sun; betwixt; as adjective, intervening, or adjoining.

us
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

you,
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

so that [even]
ὅπως (hopōs)
Conjunction
Strong's 3704: From hos and pos; what(-ever) how, i.e. In the manner that (as adverb or conjunction of coincidence, intentional or actual).

those who
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wish
θέλοντες (thelontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

cannot
δύνωνται (dynōntai)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

cross
διαβῆναι (diabēnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1224: To cross, pass through, step across. From dia and the base of basis; to cross.

from here
ἔνθεν (enthen)
Adverb
Strong's 1759: Here, in this place. From a prolonged form of en; properly, within, i.e. here, hither.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

you,
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

nor
μηδὲ (mēde)
Conjunction
Strong's 3366: And not, not even, neither?nor. From me and de; but not, not even; in a continued negation, nor.

can [anyone] cross
διαπερῶσιν (diaperōsin)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1276: To cross over, pass over. From dia and a derivative of the base of peran; to cross entirely.

from there
ἐκεῖθεν (ekeithen)
Adverb
Strong's 1564: Thence, from that place. From ekei; thence.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

us.?
ἡμᾶς (hēmas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.


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NT Gospels: Luke 16:26 Besides all this between us and you (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 16:25
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