Luke 16:26

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 thence.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Also, there is a big pit between you and us. No one can cross over to help you, and no one can come here from there.'

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Beyonde all this bitwene you and vs ther is a greate space set so that they which wolde goo from thence to you cannot: nether maye come from thence to vs.

Hebrew Names Version
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.'

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 can't do so, nor can they cross from your side 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.'

New Century Version
Besides, there is a big pit between you and us, so no one can cross over to you, and no one can leave there and come here.'

Update Bible Version
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those that would pass from here to you may not be 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.

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.'

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.'

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.'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And besides all this, between us and you, there is a great gulph fixed; so that they who would pass from us to you, cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.

Weymouth's 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.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And in alle these thingis a greet derk place is stablischid betwixe vs and you; that thei that wolen fro hennus passe to you, moun not, nethir fro thennus passe ouer hidur.

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.

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.'

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

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.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yet that isn't all: between you and us a deep rift has been established, so that those who would like to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

Darby 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.

Etheridge Translation
And with all these, there is a great void set between us and you, that they who would pass from hence unto you are not able, nor they also who would pass from thence to us.

Murdock Translation
And with all these, there is a great barrier between us and you; so that they who would pass from here to you, cannot; neither [fn] pass from there to us

King James Version (1611)
And besides all this, betweene vs and you there is a great gulfe fixed, so that they which would passe from hence to you, cannot, neither can they passe to vs, that would come from thence.

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.'

New Life Bible
And more than all this, there is a big deep place between us. No one from here can go there even if he wanted to go. No one can come from there.'

New Revised Standard
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.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Besides all this, betweene you & vs there is a great gulfe set, so that they which would goe from hence to you, can not: neither ca they come from thence to vs.

George Lamsa Translation
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.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, besides all these things, betwixt us and you, a great chasm, hath been fixed, - so that, they who might wish to cross over from hence unto you, should not be able, nor any, from thence unto us, be crossing over.

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.

Revised 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.'

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Beyonde all this, betweene vs & you there is a great gulfe set, so that they which woulde go from hence to you, can not, neither may come from thence to vs.

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.'

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.’

Lexham English Bible
And in addition to all these things, a great chasm has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross over from here to you are not able to do so, nor can they cross over from there to us.'

Literal Translation
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.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And beside all this, there is a greate space set betwene vs and you: so yt they which wolde go downe from hence vnto you, cannot: nether maye they passe ouer from thence vnto vs.

Mace New Testament (1729)
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.

New English Translation
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 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.'

Simplified Cowboy Version
And besides that, there is a canyon between us that you cannot cross and neither can we. What's done is done.'

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.'

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.'

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰ And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹ And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³ And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴ And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. ²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 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. ²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

between: 1 Samuel 25:36, Psalms 49:14, Ezekiel 28:24, Malachi 3:18, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10, James 1:11, James 1:12, James 5:1-7

they pass: Luke 12:59, Psalms 50:22, Matthew 25:46, John 3:36, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 22:11

Reciprocal: Job 10:22 - the shadow of death Psalms 77:8 - Is his Proverbs 23:32 - At Ecclesiastes 9:4 - General Isaiah 38:18 - they that Ezekiel 42:20 - a separation Matthew 5:26 - Thou Matthew 27:4 - see Romans 9:10 - not only 1 Corinthians 10:13 - make 2 Peter 1:5 - beside

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And besides all this,.... The different circumstances of each, both past and present, which should be observed and considered:

between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; as this may regard the state of the Pharisees after death, it intends not the natural distance between heaven and hell; though there may be an allusion to the notions of the Jews concerning that, who on those words in Ecclesiastes 7:14. "God hath set the one over against the other", say f,

"this is hell and paradise, what space is there between them? an hand's breadth; R. Jochanan says a wall, but the Rabbans say, they are both of them even, so that they may look out of one into another.''

Which passage is cited a little differently g, thus;

"wherefore did the holy blessed God create hell and paradise? that they might be one against another; what space is there between them? R. Jochanan says, a wall, and R. Acha says an hand's breadth: but the Rabbans say, two fingers.''

And elsewhere it h is said,

"know that hell and paradise are near to one another, and one house separates between them; and paradise is on the north east side---and hell on the north west.''

Mahomet seems to have borrowed this notion from them, who says i,

"between the blessed and the damned, there shall be a vail; and men shall stand on "Al Araf", (the name of the wall or partition, that shall separate paradise from hell,) who shall know every one of them by their mouths.''

But not this natural space, be it what it will, but the immutable decree of God is intended here, which has unalterably fixed the state of the damned, and of the blessed:

so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence; not that those in heaven can desire to go to those in hell; though those in hell, may wish to be in heaven; but the sense is, that by this irrevocable decree of God, the saints in heaven are eternally happy, and the wicked in hell eternally miserable: and this also agrees with the notions of the Jews k, who represent it impossible: for a man, after he has descended into hell, to come up from thence any more: but as this may regard the Jews state of captivity and affliction, since the destruction of their city and temple, upon, and for their rejection of the Messiah; it may denote the impossibility of Christ's coming again upon the same errand he came on before, to be a Saviour of sinners, and a sacrifice for sin; and of the Jews believing in him, so long as they lie under the spirit of slumber, and are given up to judicial blindness and hardness of heart.

f Midrash Kohelet, fol 76. 1. g Nishmat Chayim Orat. 1. sect. 12. fol. 31. 1. h Raziel, fol. 15. 1. i Koran, c. 7. p. 120. k Caphtor, fol. 70. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A great gulf - The word translated “gulf” means chasm, or the broad, yawning space between two elevated objects. In this place it means that there is no way of passing from one to the other.

Fixed - Strengthened - made firm or immovable. It is so established that it will never be movable or passable. It will forever divide heaven and hell.

Which would pass - We are not to press this passage literally, as if those who are in heaven would “desire” to go and visit the wicked in the world of woe. The simple meaning of the statement is, that there can be no communication between the one and the other - there can be no passing from one to the other. It is impossible to conceive that the righteous would desire to leave their abodes in glory to go and dwell in the world of woe; nor can we suppose that they would wish to go for any reason unless it were possible to furnish relief. That will be out of the question. Not even a drop of water will be furnished as a relief to the sufferer.Neither can they pass to us ... - There can be no doubt that the wicked will desire to pass the gulf that divides them from heaven. They would be glad to be in a state of happiness; but all such wishes will be vain. How, in the face of the solemn statement of the Saviour here, can people believe that there will be a “restoration” of all the wicked to heaven? He solemnly assures us that there can be no passage from that world of woe to the abodes of the blessed; yet, in the face of this, many Universalists hold that hell will yet be vacated of its guilty millions, and that all its miserable inhabitants will be received to heaven! Who shall conduct them across this gulf, when Jesus Christ says it cannot be passed? Who shall build a bridge over that yawning chasm which he says is “fixed?” No: if there is anything certain from the Scripture, it is that they who enter hell return no more; they who sink there sink forever.