“Kwakukhona umuntu othile onothileyo, owayegqoka ezibubende nezelineni elihle, ezijabulisa imihla ngemihla etamasa. Kwakukhona futhi ompofu othile, nguLazaru igama lakhe, owayelahliwe ngasesangweni lakhe egcwele izilonda, enxanela ukusuthiswa ngemvuthuluka ewa etafuleni lesicebi; yebo, kweza nezinja, zamkhotha izilonda.
“Kwase kuthi wafa ompofu, wathwalwa yizingelosi, wasiwa esifubeni sika-Abrahama; nesicebi safa, sembelwa. SesiseHayidese* saphakamisa amehlo aso, sisebuhlungwini, sambona u-Abrahama ekude, noLazaru esesifubeni sakhe. Samemeza sathi: ‘Baba Abrahama, ngihawukele, uthume uLazaru, agcobhoze isihloko somunwe wakhe emanzini, aphozise ulimi lwami, ngokuba ngiyahlushwa kuleli langabi.’
“Kepha u-Abrahama wathi: ‘Ndodana, khumbula ukuba wamukela okuhle kwakho usesekuphileni noLazaru kanjalo okubi; kodwa manje uyaduduzwa yena lapha, wena uyahlushwa. Nangaphezu kwakho konke lokho kubekiwe umhosha omkhulu phakathi kwethu nani ukuba abafuna ukusuka lapha baye kini bangekwenze, nabalapho bangaweleli kithi.’
“Sase sithi: ‘Njalo ngiyakucela, baba, ukuba umthumele endlini kababa, ngokuba nginabafowethu abayisihlanu, ukuze afakaze kubo, bangezi nabo kule ndawo yobuhlungu.’
“Kepha u-Abrahama wathi: ‘BanoMose nabaprofethi; mabezwe bona.’
“Sathi-ke: ‘Qha, baba Abrahama, kodwa uma kusuka umuntu kwabafileyo, aye kubo, bayakuphenduka.’
“Kepha wathi kuso: ‘Uma bengalaleli uMose nabaprofethi, kabayikuvunyiswa, noma kuvuka umuntu kwabafileyo.’ ”