memory after death

⁵For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten.

¹⁷For behold, I create the new heavens and the new earth. And the former things will not be in memory and will not enter into the heart.

²⁵Jesus said to her: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he has died, he shall live. ²⁶And everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die for eternity. Do you believe this?”

⁴And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more. And neither mourning, nor crying out, nor grief shall be anymore. For the first things have passed away.”

⁷The remembrance of the just is with praises. And the name of the impious shall decay.

¹⁹A certain man was wealthy, and he was clothed in purple and in fine linen. And he feasted splendidly every day. ²⁰And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, covered with sores, ²¹wanting to be filled with the crumbs which were falling from the wealthy man’s table. But no one gave it to him. And even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²Then it happened that the beggar died, and he was carried by the Angels into the bosom of Abraham. Now the wealthy man also died, and he was entombed in Hell. ²³Then lifting up his eyes, while he was in torments, he saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴And crying out, he said: ‘Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to refresh my tongue. For I am tortured in this fire.’

⁸For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

⁷and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.

²⁰But our way of life is in heaven. And from heaven, too, we await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who will transform the body of our lowliness, according to the form of the body of his glory, by means of that power by which he is even able to subject all things to himself.

²⁸And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But instead fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.

⁵For the living know that they themselves will die, yet truly the dead know nothing anymore, nor do they have any recompense. For the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶Likewise, love and hatred and envy have all perished together, nor have they any place in this age and in the work which is done under the sun.

¹“Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe in me also. ²In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will return again, and then I will take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be.

¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life.

¹³And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him. ¹⁵For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first. ¹⁷Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always. ¹⁸Therefore, console one another with these words.