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[[Image:Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights - Hell.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Hell'', painted by [[Hieronymus Bosch]], part of ''[[The Garden of Earthly Delights]]''.]]

[[Image:Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights - Hell.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Hell'', painted by [[Hieronymus Bosch]], part of ''[[The Garden of Earthly Delights]]''.]]

In the English translation of the [[Bible]]'s [[Old Testament]], the word '''Hell''' normally corresponds to the [[Hebrew]] ''sheol'', which was simply the place of the dead. But in the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[New Testament]] the word used is either ''Gehenna'' (the garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem where fires were kept eternally burning to consume the refuse and keep down the stench) or ''Hades'', the [[Greek mythology|Greek]]s' dark, gloomy underworld. The modern English word appears to derive most directly from "Hel", goddess of the dead in Germanic/[[Norse mythology]]. When the [[Anglo-Saxons]] later embraced [[Christianity]], the existing word in the language was reused in the new Christian concepts.

'''Hell''' is [[infinity|infinite]] distress.  In the English translation of the [[Bible]]'s [[Old Testament]], the word '''Hell''' normally corresponds to the [[Hebrew]] ''sheol'', which was simply the place of the dead. But in the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[New Testament]] the word used is either ''Gehenna'' (the garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem where fires were kept eternally burning to consume the refuse and keep down the stench) or ''Hades'', the [[Greek mythology|Greek]]s' dark, gloomy underworld. The modern English word appears to derive most directly from "Hel", goddess of the dead in Germanic/[[Norse mythology]]. When the [[Anglo-Saxons]] later embraced [[Christianity]], the existing word in the language was reused in the new Christian concepts.

According to [[G. K. Chesterton]], hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Famous quotes by Gilbert Keith Chesterton |author=Gilbert Keith Chesterton |publisher=Quotes.net |url=http://www.quotes.net/authors/Gilbert+Keith+Chesterton |quote=Hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice.}}</ref> To Christians, Hell is a place where the souls of the wicked are punished eternally for all the [[sins]] they perpetrated during their lifetime on Earth.  Since all have sinned (Rom 3:23), Hell can not be avoided on one's own merits, but through the love gift of [[Jesus]] one can know, love, and serve [[God]] and share eternity with Him in [[Heaven]].  

According to [[G. K. Chesterton]], hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Famous quotes by Gilbert Keith Chesterton |author=Gilbert Keith Chesterton |publisher=Quotes.net |url=http://www.quotes.net/authors/Gilbert+Keith+Chesterton |quote=Hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice.}}</ref> To Christians, Hell is a place where the souls of the wicked are punished eternally for all the [[sins]] they perpetrated during their lifetime on Earth.  Since all have sinned (Rom 3:23), Hell can not be avoided on one's own merits, but through the love gift of [[Jesus]] one can know, love, and serve [[God]] and share eternity with Him in [[Heaven]].