The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ But He said to him, ^(A)“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And He said to them, ^(B)“Take heed and beware of ^[a]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

¹⁶ Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, ^(C)“Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; ^(D)eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night ^(E)your soul will be required of you; ^(F)then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

²¹ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, ^(G)and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry^(H)

²² Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, ^(I)do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and ^(J)God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? ²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶ If you then are not able to do the least, why ^[b]are you anxious for the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even ^(K)Solomon in all his glory was not ^[c]arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of ^(L)little faith?

²⁹ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father ^(M)knows that you need these things. ^31 (N)But seek ^[d]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

³² “Do not fear, little flock, for ^(O)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ^33 (P)Sell what you have and give ^(Q)alms; ^(R)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

³⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? ³⁷ Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am ^(A)the way, ^(B)the truth, and ^(C)the life. ^(D)No one comes to the Father ^(E)except through Me.

^16 (A)For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten ^(B)Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.