The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶ Just then someone came up and asked him,^(A) “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” ^(B)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?”^[a] he said to him. “There is only one who is good.^[b] If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”^(C)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he asked him.

Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;^{(D) 19} honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.^[c](E)

²⁰ “I have kept all these,”^[d] the young man told him. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ “If you want to be perfect,”^[e] Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,^(F) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

Possessions and the Kingdom

²³ Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(G) 24} Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”^(H)

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(I)

²⁷ Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things,^(J) when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(K) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother^[f] or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.^{(L) 30} But many who are first will be last, and the last first.^(M)

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁸ A^(A) ruler^(B) asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ^(C)

¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”^[a](D)

²¹ “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

²² When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor,^(E) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(F) Then come, follow me.”^(G)

²³ After he heard this, he became extremely sad,^(H) because he was very rich.

Possessions and the Kingdom

²⁴ Seeing that he became sad,^[b] Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?” ^(I)

²⁷ He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”^(J)

²⁸ Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed^(K) you.”

²⁹ So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times more at this time,^(L) and eternal life in the age to come.”