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.”