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.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:15 NU all covetousness

13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. 14 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: [a]for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my [b]soul, [c]Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night [d]is thy [e]soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:15 Or, for even in a man’s abundance his life is not from the things which he possesseth
  2. Luke 12:19 Or, life
  3. Luke 12:19 Or, life
  4. Luke 12:20 Greek they require thy soul.
  5. Luke 12:20 Or, life