²⁴ Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ^(A)“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter ^(B)the kingdom of God!

⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers, ^(A)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be ^(B)rich in faith and heirs of ^(C)the kingdom, ^(D)which he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you ^(E)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who ^(F)drag you ^(G)into court? ⁷ Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable ^(H)name by which you were called?

²³ And Jesus ^(A)looked around and said to his disciples, ^(B)“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter ^(C)the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples ^(D)were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ^(E)“Children, ^(F)how difficult it is^[a] to enter ^(G)the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter ^(H)the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,^[b] “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus ^(I)looked at them and said, ^(J)“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

²³ And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, ^(A)only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ^24 (B)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 ^(C)the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

Warning to the Rich

5 Come now, ^(A)you rich, weep and howl for the ^(B)miseries that are coming upon you. ^2 (C)Your riches have rotted and ^(D)your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. ^(E)You have laid up treasure ^(F)in the last days. ⁴ Behold, ^(G)the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and ^(H)the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of ^(I)the Lord of hosts. ^5 (J)You have lived on the earth in luxury and ^(K)in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in ^(L)a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and ^(M)murdered ^(N)the righteous person. He does not resist you.

⁹ But ^(A)those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ^(B)into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that ^(C)plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of ^(D)all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.