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.”