The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁷ As^(A) he was setting out on a journey,^(B) a man ran up, knelt down^(C) before him, and asked him, “Good^(D) teacher,^(E) what must I do to inherit^(F) eternal life?” ^(G)

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.^{(H) 19} You know the commandments: Do not murder;^(I) do not commit adultery;^(J) do not steal;^(K) do not bear false witness;^(L) do not defraud;^(M) honor^(N) your father and mother.”^[a](O)

²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher,^(P) I have kept all these from my youth.”

²¹ Looking at him, Jesus loved him^(Q) and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor,^(R) and you will have treasure^(S) in heaven.^(T) Then come,^[b] follow me.”^{(U) 22} But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving,^(V) because he had many possessions.^(W)

Possessions and the Kingdom

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth^(X) to enter the kingdom of God!”^(Y)

²⁴ The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children,^(Z) how hard it is^[c] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich^(AA) person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ^(AB)

²⁷ Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible,^(AC) but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

²⁸ Peter^(AD) began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,”^(AE) Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father^[d] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,^{(AF) 30} who will not receive a hundred times^(AG) more, now at this time^(AH) —houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions^(AI) —and eternal life^(AJ) in the age to come.^{(AK) 31} But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”^(AL)

¹⁶ Then he told them a parable:^(A) “A rich^(B) man’s land was very productive. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? ¹⁸ I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. ¹⁹ Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy;^(C) eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’^(D)

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(E) This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’^(F)

²¹ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure^(G) for himself and is not rich toward God.”^(H)

The Realities of Wealth

⁸ If you see oppression of the poor^(A) and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation,^(B) because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. ⁹ The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.^[a](C)

¹⁰ The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. ¹¹ When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? ¹² The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.

¹³ There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.^{(D) 14} That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. ¹⁵ As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came;^(E) he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. ¹⁶ This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain^(F) who struggles for the wind?^{(G) 17} What is more, he eats in darkness all his days,^(H) with much frustration, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸ Here is what I have seen to be good:^(I) It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.^{(J) 19} Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth,^(K) he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor.^(L) This is a gift of God,^{(M) 20} for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.