Matthew 19:16-20

Christian Standard Bible

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶ Just then someone came up and asked him,^(A) “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?” ^(B)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?”^[a] he said to him. “There is only one who is good.^[b] If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”^(C)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he asked him.

Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;^{(D) 19} honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.^[c](E)

²⁰ “I have kept all these,”^[d] the young man told him. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ “If you want to be perfect,”^[e] Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,^(F) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

Possessions and the Kingdom

²³ Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(G) 24} 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 the kingdom of God.”^(H)

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(I)

²⁷ Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things,^(J) when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(K) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother^[f] or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.^{(L) 30} But many who are first will be last, and the last first.^(M)

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.^{(N) 2} After agreeing with the workers on one denarius,^[g] he sent them into his vineyard for the day. ³ When he went out about nine in the morning,^[h] he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. ⁵ About noon and about three,^[i] he went out again and did the same thing. ⁶ Then about five^[j] he went and found others standing around^[k] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’

⁷ “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.

“‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them.^{[l] 8} When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,^(O) starting with the last and ending with the first.’

⁹ “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. ¹⁰ So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: ¹² ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’^(P)

¹³ “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?^{(Q) 14} Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous^[m] because I’m generous?’^[n](R)

¹⁶ “So the last will be first, and the first last.”^[o](S)