Eternal Life in the Kingdom^(A)

¹⁶ Then a man came to Yeshua and said, “Teacher, what good deed should I do to gain eternal life?”

¹⁷ Yeshua said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter into life, obey the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which commandments?” the man asked.

Yeshua said, “Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

²⁰ The young man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do?”

²¹ Yeshua said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad because he owned a lot of property.

²³ Yeshua said to his disciples, “I can guarantee this truth: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ I can guarantee again that 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.”

²⁵ He amazed his disciples more than ever when they heard this. “Then who can be saved?” they asked.

²⁶ Yeshua looked at them and said, “It is impossible for people to save themselves, but everything is possible for God.”

²⁷ Then Peter replied to him, “Look, we’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?”

²⁸ Yeshua said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: When the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the world to come, you, my followers, will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who gave up homes, brothers or sisters, father, mother, children, or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ However, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Eternal Life in the Kingdom^(A)

¹⁷ As Yeshua was coming out to the road, a man came running to him and knelt in front of him. He asked Yeshua, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ Yeshua said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: Never murder. Never commit adultery. Never steal. Never give false testimony. Never cheat. Honor your father and mother.”

²⁰ The man replied, “Teacher, I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was a boy.”

²¹ Yeshua looked at him and loved him. He told him, “You’re still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”

²² When the man heard that, he looked unhappy and went away sad, because he owned a lot of property.

²³ Yeshua looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for rich people to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴ The disciples were stunned by his words. But Yeshua said to them again, “Children, how hard it is 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 person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ This amazed his disciples more than ever. They asked each other, “Who, then, can be saved?”

²⁷ Yeshua looked at them and said, “It’s impossible for people to save themselves, but it’s not impossible for God to save them. Everything is possible for God.”

²⁸ Then Peter spoke up, “We’ve given up everything to follow you.”

²⁹ Yeshua said, “I can guarantee this truth: Anyone who gave up his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields because of me and the Good News ³⁰ will certainly receive a hundred times as much here in this life. They will certainly receive homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, along with persecutions. But in the world to come they will receive eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”