Matthew 19:13-22

New Testament for Everyone

¹³ Then children were brought to Jesus for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me! Don’t stop them! They are the sort the kingdom of heaven belongs to!” ¹⁵ And he laid his hands on them.

Then he moved on elsewhere.

The rich young man

¹⁶ Suddenly a man came up to Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what good thing must I do if I’m to possess the life of the age to come?”

¹⁷ “Why come to me with questions about what’s good?” retorted Jesus. “There is One who is good! If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he asked.

“These ones,” Jesus answered: “ ‘don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t tell lies under oath, ¹⁹ respect your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰ “I’ve kept the lot,” said the young man. “What am I still short of?”

²¹ “If you want to complete the set,” Jesus replied, “go and sell everything you own and give it to the poor. That way you’ll have treasure in heaven! Then come and follow me.”

²² When the young man heard him say that, he went away very sad. He had many possessions.