Luke 18:24
22 On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
23 But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
- KJV
- And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
- WEB
- Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!
- ASV
- And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
- DARBY
- But when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, How difficultly shall those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God;
- BLB
- And Jesus, having seen him, having become sorrowful, said, “How difficultly those having riches enter into the kingdom of God!
- ÅB
- Og da Jesus så det, sa han: Hvor vanskelig det er for de rike å komme inn i Guds rike!
- OTB
- Jesus så på ham og sa: “Hvor vanskelig det er for de rike å komme inn i Guds rike!
- B1930
- Og da Jesus så det, sa han: Hvor vanskelig det er for de rike å komme inn i Guds rike!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Proverbs 11:28
He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.
Read in contextProverbs 30:9
Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
Read in contextJames 2:5–7
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
Read in contextMark 10:23–27
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
Read in contextMatthew 19:23–25
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Read in context2 Corinthians 7:9–10
And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.
Read in context1 Timothy 6:9–10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
Read in contextPsalms 10:3
For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
Read in context