Matthew 19:23

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Matthew 19:21–25 · Berean Standard Bible

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 Again I tell you, 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.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Greek words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

Matthew 13:22

The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Deuteronomy 6:10

And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build,

Deuteronomy 6:11

with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied,

Deuteronomy 6:12

be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 8:10

When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.

Deuteronomy 8:11

Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day.

Deuteronomy 8:12

Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell,

Deuteronomy 8:13

and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied,

Deuteronomy 8:14

then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 8:15

He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.

Deuteronomy 8:16

He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers had not known, in order to humble you and test you, so that in the end He might cause you to prosper.

Deuteronomy 8:17

You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”

Deuteronomy 8:18

But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.

Job 31:24

If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,

Job 31:25

if I have rejoiced in my great wealth because my hand had gained so much,

Psalms 49:6

They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.

Psalms 49:7

No man can possibly redeem his brother or pay his ransom to God.

Psalms 49:16

Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.

Psalms 49:17

For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.

Psalms 49:18

Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—

Psalms 49:19

he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.

Proverbs 11:28

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

Proverbs 30:8

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

Proverbs 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.

Mark 10:23

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Luke 12:15

And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 12:16

Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.

Luke 12:17

So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’

Luke 12:18

Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods.

Luke 12:19

Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

Luke 12:20

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

Luke 12:21

This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 16:13

No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Luke 16:14

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.

Luke 16:19

Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.

Luke 16:20

And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores

Luke 16:21

and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

Luke 16:22

One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.

Luke 16:23

In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.

Luke 16:24

So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

Luke 16:25

But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

Luke 16:26

And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’

Luke 16:27

‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,

Luke 16:28

for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’

Luke 18:24

Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

1 Corinthians 1:26

Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.

1 Timothy 6:9

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.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

James 1:9

The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.

James 1:10

But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

James 1:11

For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

James 2:6

But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

James 5:1

Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.

James 5:2

Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.

James 5:3

Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

James 5:4

Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.

Matthew 5:20

For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3

“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 21:31

Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.

John 3:3

Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

John 3:5

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Acts 14:22

strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.