Luke 18:18

THE MESSAGE

One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

King James Version (1611)
And a certaine ruler asked him, saying, Good master, what shall I doe to inherit eternall life?

King James Version
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

English Standard Version
And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

New American Standard Bible
A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

New Century Version
A certain leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to have life forever?"

Amplified Bible
A certain ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher [You who are essentially and morally good], what shall I do to inherit eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

Legacy Standard Bible
And a ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then a certain ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Contemporary English Version
An important man asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?"

Complete Jewish Bible
One of the leaders asked him, "Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?"

Darby Translation
And a certain ruler asked him saying, Good teacher, having done what, shall I inherit eternal life?

Easy-to-Read Version
A religious leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then a certaine ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what ought I to doe, to inherite eternall life?

George Lamsa Translation
A nd one of the leaders asked him and said to him, O good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit life everlasting?

Good News Translation
A Jewish leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"

Lexham English Bible
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, "Good Teacher, by doing what will I inherit eternal life?"

Literal Translation
And a certain ruler asked Him saying, Good Teacher, what may I do to inherit eternal life?

American Standard Version
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Bible in Basic English
And a certain ruler put a question to him, saying, Good Master, what have I to do so that I may have eternal life?

Hebrew Names Version
A certain ruler asked him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

International Standard Version
Then an official asked Jesus,him">[fn] "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"Matthew 19:16; Mark 10:17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
AND one of the rulers asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life ?

Murdock Translation
And one of the chiefs asked him, and said to him: Good Teacher, what shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And a certayne ruler asked hym, saying: Good maister, what ought I to do, to possesse eternall lyfe?

English Revised Version
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

World English Bible
A certain ruler asked him, saying, "Good Teacher, what do I do to inherit eternal life?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And a certain ruler asked him saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Weymouth's New Testament
The question was put to Him by a Ruler: "Good Rabbi, what shall I do to inherit the Life of the Ages?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And a prince axide hym, and seide, Goode maister, in what thing doynge schal Y weilde euerlastynge lijf?

Update Bible Version
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Webster's Bible Translation
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

New English Translation
Now a certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

New King James Version
Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22">[xr] Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

New Living Translation
Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"

New Life Bible
A leader of the people asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to have life that lasts forever?"

New Revised Standard
A certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And a certain, ruler, questioned him, saying - Good Teacher! by doing what, shall I inherit life age-abiding?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And a certain ruler asked him, saying: Good master, what shall I do to possess everlasting life?

Revised Standard Version
And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And a certayne ruler axed him sayinge: Good Master: what ought I to do to obtayne eternall lyfe?

Young's Literal Translation
And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, `Good teacher, what having done -- shall I inherit life age-during?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And a certayne ruler axed him, and sayde: Good master, what must I do, that I maye enheret euerlastinge life?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Then a person of distinction ask'd him this question, good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Simplified Cowboy Version
A religious leader once asked Jesus, "Hey Good Cowboy, how could I live forever?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ One day one of the local officials asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?" ¹⁹Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don't you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother." ²¹ He said, "I've kept them all for as long as I can remember." ²² When Jesus heard that, he said, "Then there's only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me." ²³ This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go. ²⁴Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God's kingdom? I'd say it's easier to thread a camel through a needle's eye than get a rich person into God's kingdom." ²⁶ "Then who has any chance at all?" the others asked. ²⁷ "No chance at all," Jesus said, "if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." ²⁸ Peter tried to regain some initiative: "We left everything we owned and followed you, didn't we?" ²⁹"Yes," said Jesus, "and you won't regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children—whatever—will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a certain: Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31

Good: Luke 6:46, Ezekiel 33:31, Malachi 1:6, John 13:13-15

what: Luke 10:25, Acts 2:37, Acts 16:30

Reciprocal: Matthew 9:18 - ruler Luke 7:40 - Master Hebrews 9:15 - eternal 1 Peter 3:9 - that

Cross-References

Genesis 18:3
He said, "Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I'll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I'll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path." They said, "Certainly. Go ahead."

Genesis 18:17
Then God said, "Shall I keep back from Abraham what I'm about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I've settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God 's way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him."

Genesis 18:26
God said, "If I find fifty decent people in the city of Sodom, I'll spare the place just for them."

Ephesians 1:3
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And a certain ruler asked him,.... A young man,

Matthew 19:20 a ruler among the Jews, a civil magistrate, and a very rich man; he ran after Jesus, and overtook him in the way, as he was going towards Jericho, Mark 10:17

saying, good master; "Rabbi"; or doctor,

what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Mark 10:17- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 19:13-30.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 18:18-23. A certain ruler — See the case of this person largely explained on Matthew 19:16-22, and Mark 10:21-22.