Luke 12:13-21 Commentary: The Rich Fool

¹³Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”

¹⁵And 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.”

¹⁶Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.

¹⁷So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’

¹⁸Then 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.

¹⁹Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

²¹This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

¹³One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”

¹⁵He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”

¹⁶He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.

¹⁷He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’

¹⁸He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

¹⁹I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”’

²⁰“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

²¹So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

¹³And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

¹⁴And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

¹⁵And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

¹⁶And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

¹⁸And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

²⁰But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

²¹So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

¹³And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.

¹⁴But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

¹⁵And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

¹⁶And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

¹⁷and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?

¹⁸And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods.

¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.

²⁰But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?

²¹So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

¹³And a certain one said to him, out of the multitude, `Teacher, say to my brother to divide with me the inheritance.'

¹⁴And he said to him, `Man, who set me a judge or a divider over you?'

¹⁵And he said unto them, `Observe, and beware of the covetousness, because not in the abundance of one's goods is his life.'

¹⁶And he spake a simile unto them, saying, `Of a certain rich man the field brought forth well;

¹⁷and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits?

¹⁸and he said, This I will do, I will take down my storehouses, and greater ones I will build, and I will gather together there all my products and my good things,

¹⁹and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years, be resting, eat, drink, be merry.

²⁰`And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare--to whom shall they be?

²¹so is he who is treasuring up to himself, and is not rich toward God.'

¹³And a person said to him out of the crowd, Teacher, speak to my brother to divide the inheritance with me.

¹⁴But he said to him, Man, who established me [as] a judge or a divider over you?

¹⁵And he said to them, Take heed and keep yourselves from all covetousness, for [it is] not because a man is in abundance [that] his life is in his possessions.

¹⁶And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The land of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly.

¹⁷And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not [a place] where I shall lay up my fruits.

¹⁸And he said, This will I do: I will take away my granaries and build greater, and there I will lay up all my produce and my good things;

¹⁹and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much good things laid by for many years; repose thyself, eat, drink, be merry.

²⁰But God said to him, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared?

²¹Thus is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

¹³And one of the multitude said to him: Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.

¹⁴But he said to him: Man, who hath appointed me judge or divider over you?

¹⁵And he said to them: Take heed and beware of all covetousness: for a man's life doth not consist in the abundance of things which he possesseth.

¹⁶And he spoke a similitude to them, saying: The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits.

¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

¹⁸And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns and will build greater: and into them will I gather all things that are grown to me and my goods.

¹⁹And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thy rest: eat, drink, make good cheer.

²⁰But God said to him: Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee. And whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

²¹So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God.