# Luke 18.18

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Luke](/codex/luke/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">But Jesus called them unto him, saying, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.</span>
>
> **18. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?**
>
> 19. And Jesus said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother.</span> (Luke 18:16-20, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”</span>
>
> **18. <span class="rl-speech">A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”</span>**
>
> 19. Jesus asked him, <span class="rl-speech">“Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one, God.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”</span> (Luke 18:16-20, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 16. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, <span class="rl-speech">Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.</span>
>
> **18. And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?**
>
> 19. And Jesus said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.</span> (Luke 18:16-20, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 16. <span class="rl-speech">and Jesus having called them near, said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God;</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">verily I say to you, Whoever may not receive the reign of God as a little child, may not enter into it.'</span>
>
> **18. <span class="rl-speech">And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what having done, shall I inherit life age-during?'</span>**
>
> 19. And Jesus said to him, <span class="rl-speech">'Why me dost thou call good? no one [is] good, except One, God;</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.'</span> (Luke 18:16-20, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [G0166 - aionios](/codex/g0166-aionios/), *aionios*, Strong's G0166
- [G2222 - zoe](/codex/g2222-zoe/), *zoe*, Strong's G2222
- [G3004 - lego](/codex/g3004-lego/), *lego*, Strong's G3004

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Luke 18.16-22](/codex/luke-18-16-22/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.