Proverbs 23:18

23:18 For surely there is a future, ¹ 

and your hope will not be cut off. ² 

Matthew 19:21

19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ³  to the poor, and you will have treasure ⁴  in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

James 1:25

1:25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, ⁵  and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he ⁶  will be blessed in what he does. ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “end” (so KJV); ASV “a reward.”

² sn The saying is an understatement; far from being cut off, the “hope” will be realized in the end. So this saying, the thirteenth, advises people to be zealous for the fear of the Lord, their religion, rather than for anything that sinners have to offer.

³ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁴ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

⁵ tn Grk “continues.”

⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

⁷ tn Grk “in his doing.”