19:24a

Again I tell you: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as I tell you are the same words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “I tell you” in 19:23a. These words together with the word Again emphasize a second time how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

Furthermore
-or-
To say it another way
-or-
I’ll say it again (New Living Translation (2004))

19:24b–c

In 19:24b–c, Jesus compared two things. He compared a difficult thing (a rich man entering the kingdom of God) to an impossible thing (a camel going through the eye of a needle). This comparison shows that it is also impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

It may be more natural in your language to translate the comparison in another way. For example:

The difficulty for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God surpasses the difficulty for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
-or-
It is not possible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But the difficulty for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God surpasses even that.
-or-
It is difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is even more difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

19:24b

a camel: A camel is a large animal that carries people and cargo in desert areas. It was the largest animal that lived in the land of the Jews.

Here are some other ways to translate the word camel:

• Use the current word for camel in your language.

• Spell the word camel (or the major language word for camel) as a speaker of your language will say it. Use a picture with a camel and a person in it to show how large a camel is. Or you may want a footnote to explain. A sample footnote is:

A camel is a large animal that carries people and cargo. It generally lives in desert areas. It was the largest animal that lived in the land of the Jews.

• Spell the word camel (or the major language word for camel) as a speaker of your language will say it and add a descriptive phrase. For example:

⌊a large domesticated animal called⌋ a camel

• Use a descriptive phrase instead of the word camel. For example:

a large ⌊domesticated⌋ animal

the eye of a needle: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as needle is a thin, sharp piece of metal, wood or bone that is used to sew cloth or animal skins. It has a small hole at one end for thread to go through and be held during stitching. That hole is called the eye of the needle. It was the smallest hole that the Jews knew.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the hole of a needle
-or-
a ⌊sewing⌋ needle hole

19:24c

a rich man: This is the same term as in 19:23b. Translate it the same way here as there.

to enter the kingdom of God: The verb enter also occurs in 19:23b. Translate it the same way here as there.

Matthew rarely used the kingdom of God. More frequently he used “kingdom of heaven.” In these two verses, he used both phrases in the same context. This shows that they mean the same thing.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

to become a citizen of the kingdom of God
-or-
to become one of those who are in God’s kingdom

-or-

to be added to the people over whom God rules

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