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Why this passage matters

This verse is mostly contested by people with a strong loyalty to the KJV translations. They prefer that Erasmus' Textus Receptus, a Greek New Testament primarily used in the Protestant tradition, be used rather than manuscripts like the Codex Vaticanus or Codex Sinaiticus. They will usually object to the Nestle-Aland critical edition of the Greek New Testament which uses those manuscripts as well. Almost all bible scholars, protestant and Catholic, have adopted the use of the codices and the Nestle-Aland.

Translations

RSV2CE

And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”

ESV

And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”

NKJV / Orthodox Study Bible

So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

NABRE

He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

NIV

“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

KJV

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Vulgate

Qui dixit ei: Quid me interrogas de bono? Unus est bonus, Deus. Si autem vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata.

N.B. Clementine Vulgate

Greek

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός· εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς.

Holmes, Michael W. 2011–2013. The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Lexham Press; Society of Biblical Literature.

Comments on Matthew 19:17

There are some KJV-onlyist people that get really fired up about this one. I think the translation of this one comes down to the manuscripts used rather than the finer points of the Greek. Unfortunately the Orthodox Study Bible uses the NKJV as the translation for the New Testament so it repeats the errors of KJV and the Textus Receptus here.

Here are some manuscripts that have at least some part of Matthew 19:

Codex Sinaiticus:

ὁ δε ειπεν αυτω τι με ερωταϲ περι του αγαθου ειϲ εϲτιν ὁ αγαθοϲ ει δε θελιϲ ειϲ την ζωην ειϲελθιν τηρηϲον ταϲ εν τολαϲ

Textus Receptus:

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθός, εἰ μὴ εἷς, ὁ Θεός. εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, τήρησον τὰς ἐντολάς.

Nestle 1904:

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός· εἰ δὲ θέλεις εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, τήρει τὰς ἐντολάς.

This section is under construction, I'll have more to say as I've had a chance to dig into the sources more.