Divorce
1Jesus then left that
place and
went into
the region
of Judea
and across
the
Jordan.
Again
crowds of
people
came to
him, and
as was his
custom, he
taught
them.
2 Some Pharisees came and
tested him
by
asking,“Is
it lawful
for a man
to divorce
his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command
you?” he
replied.
4 They said, “Moses
permitted
a man to
write a
certificate
of divorce
and send
her away.”
5 “It was because your
hearts
were hard
that Moses
wrote you
this law,”
Jesus
replied.
6 “But at
the
beginning
of
creation
God ‘made
them male
and
female.’
7 ‘For
this
reason a
man will
leave his
father and
mother and
be united
to his
wife,
8 and
the two
will
become one
flesh.’ So
they are
no longer
two, but
one flesh.
9 Therefore
what God
has joined
together,
let no one
separate.”
10 When they were in the
house
again, the
disciples
asked
Jesus
about
this.
11 He
answered,
“Anyone
who
divorces
his wife
and
marries
another
woman
commits
adultery
against
her.
12 And
if she
divorces
her
husband
and
marries
another
man, she
commits
adultery.”
The Little
Children
and Jesus
13 People were bringing
little
children
to Jesus
for him to
place his
hands on
them, but
the
disciples
rebuked
them.
14 When
Jesus saw
this, he
was
indignant.
He said to
them, “Let
the little
children
come to
me, and do
not hinder
them, for
the
kingdom of
God
belongs to
such as
these.
15 Truly I
tell you,
anyone who
will not
receive
the
kingdom of
God like a
little
child will
never
enter it.”
16 And he
took the
children
in his
arms,
placed his
hands on
them and
blessed
them.
The Rich and the
Kingdom of
God
17 As Jesus started on his
way, a man
ran up to
him and
fell on
his knees
before
him. “Good
teacher,”
he asked,
“what must
I do to
inherit
eternal
life?”
18 “Why do you call me
good?”
Jesus
answered.
“No one is
good—except
God alone.
19 You
know the
commandments:
‘You shall
not
murder,
you shall
not commit
adultery,
you shall
not steal,
you shall
not give
false
testimony,
you shall
not
defraud,
honor your
father and
mother.’”
20 “Teacher,” he declared,
“all these
I have
kept since
I was a
boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and
loved him.
“One thing
you lack,”
he said.
“Go, sell
everything
you have
and give
to the
poor, and
you will
have
treasure
in heaven.
Then come,
follow
me.”
22 At this the man’s face
fell. He
went away
sad,
because he
had great
wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and
said to
his
disciples,
“How hard
it is for
the rich
to enter
the
kingdom of
God!”
24 The disciples were
amazed at
his words.
But Jesus
said
again,
“Children,
how hard
it is[e]
to enter
the
kingdom of
God!
25 It
is easier
for a
camel to
go through
the eye of
a needle
than for
someone
who is
rich to
enter the
kingdom of
God.”
26 The disciples were even
more
amazed,
and said
to each
other,
“Who then
can be
saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them
and said,
“With man
this is
impossible,
but not
with God;
all things
are
possible
with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up,
“We have
left
everything
to follow
you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,”
Jesus
replied,
“no one
who has
left home
or
brothers
or sisters
or mother
or father
or
children
or fields
for me and
the gospel
30 will
fail to
receive a
hundred
times as
much in
this
present
age:
homes,
brothers,
sisters,
mothers,
children
and
fields—along
with
persecutions—and
in the age
to come
eternal
life.
31 But
many who
are first
will be
last, and
the last
first.”
Jesus Predicts His
Death a
Third Time
32 They were on their way
up to
Jerusalem,
with Jesus
leading
the way,
and the
disciples
were
astonished,
while
those who
followed
were
afraid.
Again he
took the
Twelve
aside and
told them
what was
going to
happen to
him.
33 “We
are going
up to
Jerusalem,”
he said,
“and the
Son of Man
will be
delivered
over to
the chief
priests
and the
teachers
of the
law. They
will
condemn
him to
death and
will hand
him over
to the
Gentiles,
34 who
will mock
him and
spit on
him, flog
him and
kill him.
Three days
later he
will
rise.”
The Request of
James and
John
35 Then James and John,
the sons
of
Zebedee,
came to
him.
“Teacher,”
they said,
“we want
you to do
for us
whatever
we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to
do for
you?” he
asked.
37 They replied, “Let one
of us sit
at your
right and
the other
at your
left in
your
glory.”
38 “You don’t know what
you are
asking,”
Jesus
said. “Can
you drink
the cup I
drink or
be
baptized
with the
baptism I
am
baptized
with?”
39 “We can,” they
answered.
Jesus said to them, “You
will drink
the cup I
drink and
be
baptized
with the
baptism I
am
baptized
with,
40 but
to sit at
my right
or left is
not for me
to grant.
These
places
belong to
those for
whom they
have been
prepared.”
41 When the ten heard
about
this, they
became
indignant
with James
and John.
42 Jesus
called
them
together
and said,
“You know
that those
who are
regarded
as rulers
of the
Gentiles
lord it
over them,
and their
high
officials
exercise
authority
over them.
43 Not so
with you.
Instead,
whoever
wants to
become
great
among you
must be
your
servant,
44 and
whoever
wants to
be first
must be
slave of
all.
45 For
even the
Son of Man
did not
come to be
served,
but to
serve, and
to give
his life
as a
ransom for
many.”
Blind Bartimaeus
Receives
His Sight
46 Then they came to
Jericho.
As Jesus
and his
disciples,
together
with a
large
crowd,
were
leaving
the city,
a blind
man,
Bartimaeus
(which
means “son
of
Timaeus”),
was
sitting by
the
roadside
begging.
47 When he
heard that
it was
Jesus of
Nazareth,
he began
to shout,
“Jesus,
Son of
David,
have mercy
on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and
told him
to be
quiet, but
he shouted
all the
more, “Son
of David,
have mercy
on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said,
“Call
him.”
So they called to the
blind man,
“Cheer up!
On your
feet! He’s
calling
you.”
50 Throwing
his cloak
aside, he
jumped to
his feet
and came
to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to
do for
you?”
Jesus
asked him.
The blind man said,
“Rabbi, I
want to
see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your
faith has
healed
you.”
Immediately
he
received
his sight
and
followed
Jesus
along the
road.