Chapter 19

¹When Jesus had finished this discourse, he left Galilee and went to the part of Judea that is on the other side of the Jordan. ²Great crowds followed him about and he cured them there.

³And some Pharisees came up to him to test him, and they said,

“Is it right for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?”

⁴But he answered,

“Did you never read that the Creator at the beginning made them male and female, ⁵and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two of them shall become one’? So they are no longer two but one. ⁶Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not try to separate.”

⁷They said to him,

“Then why did Moses command us to draw up a written divorce-notice and give it to her?”

⁸He said to them,

“It was on account of your perversity that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but it was not so at the beginning. ⁹I tell you that whoever divorces his wife on any ground but her unfaithfulness, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”

¹⁰The disciples said to him,

“If that is a man’s relation to his wife, it is better not to marry!”

¹¹He said to them,

“It is not everyone who can accept that, but only those who have a special gift. ¹²For some are incapable of marriage from their birth, and some have been made so by men, and some have made themselves so for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him accept it who can.”

¹³Then some children were brought up to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray, but his disciples reproved the people for it. ¹⁴But Jesus said,

“Let the children alone, and do not try to keep them from coming to me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as they are.”

¹⁵And he laid his hands on them and went on.

¹⁶A man came up to him and said,

“Master, what good deed must I do to obtain eternal life?”

¹⁷But he said to him,

“Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.

But if you want to enter that life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸He said to him,

“Which ones?”

Jesus said,

“These: ‘You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as you do yourself.’ ”

²⁰The young man said to him,

“I have obeyed all these commandments. What do I still lack?”

²¹Jesus said to him,

“If you want to be perfect, go! Sell your property and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come back and be a follower of mine.”

²²But when the young man heard that, he went away much cast down, for he had a great deal of property.

²³Jesus said to his disciples,

“I tell you, it will be hard for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of Heaven! ²⁴And again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God!”

²⁵But when the disciples heard this, they were completely astounded and said,

“Then who can be saved?”

²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said,

“For men it is impossible, but anything is possible for God!”

²⁷Then Peter spoke and said to him, “Here we have left all we had and followed you. What are we to have?”

²⁸Jesus said to them,

“In the new world, I tell you, when the Son of Man takes his seat on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit upon twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel!

²⁹And anyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or land for my sake will receive many times as much, and share eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first now will be last then, and many who are now last will be first.