Matthew - Chapter 19

¹ Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and he left Galilee and came into the territory of Judaea on the far side of the Jordan.

² Large crowds followed him and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees approached him, and to put him to the test they said, 'Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?'

⁴ He answered, 'Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them male and female

⁵ and that he said: This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh?

⁶ They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.'

⁷ They said to him, 'Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?'

⁸ He said to them, 'It was because you were so hard-hearted, that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning.

⁹ Now I say this to you: anyone who divorces his wife -- I am not speaking of an illicit marriage -- and marries another, is guilty of adultery.'

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, 'If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry.'

¹¹ But he replied, 'It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted.

¹² There are eunuchs born so from their mother's womb, there are eunuchs made so by human agency and there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.'

¹³ Then people brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples scolded them,

¹⁴ but Jesus said, 'Let the little children alone, and do not stop them from coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of Heaven belongs.'

¹⁵ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

¹⁶ And now a man came to him and asked, 'Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?'

¹⁷ Jesus said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.'

¹⁸ He said, 'Which ones?' Jesus replied, 'These: You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false witness.

¹⁹ Honour your father and your mother. You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'

²⁰ The young man said to him, 'I have kept all these. What more do I need to do?'

²¹ Jesus said, 'If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.'

²² But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'In truth I tell you, it is hard for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

²⁴ Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.'

²⁵ When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said.

²⁶ Jesus gazed at them. 'By human resources', he told them, 'this is impossible; for God everything is possible.'

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?'

²⁸ Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tell you, when everything is made new again and the Son of man is seated on his throne of glory, you yourselves will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁹ And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life.

³⁰ 'Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.'

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