Matthew 19:3-12

New International Reader's Version

³ Some Pharisees came to test Jesus. They asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Haven’t you read that in the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’? (Genesis 1:27) ⁵ He said, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.’ (Genesis 2:24) ⁶ They are no longer two, but one. So no one should separate what God has joined together.”

⁷ They asked, “Then why did Moses command that a man can give his wife a letter of divorce and send her away?”

⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses let you divorce your wives because you were stubborn. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ Here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him.”

¹⁰ Here is what the disciples said to him. “If that’s the way it is between a husband and wife, it is better not to get married.”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept the idea of staying single. Only those who have been helped to live without getting married can accept it. ¹² Some men are not able to have children because they were born that way. Some have been made that way by other people. Others have chosen to live that way in order to serve the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”