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Matthew 19
EasyEnglish Bible
Matthew 19
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus teaches about when a man sends his own wife away
19 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he went away from Galilee. He went to the part of Judea that is on the other side of the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed Jesus there. He made the sick people well again.
3 Some Pharisees came to talk to Jesus. They wanted to see how he would answer their question. They asked, ‘Can a man send his wife away so that she is no longer his wife? Is it right for him to do that for any reason he chooses?’
4 Jesus replied, ‘You surely have read about this in the Bible. At the start, when God created the world, he made people male and female.[a] 5 Because of this, a man leaves his father and his mother. God joins him and his wife together. The man and the woman become like one body. 6 They are not two separate people any longer. They have come together as one person. God has put them together to be husband and wife. So nobody should make them separate.’
7 Then the Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Moses said that a man could write a letter to say that he and his wife are no longer married. Then the man can send the woman away. Why did Moses say this?’
8 Jesus answered them, ‘Moses said this because you people did not want to obey God. All these things were different at the start, when God made the world. 9 But now I say to you: A man must not send his wife away and marry another woman. If he does that, it is the same as if he had sex with another man's wife. A man may only send his wife away if she has had sex with another man.’
10 Jesus' disciples said to him, ‘You say that this is what it is like for a man and his wife. Then maybe it is better if people do not marry.’
11 Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can agree with this idea. But God has helped some people to agree with it. 12 There are several different reasons why a person may not marry. Some men cannot have sex. They were born like that. Some other people cannot have sex because people did something to them. Some people choose not to have sex. They do not marry because then they can work better for God and his kingdom. Anyone who can agree with this idea should do it.’
Jesus wants children to come to him
13 Then some people brought their little children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on each child's head. They wanted him to pray for them. But the disciples told the people that they should not do that.
14 Jesus said to them, ‘Do not stop the children. Let them come to me. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of heaven is like.’ 15 So Jesus put his hands on each of the children's heads and he prayed for them. After that, he went away from that place.
Jesus meets a rich man
16 One day a man came to Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked. ‘What good thing must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’
17 Jesus replied, ‘Why do you ask me about a good thing? Only God is good. Nobody else. If you want to have real life, then you must obey God's laws.’
18 The man asked Jesus, ‘Which laws must I obey?’
So Jesus replied, ‘Do not kill anyone. Do not have sex with anyone who is not your wife. Do not rob anyone. Do not say things that are not true about people. 19 Love your father and your mother and obey them. Love other people as much as you love yourself.’
20 ‘I have always obeyed these laws,’ the young man replied. ‘What else must I do?’
21 Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be completely good, then you must do this: You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
22 When the young man heard this, he went away. He was not happy. He was feeling sad because he was a very rich man.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘What I say is true. It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives. 24 The hole in a needle is very small. A camel cannot go through it! But I tell you, it is even more difficult than that for a rich person to let God rule in their life.’
25 When the disciples heard this, they were even more surprised. They said, ‘So perhaps God will not save anyone!’
26 Jesus looked at them and he replied, ‘For people, it really is impossible. But God can do it. God can do everything.’
27 Peter said to Jesus, ‘Look! We have left everything that we had. Now we are your disciples. What will we receive because we have done this?’
28 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: One day God will cause all things to become new. I, the Son of Man, will sit on my great throne as King and I will rule that new world. You who are my disciples will also sit like kings on thrones. You will judge the people of the 12 tribes of Israel. 29 Some people have left their homes. Or they may have left their brothers or sisters. Or they may have left their mother or their father. Or they may have left their wife or their children or their fields. They have done that because of me. God will give those people many more things than they have left behind, even 100 times more! And after they die, they will live for ever with God. 30 But many people who are very important now will become the least important. And many people who are not important now will become very important then.’
Footnotes
- 19:4 See Genesis 2:24.
Matthew 19
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Matthew 19
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Question of Divorce
19 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(A) he departed from Galilee and went to the region of Judea across the Jordan.(B) 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.(C) 3 Some Pharisees approached him to test him. They asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife on any grounds? ’(D)
4 ‘Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that he who created[a] them in the beginning made them male and female,(E)[b] 5 and he also said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”?(F)[c] 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.’
7 ‘Why then,’ they asked him, ‘did Moses command us to give divorce papers(G) and to send her away? ’
8 He told them, ‘Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but it was not like that from the beginning. 9 I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery.’[d](H)
10 His disciples(I) said to him, ‘If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry.’
11 He responded, ‘Not everyone can accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given.(J) 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs who were made by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves that way because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept it should accept it.’
Blessing the Children
13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.(K) 14 Jesus said, ‘Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’[e](L) 15 After placing his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich Young Ruler
16 Just then someone came up and asked him,(M) ‘Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life? ’(N)
17 ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? ’[f] he said to him. ‘There is only one who is good.[g] If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’(O)
18 ‘Which ones? ’ he asked him.
Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;(P) 19 honour your father and your mother; and love your neighbour as yourself.[h](Q)
20 ‘I have kept all these,’[i] the young man told him. ‘What do I still lack? ’
21 ‘If you want to be perfect,’[j] Jesus said to him, ‘go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,(R) and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’
22 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
Possessions and the Kingdom
23 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.(S) 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’(T)
25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, ‘Then who can be saved? ’
26 Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’(U)
27 Then Peter responded to him, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us? ’
28 Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things,(V) when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,(W) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[k] or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.(X) 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.(Y)
Footnotes
- 19:4 Other mss read made
- 19:4 Gn 1:27; 5:2
- 19:5 Gn 2:24
- 19:9 Other mss add Also whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery; Mt 5:32
- 19:14 Lit heaven is of such ones
- 19:17 Other mss read ‘Why do you call me good? ’
- 19:17 Other mss read ‘No one is good but one – God
- 19:18–19 Ex 20:12–16; Lv 19:18; Dt 5:16–20
- 19:20 Other mss add from my youth
- 19:21 Or complete
- 19:29 Other mss add or wife
Mattheüs 19
Het Boek
Mattheüs 19
Het Boek
Jezus over echtscheiding
19 Hierna vertrok Jezus uit Galilea. Hij stak de Jordaan over en kwam in Judea. 2 Talloze mensen volgden Hem en velen werden door Hem genezen. 3 Er kwamen enkele Farizeeën naar Hem toe. Zij wilden proberen Hem op zijn woorden te vangen. ‘Mag een man zomaar van zijn vrouw scheiden?’ vroegen zij. 4 ‘Leest u de boeken van Mozes dan niet?’ antwoordde Hij. ‘Daar staat toch in dat God de mens heeft gemaakt als man en vrouw. 5 Een man zal zijn vader en moeder verlaten, zich bij zijn vrouw voegen en werkelijk één met haar worden. 6 Zij zijn niet langer twee, maar één. En geen mens mag scheiden wat God heeft samengebracht.’ 7 Zij vroegen daarop: ‘Maar waarom heeft Mozes dan gezegd dat een man van zijn vrouw mag scheiden? Als hij haar maar een brief geeft waarin staat dat zij niet langer zijn vrouw is.’ 8 ‘Omdat uw hart van steen is,’ antwoordde Jezus. ‘Daarom heeft Mozes dat toegestaan. Maar het is niet Gods oorspronkelijke plan. 9 Luister goed, Ik zeg u: iemand die zijn vrouw verlaat en daarna opnieuw trouwt, pleegt overspel. Tenzij zijn eerste vrouw gemeenschap met een andere man heeft gehad.’ 10 Jezusʼ leerlingen zeiden: ‘Als de verhoudingen tussen man en vrouw zo liggen, kun je beter niet trouwen.’ 11 ‘Niet iedereen zal begrijpen wat Ik nu ga zeggen,’ zei Jezus. ‘Het is alleen voor de mensen die God het inzicht geeft. 12 Sommige mensen kunnen niet trouwen, omdat zij nu eenmaal zo geboren zijn. Anderen kunnen niet trouwen, omdat zij door mensen ongeschikt voor het huwelijk zijn gemaakt. Weer anderen trouwen niet, omdat zij daar ter wille van het Koninkrijk van de hemelen van afzien. Laat ieder die het begrijpt, dit aannemen.’
Jezus zegent de kinderen
13 De mensen brachten hun kinderen bij Jezus. Zij wilden graag dat Hij zijn handen op hen zou leggen en voor hen zou bidden. Maar de leerlingen zeiden dat zij Hem niet mochten lastig vallen. 14 ‘Laat die kinderen toch bij Mij komen,’ zei Jezus. ‘Houd ze niet tegen. Want het Koninkrijk van de hemelen is bestemd voor wie is zoals zij.’ 15 Hij legde zijn handen op hun hoofd en zegende hen voordat Hij verder ging.
De rijke jongeman
16 Er kwam een jongeman bij Hem met de vraag: ‘Meester, wat voor goeds moet ik doen om het eeuwige leven te krijgen?’ 17 ‘Waarom komt u met een vraag over het goede bij Mij?’ vroeg Jezus. ‘Alleen God is goed, en als u het eeuwige leven wilt binnengaan, moet u zich houden aan zijn geboden.’ 18 ‘Welke geboden?’ vroeg hij. Jezus antwoordde: ‘U mag niemand doodslaan. U mag geen overspel plegen. U mag niet stelen. U mag anderen niet vals beschuldigen. 19 Heb eerbied voor uw vader en moeder. Heb uw naaste net zo lief als uzelf.’ 20 ‘Maar daar heb ik mij altijd aan gehouden. Wat moet ik dan nog meer doen?’ vroeg de jonge man. 21 ‘Als u volmaakt wilt zijn, ga dan naar huis en verkoop alles wat u hebt. Geef uw geld aan de armen en u zult rijk zijn in de hemel. Kom dan terug om Mij te volgen.’ 22 Toen de jongeman dit hoorde, werd hij heel verdrietig en ging weg, want hij was erg rijk. 23 Jezus zei tegen zijn leerlingen: ‘Voor een rijke is het bijna onmogelijk om in het Koninkrijk van de hemelen te komen. 24 Je kunt zeggen dat het voor een kameel gemakkelijker is om door het oog van een naald te gaan dan voor een rijke om het Koninkrijk van God binnen te gaan!’ 25 Door die opmerking raakten de leerlingen erg in de war. ‘Wie kan dan gered worden?’ vroegen zij.
26 Jezus keek hen ernstig aan en zei: ‘Menselijk gesproken, niemand. Maar bij God is alles mogelijk.’ 27 Petrus merkte op: ‘Wij hebben alles verlaten om U te volgen. Hoe staat het dan met ons?’ 28 Jezus antwoordde: ‘Luister, wanneer Ik, de Mensenzoon, eenmaal op mijn schitterende troon zal zitten, zullen ook jullie op twaalf tronen zitten om recht te spreken over de twaalf stammen van Israël. 29 Ieder die zijn huis, broers, zusters, vader, moeder, kinderen of bezittingen opgeeft om Mij te volgen, zal honderdmaal zoveel terugkrijgen. En bovendien krijgt hij het eeuwige leven. 30 Maar vele eersten zullen de laatsten zijn, en vele laatsten de eersten.’
Matthew 19
New International Version
Matthew 19
New International Version
Divorce(A)
19 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(B) he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them(C) there.
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife(D) for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a](E) 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]?(F) 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”(G)
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”(H)
10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.(I) 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus(J)
13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them(K) and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs(L) to such as these.”(M) 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God(N)
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life(O)?”(P)
17 “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.”(Q)
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,(R) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c](S) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”(T)
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,(U) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,(V) and you will have treasure in heaven.(W) Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich(X) to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, 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.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Y)
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!(Z) What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,(AA) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.(AB) 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.(AC) 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.(AD)
Footnotes
- Matthew 19:4 Gen. 1:27
- Matthew 19:5 Gen. 2:24
- Matthew 19:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
- Matthew 19:19 Lev. 19:18
- Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife.
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Christian Standard Bible Anglicised (CSBA)
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Het Boek (HTB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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