Matthew 19
New Testament for Everyone
The question about divorce
19 So this is what happened next. When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went away from Galilee and came to the region of Judaea across the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees approached him with a trick question.
“Is it lawful,” they asked, “for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that the creator from the beginning ‘made them male and female’? 5 And this is what he said: ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ 6 As a result, they are no longer two, but one flesh. So humans shouldn’t split up what God has joined together.”
7 “So then,” they asked, “why did Moses lay it down that one should give the woman a certificate of divorce and make the separation legal?”
8 “Moses gave you this instruction about how to divorce your wives,” replied Jesus, “because your hearts were hard. But that’s not how it was at the beginning. 9 Let me tell you this: anyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”
Marriage, celibacy and children
10 The disciples said to Jesus, “If that’s the situation of a man with his wife, it would be better not to marry!”
11 “Not everyone can accept this word,” replied Jesus; “only the people it’s given to. 12 You see, there are some eunuchs who are that way from birth. There are some who have been made eunuchs by others. And there are some who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. If anyone can receive this, let them do so.”
13 Then children were brought to Jesus for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me! Don’t stop them! They are the sort the kingdom of heaven belongs to!” 15 And he laid his hands on them.
Then he moved on elsewhere.
The rich young man
16 Suddenly a man came up to Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what good thing must I do if I’m to possess the life of the age to come?”
17 “Why come to me with questions about what’s good?” retorted Jesus. “There is One who is good! If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he asked.
“These ones,” Jesus answered: “ ‘don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t tell lies under oath, 19 respect your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 “I’ve kept the lot,” said the young man. “What am I still short of?”
21 “If you want to complete the set,” Jesus replied, “go and sell everything you own and give it to the poor. That way you’ll have treasure in heaven! Then come and follow me.”
22 When the young man heard him say that, he went away very sad. He had many possessions.
The first and the last
23 Jesus said to his disciples, “I’m telling you the truth: it’s very hard for a rich person to get into the kingdom of heaven. 24 Let me say it again: it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”
25 The disciples were completely flabbergasted when they heard that. “So who then can be saved?” they asked.
26 Jesus looked round at them. “Humanly speaking,” he replied, “it’s impossible. But everything’s possible with God.”
27 Then Peter spoke up. “Look here,” he said, “we’ve left everything behind and followed you. What can we expect?”
28 “I’m telling you the truth,” Jesus replied. “In God’s great new world, when the son of man sits on his glorious throne, those of you who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones—yes, you!—and rule over the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And anyone who’s left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or estates because of my name will get back a hundred times over, and will inherit the life of that new age. 30 But many at the front will find themselves at the back, and the back ones at the front.”
Mattityahu 19
Orthodox Jewish Bible
19 And it came to pass when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach finished these dvarim, he departed from the Galil and came into the regions of Yehudah east of the Yarden River.
2 And a great multitude followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, who brought refuah (healing) to them there.
3 And the Perushim approached him with a she’elah to test him, and they asked him, Is it mutar (permissible) for a man to give a get (divorce) to his wife for any and every reason?
4 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply, Have you not read that HaBoreh (The Creator, G-d) bereshis (in the beginning) created them zachar (male) and nekevah (female) [BERESHIS 1:27, 5:2]?
5 And he said, Because of this, YAAZAV ISH ES AVIV VES IMMO VDAVAK BISHTO VHAYU LVASAR ECHAD (a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his isha (wife), and the two will be one flesh, BERESHIS 2:24).
6 So they are no longer shnayim (two) but basar echad (one flesh). Therefore, whatever Hashem joined together, let no man divide asunder.
7 They say to him, Why then did Moshe Rabbenu give the mitzvah to give the get, the sefer keritut, and send her away?
8 He says to them, Moshe, because of your hardness of heart, permitted you to give the get to your wives; but from bereshis (in the beginning), however, it was not so.
9 But I [Moshiach] say to you that whoever, the case of zenut (fornication) being excepted, gives the get to his wife and marries another, is guilty of niuf (adultery).
10 Moshiach’s talmidim say to him, If thus is the case of the man with the wife, nikhnas lchuppah (to be wed) is not advantageous.
11 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Not everyone is able to accept this dvar torah, but rather those to whom it has been given.
12 For there are sarisim (eunuchs) who from the womb of their Em were born thus, and there are sarisim who were made sarisim by men, and there are sarisim who make sarisim of themselves for the sake of the Malchut HaShomayim. The one able to receive this, let him receive it.
13 Then yeladim were brought to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach that he might place his hands on them and say a bracha. However, Moshiach’s talmidim rebuked them.
14 But he said, Permit the yeladim to come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Malchut HaShomayim.
15 And having placed his hands on the yeladim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach departed from there.
16 And one, having approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, said, Rebbe, what mitzvah, what good may I do that I may have Chayyei Olam?
17 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to him, Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good, nu? But if you wish to enter into Chayyim (Life), do not fail to be shomer mitzvot.
18 He says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Which mitzvah? And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, LO TIRTZACH, LO TINAF, LO TIGNOV, LO TAANEH VREIACHAH ED SHAKER, KABEID ES AVICHA VES IMMECHAH, VAHAVTAH LREACHA KAMOCHA (You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness;
19 Honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself, SHEMOT 20:13(13-16); DEVARIM 5:17-20; SHEMOT 20:12; DEVARIM 5:16; VAYIKRA 19:18.
20 The bocher (bachelor, young man) says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, I was shomer mitzvot and frum in all these things, so where do I still fall short?
21 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to him, If you wish to be tamim (perfect), if you wish to have shelemut (perfection, completeness), then go and sell your possessions and give to the aniyim (poor) and you will have otzar (treasure) in Shomayim. Then come and follow me [Moshiach].
22 But having heard the divrei Moshiach, the young man went away with agmat nefesh (grief), for he was having many possessions.
23 And he said to his talmidim, Omein, I say to you that an oisher with difficulty will enter into the Malchut HaShomayim.
24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for an oisher to enter into the Malchut HaShomayim.
25 And when Moshiach’s talmidim heard this, they were exceedingly astounded, saying, Who then is able to receive the Yeshuat Eloheinu?
26 And having looked upon them, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, With Bnei Adam it is impossible; but with Hashem all things are possible.
27 Then Kefa said in reply to him, Hinei! We have left everything and followed you [as Moshiach]! Where does that leave us?
28 And Moshiach said to them, Omein, I say to you, that you, the ones having followed me, when the Briah (Creation) becomes Chadasha (New), when the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] sits upon his Kisei Kavod (Throne of Glory), you also will sit upon the Shneym Asar Kisot (Twelve Thrones) judging the Shneym Asar Shivtei Yisroel.
29 And anyone who left bais or achim or achayot or Abba or Em or banim or sadot (fields) on account of me [Moshiach] and my Name (Yehoshua, Yeshua), will receive a hundred times over and will inherit Chayyei Olam.
30 And many who are Rishonim (first ones) will be Acharonim (last ones), and the Acharonim, Rishonim.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
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