¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him.” ¹⁹ So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. ²⁰ So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him.

²¹ Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. ²² He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. ²³ Then the man said,

^24 (A)That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one.

God's Glory and Human Dignity^[a]

God's Word through His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times and in many ways through the prophets, ^2 (A)but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one through whom God created the universe, the one whom God has chosen to possess all things at the end. ^3 (B)He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. After achieving forgiveness for the sins of all human beings, he sat down in heaven at the right side of God, the Supreme Power.

The Greatness of God's Son

⁴ The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the name that God gave him is greater than theirs.

The One Who Leads Us to Salvation

⁵ God has not placed the angels as rulers over the new world to come—the world of which we speak. ^6 (A)Instead, as it is said somewhere in the Scriptures:

It says that God made them “rulers over all things”; this clearly includes everything. We do not, however, see human beings ruling over all things now. ⁹ But we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, so that through God's grace he should die for everyone. We see him now crowned with glory and honor because of the death he suffered. ¹⁰ It was only right that God, who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share his glory. For Jesus is the one who leads them to salvation.

¹¹ He purifies people from their sins, and both he and those who are made pure all have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his family. ^12 (B)He says to God,

² Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him. “Tell us,” they asked, “does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife?”

³ Jesus answered with a question, “What law did Moses give you?”

^4 (A)Their answer was, “Moses gave permission for a man to write a divorce notice and send his wife away.”

⁵ Jesus said to them, “Moses wrote this law for you because you are so hard to teach. ^6 (B)But in the beginning, at the time of creation, ‘God made them male and female,’ as the scripture says. ^7 (C)‘And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife,^{[a] 8} and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two, but one. ⁹ No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together.”

¹⁰ When they went back into the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter. ^11 (D)He said to them, “A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife. ¹² In the same way, a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children^(E)

¹³ Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples scolded the people. ¹⁴ When Jesus noticed this, he was angry and said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ^15 (F)I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them.