Mark 10:2-16

EasyEnglish Bible

² Some Pharisees came to Jesus. They wanted to find out how he would answer their question. They asked him, ‘Can a man send his wife away, so that she is no longer his wife? Is it right for him to do that?’

³ Jesus replied with a question: ‘What did Moses say was right for you?’^[a]

⁴ The Pharisees said, ‘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.’^[b]

⁵ Jesus said to them, ‘You did not want to obey God. That is why Moses made this rule for you. ⁶ But at the start, when God made the world, he made people male and female. ⁷ That is the reason that a man leaves his father and his mother. Then God joins him and his wife together. ⁸ The man and the woman become like one body. They are not two separate people any longer. They have come together as one person. ⁹ God has put them together to be husband and wife. So nobody should cause them to be separate.’^[c]

¹⁰ When Jesus went into the house, the disciples asked him about these things again. ¹¹ So Jesus said to them, ‘A man must not send his wife away and then marry another woman. If he does that, he has not been faithful to his wife. It is the same as if he had sex with another man's wife. ¹² In the same way, a woman must not leave her husband and then marry another man. She also has done a wrong thing. It is the same as if she had sex with another woman's husband.’

Jesus prays for some children

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on each child's head. The disciples told the people that they should not do that. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw this, he was angry. He 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 God is like. ¹⁵ I tell you this: A person must become like a little child for God to rule in his life. If he does not become like a child, he will not come into the kingdom of God.’ ¹⁶ Then Jesus took hold of the children. He put his hands on each of them and he asked God to bless them.