Mark 10
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Question of Divorce
10 He(A) set out from there and went to the region of Judea(B) and across the Jordan.(C) Then crowds converged on him again, and as was his custom he taught(D) them again.
2 Some Pharisees(E) came to test(F) him, asking, ‘Is it lawful(G) for a man to divorce(H) his wife? ’(I)
3 He replied to them, ‘What did Moses(J) command you? ’
4 They said, ‘Moses permitted us to write divorce papers(K) and send her away.’(L)
5 But Jesus told them, ‘He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.(M) 6 But from the beginning(N) of creation(O) God[a] made them male and female.[b](P) 7 For this reason a man will leave(Q) his father and mother[c] 8 and the two will become one flesh.(R)[d] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’(S)
10 When they were in the house again, the disciples questioned him about this matter. 11 He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife(T) and marries(U) another commits adultery(V) against her. 12 Also, if she divorces her husband(W) and marries another, she commits adultery.’
Blessing the Children
13 People(X) were bringing little children(Y) to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked(Z) them. 14 When Jesus saw it, he was indignant(AA) and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me.(AB) Don’t stop(AC) them, because the kingdom of God(AD) belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you,(AE) whoever does not receive[e](AF) the kingdom of God like a little child(AG) will never enter it.’ 16 After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands on(AH) them and blessed(AI) them.
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As(AJ) he was setting out on a journey,(AK) a man ran up, knelt down(AL) before him, and asked him, ‘Good(AM) teacher,(AN) what must I do to inherit(AO) eternal life? ’(AP)
18 ‘Why do you call me good? ’ Jesus asked him. ‘No one is good except God alone.(AQ) 19 You know the commandments: Do not murder;(AR) do not commit adultery;(AS) do not steal;(AT) do not bear false witness;(AU) do not defraud;(AV) honour(AW) your father and mother.’(AX)[f]
20 He said to him, ‘Teacher,(AY) I have kept all these from my youth.’
21 Looking at him, Jesus loved him(AZ) and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor,(BA) and you will have treasure(BB) in heaven.(BC) Then come,[g] follow me.’(BD) 22 But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving,(BE) because he had many possessions.(BF)
Possessions and the Kingdom
23 Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth(BG) to enter the kingdom of God! ’(BH)
24 The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, ‘Children,(BI) how hard it is[h] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich(BJ) person to enter the kingdom of God.’
26 They were even more astonished, saying to one another, ‘Then who can be saved? ’(BK)
27 Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With man it is impossible,(BL) but not with God, because all things are possible with God.’
28 Peter(BM) began to tell him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’
29 ‘Truly I tell you,’(BN) Jesus said, ‘there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father[i] or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,(BO) 30 who will not receive a hundred times(BP) more, now at this time(BQ) #– #houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions(BR) #– #and eternal life(BS) in the age to come.(BT) 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’(BU)
The Third Prediction of His Death
32 They(BV) were on the road, going up to Jerusalem,(BW) and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished, but those who followed him were afraid.(BX) Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things that would happen to him.(BY) 33 ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man(BZ) will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,(CA) and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles,(CB) 34 and they will mock him, spit on him, flog[j] him, and kill him, and he will rise(CC) after three days.’(CD)
Suffering and Service
35 James(CE) and John,(CF) the sons of Zebedee,(CG) approached him and said, ‘Teacher,(CH) we want you to do whatever we ask you.’
36 ‘What do you want me to do for you? ’ he asked them.
37 They answered him, ‘Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.’(CI)
38 Jesus said to them, ‘You don’t know what you’re asking.(CJ) Are you able to drink the cup(CK) I drink or to be baptised with the baptism(CL) I am baptised with? ’(CM)
39 ‘We are able,’ they told him.
Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with.(CN) 40 But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’
41 When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.(CO) 42 Jesus called them over and said to them, ‘You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over(CP) them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you.(CQ) On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,(CR) 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all.(CS) 45 For even the Son of Man(CT) did not come to be served, but to serve,(CU) and to give his life(CV) as a ransom(CW) for many.’[k](CX)
A Blind Man Healed
46 They(CY) came to Jericho.(CZ) And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind(DA) beggar,(DB) was sitting by the road.(DC) 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,(DD) he began to cry out, ‘Jesus, Son of David,(DE) have mercy(DF) on me! ’(DG) 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, ‘Have mercy on me,(DH) Son of David! ’
49 Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’
So they called the blind man and said to him, ‘Have courage!(DI) Get up; he’s calling for you.’ 50 He threw off his coat,(DJ) jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 Then Jesus answered him, ‘What do you want(DK) me to do for you? ’
‘Rabboni,’[l](DL) the blind man said to him, ‘I want to see.’
52 Jesus said to him, ‘Go, your faith has saved you.’(DM) Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.
Footnotes
- 10:6 Other mss omit God
- 10:6 Gn 1:27; 5:2
- 10:7 Some mss add and be joined to his wife
- 10:7–8 Gn 2:24
- 10:15 Or not welcome
- 10:19 Ex 20:12–16; Dt 5:16–20
- 10:21 Other mss add taking up the cross, and
- 10:24 Other mss add for those trusting in wealth
- 10:29 Other mss add or wife
- 10:34 Or scourge
- 10:45 Or in the place of many; Is 53:10–12
- 10:51 Hb word for my lord
Mark 10
The Message
Divorce
10 1-2 From there he went to the area of Judea across the Jordan. A crowd of people, as was so often the case, went along, and he, as he so often did, taught them. Pharisees came up, intending to give him a hard time. They asked, “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 Jesus said, “What did Moses command?”
4 They answered, “Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her.”
5-9 Jesus said, “Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways. In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.”
10-12 When they were back home, the disciples brought it up again. Jesus gave it to them straight: “A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her. And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery.”
* * *
13-16 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
To Enter God’s Kingdom
17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”
18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.”
28 Peter tried another angle: “We left everything and followed you.”
29-31 Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.”
32-34 Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next. “Listen to me carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans, who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive.”
The Highest Places of Honor
35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.”
36 “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.”
37 “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.”
38 Jesus said, “You have no idea what you’re asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I’m about to be plunged into?”
39-40 “Sure,” they said. “Why not?”
Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. There are other arrangements for that.”
41-45 When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John. Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”
* * *
46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
49-50 Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”
They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”
In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson