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 He usually did, He began teaching(D) them once more. Some Pharisees(E) approached Him to test(F) Him. They asked, “Is it lawful(G) for a man to divorce(H) his wife?”(I)

He replied to them, “What did Moses(J) command you?”

They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers(K) and send her away.”(L)

But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.(M) But from the beginning(N) of creation(O) God[a] made them male and female.(P)[b]

For this reason a man will leave(Q)
his father and mother
[and be joined to his wife],[c]
and the two will become one flesh.(R)[d]

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.”(S)

10 Now in the house the disciples questioned Him again about this matter. 11 And 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 Some(X) people were bringing little children(Y) to Him so He might touch them, but His 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, for the kingdom of God(AD) belongs to such as these. 15 I assure you:(AE) Whoever does not welcome[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 but One—God.(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)
honor(AW) your father and mother.(AX)[f]

20 He said to Him, “Teacher,(AY) I have kept all these from my youth.”

21 Then, 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 stunned[h] at this demand, and he went away grieving,(BE) because he had many possessions.(BF)

Possessions and the Kingdom

23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth(BG) to enter the kingdom of God!”(BH) 24 But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children,(BI) how hard it is[i] 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 So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”(BK)

27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men 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 “I assure you,”(BN) Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father,[j] children, or fields because of Me and the gospel,(BO) 30 who will not receive 100 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. They 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 “Listen! 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[k] Him, and kill Him, and He will rise(CC) after three days.”(CD)

Suffering and Service

35 Then(CE) James(CF) and John,(CG) the sons of Zebedee,(CH) approached Him and said, “Teacher,(CI) we want You to do something for us if 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.”(CJ)

38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking.(CK) Are you able to drink the cup(CL) I drink or to be baptized with the baptism(CM) I am baptized with?”(CN)

39 “We are able,” they told Him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.(CO) 40 But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to give; instead, it is for those it has been prepared for.” 41 When the other 10 disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.(CP)

42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate(CQ) them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. 43 But it must not be like that among you.(CR) On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,(CS) 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave(CT) to all. 45 For even the Son of Man(CU) did not come to be served, but to serve,(CV) and to give His life(CW)—a ransom(CX) for many.”[l](CY)

A Blind Man Healed

46 They(CZ) came to Jericho.(DA) And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind(DB) beggar,(DC) was sitting by the road.(DD) 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene,(DE) he began to cry out, “Son of David,(DF) Jesus, have mercy(DG) on me!”(DH) 48 Many people told him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me,(DI) Son of David!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage!(DJ) Get up; He’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat,(DK) jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want(DL) Me to do for you?”

“Rabbouni,”[m](DM) the blind man told Him, “I want to see!”

52 “Go your way,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.”(DN) Immediately he could see and began to follow Him on the road.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 10:6 Other mss omit God
  2. Mark 10:6 Gn 1:27; 5:2
  3. Mark 10:7 Other mss omit bracketed text
  4. Mark 10:8 Gn 2:24
  5. Mark 10:15 Or not receive
  6. Mark 10:19 Ex 20:12-16; Dt 5:16-20
  7. Mark 10:21 Other mss add taking up the cross, and
  8. Mark 10:22 Or he became gloomy
  9. Mark 10:24 Other mss add for those trusting in wealth
  10. Mark 10:29 Other mss add or wife
  11. Mark 10:34 Or scourge
  12. Mark 10:45 Or in the place of many; Is 53:10-12
  13. Mark 10:51 Hb for my teacher

Marriage and Divorce

10 Jesus got up and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Crowds gathered around him again and, as he usually did, he taught them. Some Pharisees came to test him and asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

He replied, “What did Moses command you?”

They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”[a]

But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of your hard hearts. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.[b] For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.[c] So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10 In the house his disciples asked him about this again. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 If she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Loves Little Children

13 Some people began bringing little children to Jesus so that he would touch them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said, “Let the little children come to me! Do not hinder them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Amen I tell you: Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the little children in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

The Rich Young Ruler

17 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19 You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’”[d]

20 The man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches 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 man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”

29 Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: There is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who now at this time will fail to receive one hundred times as much: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields (along with persecutions)—and in the coming age: eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Again Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was leading them. The disciples were amazed, and the others who followed were afraid. He took the Twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day[e] he will rise again.”

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we ask.”

36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

37 They said to him, “Promise that we may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your glory.”

38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they replied.

Jesus told them, “You will drink the cup that I am going to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with. 40 But to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to give; rather, these places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard this, they were angry with James and John.

42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But that is not the way it is to be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind man, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many told him to be quiet, but he kept shouting all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

They called the blind man, saying, “Cheer up! Get up. He is calling you!”

50 He tossed aside his outer garment, jumped up, and went to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man replied, “Rabboni,[f] I want to see again.”

52 Jesus told him, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and began following Jesus on the road.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 10:4 See Deuteronomy 24:1,3.
  2. Mark 10:6 Genesis 1:27; 5:2
  3. Mark 10:8 Genesis 2:24
  4. Mark 10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20
  5. Mark 10:34 Some witnesses to the text read After three days.
  6. Mark 10:51 Rabboni means my rabbi (my teacher, my master).