Mark 9:38-10:12

English Standard Version

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

^38 (A)John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone ^(B)casting out demons in your name,^[a] and ^(C)we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ^40 (D)For the one who is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ For truly, I say to you, ^(E)whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

^42 (F)“Whoever causes one of ^(G)these little ones who believe in me to sin,^{[b] (H)}it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ^43 (I)And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to ^(J)hell,^[c] to ^(K)the unquenchable fire.^{[d] 45 (L)}And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into ^(M)hell. ^47 (N)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into ^(O)hell, ⁴⁸ ‘where ^(P)their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ ⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire.^{[e] 50 (Q)}Salt is good, ^(R)but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? ^(S)Have salt in yourselves, and ^(T)be at peace with one another.”

Teaching About Divorce

10 ^(U)And he left there and went ^(V)to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

² And Pharisees came up and in order ^(W)to test him asked, ^(X)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, ^(Y)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^(Z)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But ^(AA)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them ^(AB)male and female.’ ^7 (AC)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,^{[f] 8} and ^(AD)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^9 (AE)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, ^(AF)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and ^(AG)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”