Matthew 19
King James Version
19 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan;
2 And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Matthew 19
New American Standard Bible
Concerning Divorce
19 (A)When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and (B)came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; 2 and [a]large crowds followed Him, and (C)He healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to [b]Jesus, testing Him and [c]asking, “(D)Is it lawful for a man to [d]divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read (E)that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘(F)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and (G)the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” 7 They *said to Him, “(H)Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to [e]divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 And I say to you, (I)whoever [f]divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman [g]commits adultery[h].”
10 The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “(J)Not all men can accept this statement, but (K)only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 (L)Then some children were brought to Him so that He would lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “[i](M)Leave the children alone, and do not [j]forbid them to come to Me; for (N)the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there.
The Rich Young Ruler
16 (O)And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do so that I may obtain (P)eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but (Q)if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “(R)You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony; 19 (S)Honor your father and mother; and (T)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be [k]complete, go and (U)sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have (V)treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, (W)it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, (X)it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “(Y)With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The Disciples’ Reward
27 Then Peter responded and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” 28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the [l]regeneration when (Z)the Son of Man will sit on [m]His glorious throne, (AA)you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And (AB)everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother [n]or children or farms on account of My name, will receive [o]many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. 30 (AC)But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
Footnotes
- Matthew 19:2 Or many
- Matthew 19:3 Lit Him
- Matthew 19:3 Lit saying
- Matthew 19:3 Lit send away
- Matthew 19:8 Lit send away
- Matthew 19:9 Lit sends away
- Matthew 19:9 One early ms makes her commit adultery
- Matthew 19:9 One early ms adds and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery
- Matthew 19:14 Or Permit the children
- Matthew 19:14 Or prevent them from coming
- Matthew 19:21 Or perfect
- Matthew 19:28 Or renewal; i.e., the new world
- Matthew 19:28 Lit the throne of His glory
- Matthew 19:29 One early ms adds or wife
- Matthew 19:29 One early ms a hundred times
Matthew 19
New Living Translation
Discussion about Divorce and Marriage
19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.
3 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’[a]” 5 And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’[b] 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
7 “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?”[c] they asked.
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. 9 And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.[d]”
10 Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”
11 “Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. 12 Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry[e] for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.
The Rich Man
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[f] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep[g] the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’[h]”
20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”
28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new[i] and the Son of Man[j] sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[k]
Footnotes
- 19:4 Gen 1:27; 5:2.
- 19:5 Gen 2:24.
- 19:7 See Deut 24:1.
- 19:9 Some manuscripts add And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Compare Matt 5:32.
- 19:12 Greek and some make themselves eunuchs.
- 19:16 Some manuscripts read Good Teacher.
- 19:17 Some manuscripts read continue to keep.
- 19:18-19 Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20; Lev 19:18.
- 19:28a Or in the regeneration.
- 19:28b “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 19:30 Greek But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
Matthew 19
English Standard Version
Teaching About Divorce
19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from (A)Galilee and (B)entered (C)the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And (D)large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 And Pharisees came up to him and (E)tested him by asking, (F)“Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, (G)“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, (H)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and (I)the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. (J)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, (K)“Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your (L)hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 (M)And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”[a]
10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, (N)“Not everyone can receive this saying, but only (O)those to (P)whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs (Q)for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
Let the Children Come to Me
13 (R)Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples (S)rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, (T)“Let the little children (U)come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.
The Rich Young Man
16 (V)And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to (W)have (X)eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. (Y)If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, (Z)“You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, (AA)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, (AB)“All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be (AC)perfect, go, (AD)sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have (AE)treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 (AF)When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, (AG)only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 (AH)Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter (AI)the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus (AJ)looked at them and said, (AK)“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, (AL)we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,[b] (AM)when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me (AN)will also sit on twelve thrones, (AO)judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 (AP)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold[c] and will (AQ)inherit eternal life. 30 But (AR)many who are (AS)first will be last, and the last first.
Footnotes
- Matthew 19:9 Some manuscripts add and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery; other manuscripts except for sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery
- Matthew 19:28 Greek in the regeneration
- Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts manifold
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
