Matthew 19

Tree of Life Version

Marriage and Covenant Faithfulness

19 Now when Yeshua had finished these words, He moved on from the Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. ³ Pharisees came up to Yeshua, testing Him and saying, “Is it permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read?” He answered. “He who created them from the beginning ‘made them male and female’ ^{[a] 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ ^{[b] 6} So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.”

⁷ They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to ‘give her a certificate of divorce and put her away?’”^[c]

⁸ Yeshua said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ Now I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”^[d]

¹⁰ The disciples said to Him, “If that’s the case for a man and his wife, it’s better not to marry!”

¹¹ But He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this saying—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 that way by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who can accept this, let him accept it.”

Receiving the Kingdom of Heaven

¹³ Then little children were brought to Yeshua so that He might lay hands upon them and pray. Then the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ^{[e] 14} But Yeshua said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ¹⁵ After laying His hands upon them, He went on from there.

¹⁶ Now behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good shall I do to have eternal life?”

¹⁷ “Why do you ask Me about what is good?” Yeshua said to him. “There is only One who is good; but if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he said.

Yeshua said, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”^[f]

²⁰ “All these I’ve kept,” the young man said to Him. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Yeshua said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you own, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” ²² But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving, for he had much property.

²³ Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Amen, I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, 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.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁶ And looking, Yeshua said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^[g]

²⁷ Then Peter said to Him, “Look, we’ve left everything to follow You! So what will we have?”

²⁸ And Yeshua said to them, “Amen, I tell you, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne in the new world,^[h] you who have followed Me shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for My name’s sake, will receive a hundred times as much, and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”