³ Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife^(A) for any and every reason?”

⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^{[a](B) 5} and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]?^{(C) 6} So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

⁷ “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”^(D)

⁸ Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”^(E)

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.^{(F) 12} For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The Little Children and Jesus^(G)

¹³ Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them^(H) and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

¹⁴ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs^(I) to such as these.”^{(J) 15} When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God^(K)

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life^(L)?”^(M)

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”^(N)

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,^(O) you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[c](P) and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”^(Q)

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^(R) go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^(S) and you will have treasure in heaven.^(T) Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^(U) 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 someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(V)

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^(W) What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(X) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(Y) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^{(Z) 30} But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.^(AA)

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time^(A)

¹⁷ Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, ¹⁸ “We are going up to Jerusalem,^(B) and the Son of Man^(C) will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.^(D) They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged^(E) and crucified.^(F) On the third day^(G) he will be raised to life!”^(H)

A Mother’s Request^(I)

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons^(J) came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,^(K) asked a favor of him.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”^(L)

²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup^(M) I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup,^(N) but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant^(O) with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^{(P) 27} and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man^(Q) did not come to be served, but to serve,^(R) and to give his life as a ransom^(S) for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Sight^(T)

²⁹ As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. ³⁰ Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David,^(U) have mercy on us!”

³¹ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

³² Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³³ “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

³⁴ Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany^(A)(B)

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany^(C) in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you,^[a](D) but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.^{(E) 13} Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”