Some Pharisees came to [a]Jesus, testing Him and [b]asking, “(A)Is it lawful for a man to [c]divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read (B)that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘(C)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and (D)the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” They *said to Him, “(E)Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to [d]divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, (F)whoever [e]divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman [f]commits adultery[g].”

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, (G)Not all men can accept this statement, but (H)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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:3 Lit Him
  2. Matthew 19:3 Lit saying
  3. Matthew 19:3 Lit send away
  4. Matthew 19:8 Lit send away
  5. Matthew 19:9 Lit sends away
  6. Matthew 19:9 One early ms makes her commit adultery
  7. Matthew 19:9 One early ms adds and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery

Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’[a] 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] Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

“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.

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. 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.”

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Footnotes

  1. 19:4 Gen 1:27; 5:2.
  2. 19:5 Gen 2:24.
  3. 19:7 See Deut 24:1.
  4. 19:9 Some manuscripts add And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Compare Matt 5:32.
  5. 19:12 Greek and some make themselves eunuchs.