Matthew 19:3-12
New Living Translation
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.”
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Matthew 19:3-12
English Standard Version
3 And Pharisees came up to him and (A)tested him by asking, (B)“Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, (C)“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, (D)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and (E)the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. (F)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, (G)“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 (H)hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 (I)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, (J)“Not everyone can receive this saying, but only (K)those to (L)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 (M)for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
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- 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
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.