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And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him, and said, Whether it be leaveful to a man to leave his wife, for any cause?[a]

Which answered, and said to them, Have ye not read, for he that made men at the beginning, made them male and female?

And he said, For this thing a man shall leave father and mother, and he shall draw to his wife [and he shall cleave, or draw, to his wife]; and they shall be twain in one flesh.

And so they be not now twain, but one flesh. Therefore man separate not that thing that God hath joined [together]. [Therefore they be not two, but one flesh. Therefore a man part not that thing that God enjoined, or knit together.]

They say to him, What then commanded Moses, to give a libel of forsaking, and to leave of. [They say to him, What then commanded Moses, to give a little book of forsaking, and to forsake.]

And he said to them, For Moses, for the hardness of your heart, suffered you to leave your wives [And he saith to them, For Moses, at the hardness of your heart, suffered you to forsake your wives]; but from the beginning it was not so.

And I say to you, that whoever leaveth his wife, but for fornication, and weddeth another, doeth lechery [doeth adultery]; and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth lechery [doeth adultery].

10 His disciples say to him, If the cause of a man with his wife is so, it speedeth not to be wedded [it speedeth not to wed].

11 And he said to them, Not all men take this word; but they to which it is given [but to whom it is given].

12 For there be geldings, which be so born of the mother's womb [which be thus born of their mother's womb]; and there be geldings, that be made of men; and there be geldings, that have gelded themselves, for the kingdom of heavens. He that may take, take he.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:3 And Pharisees came nigh to him, tempting him, and saying, Whether it is leaveful for a man to leave, or forsake, his wife, for whatever cause?

Then the Pharisees came to him, testing him and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any reason at all? He answered and said to them, Have you not read how it was that he who made man at the beginning made them man and woman, and said, For this thing shall a man leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two shall be one flesh? So then, now they are not two, but one flesh. Let not man therefore put apart that which God has joined together.

Then they said to him, Why did Moses direct to give a testimonial of divorce and to put her away? He said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives. But from the beginning it was not so. I say therefore to you, whoever puts away his wife (unless it be for fornication) and marries another, breaks wedlock. And whoever marries her who is divorced, commits adultery.

10 Then Jesus’ disciples said to him, If this is the case between man and wife, then it is not good to marry. 11 He said to them, Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 Some are chaste who were so born from their mother’s womb. And others are chaste who were made so by men. And others are chaste who have made themselves chaste for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who can receive it, let him receive it.

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[a]Then came unto him the Pharisees tempting him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to [b]put away his wife upon every occasion?

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, (A)that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female,

And said, (B)For this cause, shall a man leave father and mother, and [c]cleave unto his wife, and they which were [d]two, shall be one flesh?

Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. Let not man therefore put asunder that, which God hath [e]coupled together.

[f]They said to him, Why did then (C) Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?

He said unto them, Moses, [g]because of the hardness of your heart, [h]suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

I say therefore unto you, (D)that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be [i]for whoredom, and marry another, commiteth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her which is divorced, doth commit adultery.

10 Then said his disciples to him, If the [j]matter be so between man and wife, it is not good to marry.

11 [k]But he said unto them, All men cannot [l]receive this thing, save they to whom it is given.

12 For there are some [m]eunuchs, which were so born of their mother’s belly: and there be some eunuchs, which be gelded by men: and there be some eunuchs, which have [n]gelded themselves for the kingdom of heaven. He that is able to receive this, let him receive it.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:3 The band of marriage ought not to be broken, unless it be for fornication.
  2. Matthew 19:3 To send her a book of divorcement, see also Matt. 1:19.
  3. Matthew 19:5 The Greek word imported to be glued unto, whereby is signified that straight knot, which is between man and wife, as though they were glued together.
  4. Matthew 19:5 They which were two, become as it were one: and this word flesh is by a figure taken for the whole man, or the body after the manner of the Hebrews.
  5. Matthew 19:6 Hath made them yoke fellows, as the marriage itself is by a borrowed kind of speech called a yoke.
  6. Matthew 19:7 Because political Laws are constrained to bear with some things, it followeth not by and by that God alloweth them.
  7. Matthew 19:8 Being occasioned by reason of the hardness of your hearts.
  8. Matthew 19:8 By a political law, not by the moral law: for this law is a perpetual law of God’s justice, the other boweth and bendeth as the carpenter’s Bevel.
  9. Matthew 19:9 Therefore in these days the Laws that were made against adulterers were not regarded: for they should have needed no divorcement, if marriage had been cut asunder with punishment by death.
  10. Matthew 19:10 If the matter stands so between man and wife, or in marriage.
  11. Matthew 19:11 The gift of continency is peculiar, and therefore no man can set a Law to himself of perpetual continency.
  12. Matthew 19:11 Receive and admit, as by translation we say, that a straight and narrow place is not able to receive many things.
  13. Matthew 19:12 The word Eunuch is a general word, and hath divers kinds under it, as gelded men and barren men.
  14. Matthew 19:12 Which abstain from marriage, and live continently through the gift of God.

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? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 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? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 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. 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.

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