19:1 After Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and traveled to the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan.
19:2 And large crowds followed him and he healed them there.
19:3 The pharisees also approached him, testing him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
19:4 And he replied and said to them, “Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them male and female –1
19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unites with a wife, and they shall become one flesh?2
19:6 Therefore they are no longer separate – but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one break apart.”
19:7 They asked him, “Why then did Moses instruct the giving of a divorce in writing in order to dismiss her?”3
19:8 He replied to them, “Moses – because of your hard hearts – allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
19:9 But I say to you, with the exception of immorality, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. And whoever marries her who has been so divorced also commits adultery.”
19:10 His disciples then said to him, “If this is the case of a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”
19:11 But he responded to them, “Not everyone can accept this instruction – except those to whom it has been given.
19:12 Because there are some celibates who were so born from their mother’s womb; and there are some celibates who were castrated by men; and there are some celibates who made themselves celibate for the sake of the sanctuary of the spiritual realm. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”
19:13 Then some little children were brought to him so that he could lay his hands upon them and pray – and his disciples reproached them.
19:14 But Jesus said, “Allow the children, and don’t hinder them from coming to me, for the sanctuary of the spiritual realm belongs to them.”
19:15 Thus he laid his hands upon them – and left that place.
19:16 Then immediately someone approached and said to him, “Good Teacher, what service shall I do so I may have eternal life?
19:17 Thus he said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God. But if you want to enter life, observe the commandments.”
19:18 He asked him, “Which ones?” Jesus replied, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not lie.
19:19 Honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
19:20: The young man said to him, “I have observed all of these things from my youth: What more should I do?”
19:21 Jesus replied to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in the spiritual realm: Then come follow me.”
19:22 But when the young man heard this instruction he left with sadness, because he had many possessions.
19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the sanctuary of the spiritual realm.
19:24 Indeed, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter the realm of God.”
19:25 When his disciples heard this, they were exceedingly astonished, and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
19:26 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
19:27 Then Peter said to him, “Look, we have given up everything and followed you; what then will we have?”
19:28 And Jesus replied to them, “Truly I tell you, that you who have followed me, in the restoration of life after death3 when the Servant of Humanity shall be sitting in the divine seat of His splendor, you also will sit in twelve divine seats, presiding over the twelve tribes of Israel.
19:29 And everyone who has given up houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands on account of me shall receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.
19:30 Yet many who are first will be last, and last, first.”
Footnotes:
1. Verse 19:4.
2. Verse 19:5.
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24 NIV)
3. Verse 19:7.
4. Verse 19:28. The Greek word παλιγγενεσία (paliggenesia) means, according to the lexicon, “the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation, as the renewal or restoration of life after death.”
19:2 And large crowds followed him and he healed them there.
19:3 The pharisees also approached him, testing him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
19:4 And he replied and said to them, “Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them male and female –1
19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unites with a wife, and they shall become one flesh?2
19:6 Therefore they are no longer separate – but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one break apart.”
19:7 They asked him, “Why then did Moses instruct the giving of a divorce in writing in order to dismiss her?”3
19:8 He replied to them, “Moses – because of your hard hearts – allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
19:9 But I say to you, with the exception of immorality, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. And whoever marries her who has been so divorced also commits adultery.”
19:10 His disciples then said to him, “If this is the case of a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”
19:11 But he responded to them, “Not everyone can accept this instruction – except those to whom it has been given.
19:12 Because there are some celibates who were so born from their mother’s womb; and there are some celibates who were castrated by men; and there are some celibates who made themselves celibate for the sake of the sanctuary of the spiritual realm. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”
19:13 Then some little children were brought to him so that he could lay his hands upon them and pray – and his disciples reproached them.
19:14 But Jesus said, “Allow the children, and don’t hinder them from coming to me, for the sanctuary of the spiritual realm belongs to them.”
19:15 Thus he laid his hands upon them – and left that place.
19:16 Then immediately someone approached and said to him, “Good Teacher, what service shall I do so I may have eternal life?
19:17 Thus he said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God. But if you want to enter life, observe the commandments.”
19:18 He asked him, “Which ones?” Jesus replied, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not lie.
19:19 Honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
19:20: The young man said to him, “I have observed all of these things from my youth: What more should I do?”
19:21 Jesus replied to him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in the spiritual realm: Then come follow me.”
19:22 But when the young man heard this instruction he left with sadness, because he had many possessions.
19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the sanctuary of the spiritual realm.
19:24 Indeed, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter the realm of God.”
19:25 When his disciples heard this, they were exceedingly astonished, and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
19:26 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
19:27 Then Peter said to him, “Look, we have given up everything and followed you; what then will we have?”
19:28 And Jesus replied to them, “Truly I tell you, that you who have followed me, in the restoration of life after death3 when the Servant of Humanity shall be sitting in the divine seat of His splendor, you also will sit in twelve divine seats, presiding over the twelve tribes of Israel.
19:29 And everyone who has given up houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands on account of me shall receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.
19:30 Yet many who are first will be last, and last, first.”
Footnotes:
1. Verse 19:4.
So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27 NIV)
2. Verse 19:5.
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24 NIV)
3. Verse 19:7.
If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house – (Deut. 24:1 NIV)
4. Verse 19:28. The Greek word παλιγγενεσία (paliggenesia) means, according to the lexicon, “the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation, as the renewal or restoration of life after death.”
