Matthew 19

¹Matthew 19:1. When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.²Matthew 19:2. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.³Matthew 19:3. Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”⁴Matthew 19:4. Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’⁵Matthew 19:5. 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’?⁶Matthew 19:6. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”⁷Matthew 19:7. “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”⁸Matthew 19:8. Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.⁹Matthew 19:9. Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”¹⁰Matthew 19:10. His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.”¹¹Matthew 19:11. “Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given.¹²Matthew 19:12. For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

¹³Matthew 19:13. Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them.¹⁴Matthew 19:14. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”¹⁵Matthew 19:15. And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there.

¹⁶Matthew 19:16. Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?”¹⁷Matthew 19:17. “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.”¹⁸Matthew 19:18. “Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,¹⁹Matthew 19:19. honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”²⁰Matthew 19:20. “All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”²¹Matthew 19:21. Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”²²Matthew 19:22. When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

²³Matthew 19:23. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.²⁴Matthew 19:24. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”²⁵Matthew 19:25. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”²⁶Matthew 19:26. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”²⁷Matthew 19:27. “Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?”²⁸Matthew 19:28. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.²⁹Matthew 19:29. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.³⁰Matthew 19:30. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.