Matthew 19
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, he withdrew from Galilee, and came to the coasts of Judaea beyond the Jordan;
At the conclusion of this teaching, Jesus withdrew from Galilee, and went into that district of Judea which is on the other side of the Jordan.
2 and great crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
Great crowds followed him, and he cured them there.
3 And the Pharisees came to him tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Presently some Pharisees came up to him, and, to test him, said, “Has a man the right to divorce his wife for every cause?”
4 But he answering said [to them], Have ye not read that he who made [them], from the beginning made them male and female,
“Haven’t you read,” replied Jesus, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
5 and said, On account of this a man shall leave father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh?
and said – ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the man and his wife will become one’?
6 so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
So that they are no longer two, but one. What God himself, then, has yoked together people must not separate.”
7 They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and to send [her] away?
“Why, then,” they said, “did Moses direct that a man should serve his wife with a notice of separation and divorce her?”
8 He says to them, Moses, in view of your hardheartedness, allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not thus.
“Moses, owing to the hardness of your hearts,” answered Jesus, “permitted you to divorce your wives, but that was not so at the beginning.
9 But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, not for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries one put away commits adultery.
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of some serious sexual sin, and marries another woman, is guilty of adultery.”
10 His disciples say to him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
“If that,” said the disciples, “is the position of a man with regard to his wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 And he said to them, All cannot receive this word, but those to whom it has been given;
“It is not everyone,” replied Jesus, “who can accept this teaching, but only those who have been enabled to do so.
12 for there are eunuchs which have been born thus from [their] mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs of men; and there are eunuchs who have made eunuchs of themselves for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it].
Some men are incapable of marriage because they were born that way, or have been made so by other people, while there are others who stay single for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Accept this if you can.”
13 Then there were brought to him little children that he might lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them.
Then some little children were brought to Jesus, for him to place his hands on them, and pray; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them.
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of the heavens is of such:
Jesus, however, said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
15 and having laid his hands upon them, he departed thence.
So he placed his hands on them, and then went on his way.
16 And lo, one coming up said to him, Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have life eternal? (aiōnios g166)
A man came up to Jesus, and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” (aiōnios g166)
17 And he said to him, What askest thou me concerning goodness? one is good. But if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments.
“Why ask me about goodness?” answered Jesus. “There is but One who is good. If you want to enter the life, keep the commandments.”
18 He says to him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
“What commandments?” asked the man. “These,” answered Jesus, – “‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not say what is false about others.
19 Honour thy father and thy mother, and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Honor your father and your mother.’ And ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”
20 The young man says to him, All these have I kept; what lack I yet?
“I have observed all these,” said the young man. “What is still wanting in me?”
21 Jesus said to him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to [the] poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.
“If you wish to be perfect,” answered Jesus, “go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.”
22 But the young man, having heard the word, went away grieved, for he had large possessions.
On hearing these words, the young man went away distressed, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, Verily I say unto you, A rich man shall with difficulty enter into the kingdom of the heavens;
At this, Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you that a rich person will find it hard to enter the kingdom of heaven!
24 and again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to enter a needle's eye than a rich man into the kingdom of God.
I say again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!”
25 And when the disciples heard [it] they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved?
On hearing this, the disciples exclaimed in great astonishment, “Who then can possibly be saved?”
26 But Jesus, looking on [them], said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
But Jesus looked at them, and said, “With people this is impossible, but with God everything is possible.” Then Peter turned and said to Jesus,
27 Then Peter answering said to him, Behold, we have left all things and have followed thee; what then shall happen to us?
“But we – we left everything, and followed you; what, then, will we have?”
28 And Jesus said to them, Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit down upon his throne of glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
“I tell you,” answered Jesus, “that at the new creation, when the Son of Man takes his seat on his throne of glory, you who followed me will be seated on twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one who has left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit life eternal. (aiōnios g166)
Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or land, for my sake, will receive many times as much, and will gain eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
30 But many first shall be last, and last first.
But many who are first now will then be last, and those who are last will be first.
