Matthew 19
1 And it was don, whanne Jhesus hadde endid these wordis, he passide fro Galilee, and cam in to the coostis of Judee ouer 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 myche puple suede him, and he heelide hem there.
Great crowds followed him, and he cured them there.
3 And Farisees camen to him, temptynge him, and seiden, Whether it be leueful to a man to leeue his wijf, for ony 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 Which answeride, and seide to hem, Han ye not red, for he that made men at the bigynnyng, made hem male and female?
“Have not you read,” replied Jesus, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
5 And he seide, For this thing a man schal leeue fadir and modir, and he schal draw to his wijf; and thei schulen be tweyne in o fleisch.
and said — ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the man and his wife shall become one’?
6 And so thei ben not now tweyne, but o fleisch. Therfor a man departe not that thing that God hath ioyned.
So that they are no longer two, but one. What God himself, then, has yoked together man must not separate.”
7 Thei seien to hym, What thanne comaundide Moises, to yyue a libel of forsakyng, and to leeue of?
“Why, then,” they said, “did Moses direct that a man should ‘serve his wife with a notice of separation and divorce her’?”
8 And he seide to hem, For Moises, for the hardnesse of youre herte, suffride you leeue youre wyues; but fro the bigynnyng it was not so.
“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 And Y seie to you, that who euer leeueth his wijf, but for fornycacioun, and weddith another, doith letcherie; and he that weddith the forsakun wijf, doith letcherie.
But I tell you that any one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of her unchastity, and marries another woman, is guilty of adultery.”
10 His disciplis seien to him, If the cause of a man with a wijf is so, it spedith not to be weddid.
“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 seide to hem, Not alle men taken this word; but to whiche it is youun.
“It is not every one,” replied Jesus, “who can accept this teaching, but only those who have been enabled to do so.
12 For ther ben geldingis, whiche ben thus born of the modris wombe; and ther ben geldyngis, that ben maad of men; and there ben geldyngis, that han geldid hem silf, for the kyngdom of heuenes. He that may take, `take he.
Some men, it is true, have from birth been disabled for marriage, while others have been disabled by their fellow men, and others again have disabled themselves for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let him accept it who can.”
13 Thanne litle children weren brouyte to hym, that he schulde putte hondis to hem, and preie.
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 And the disciplis blamyden hem. But Jhesus seide to hem, Suffre ye that litle children come to me, and nyle ye forbede hem; for of siche is the kyngdom of heuenes.
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 whanne he hadde put to hem hondis, he wente fro thennus.
So he placed his hands on them, and then went on his way.
16 And lo! oon cam, and seide to hym, Good maister, what good schal Y do, that Y haue euerlastynge lijf? (aiōnios g166)
And a man came up to Jesus, and said: “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain Immortal Life?” (aiōnios g166)
17 Which seith to hym, What axist thou me of good thing? There is o good God. But if thou wolt entre to lijf, kepe the comaundementis.
“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 seith to hym, Whiche? And Jhesus seide, Thou schalt not do mansleying, thou schalt not do auowtrie, thou schalt not do thefte, thou schalt not seie fals witnessying;
“What commandments?” asked the man. “These,” answered Jesus: — “‘Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not say what is false about others.
19 worschipe thi fadir and thi modir, and, thou schalt loue thi neiybore as thi silf.
Honour thy father and thy mother.’ And ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thou dost thyself.”
20 The yonge man seith to hym, Y haue kept alle these thingis fro my youthe, what yit failith to me?
“I have observed all these,” said the young man. “What is still wanting in me?”
21 Jhesus seith to hym, If thou wolt be perfite, go, and sille alle thingis that thou hast, and yyue to pore men, and thou schalt haue tresoure in heuene; and come, and sue me.
“If you wish to be perfect,” answered Jesus, “go and sell your property, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; then come and follow me.”
22 And whanne the yong man hadde herd these wordis, he wente awei sorewful, for he hadde many possessiouns.
On hearing these words, the young man went away distressed, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jhesus seide to hise disciplis, Y seie to you treuthe, for a riche man of hard schal entre in to the kyngdom of heuenes.
At this, Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you that a rich man will find it hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
24 And eftsoone Y seie to you, it is liyter a camel to passe thorou a needlis iye, thanne a riche man to entre in to the kyngdom of heuens.
I say again, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”
25 Whanne these thingis weren herd, the disciplis wondriden greetli, and seiden, Who thanne may be saaf?
On hearing this, the disciples exclaimed in great astonishment: “Who then can possibly be saved?”
26 Jhesus bihelde, and seide to hem, Anentis men this thing is impossible; but anentis God alle thingis ben possible.
But Jesus looked at them, and said: “With men this is impossible, but with God everything is possible.” Then Peter turned and said to Jesus:
27 Thanne Petre answeride, and seide to hym, Lo! we han forsake alle thingis, and we han suede thee; what thanne schal be to vs?
“But we — we left everything, and followed you; what, then, shall we have?”
28 Jhesus seide to hem, Truli I seie to you, that ye that han forsake alle thingis, and han sued me, in the regeneracioun whanne mannus sone schal sitte in the sete of his maieste, ye schulen sitte on twelue setis, demynge the twelue kynredis 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 shall be seated upon twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And euery man that forsakith hous, britheren or sistren, fadir or modir, wijf ethir children, or feeldis, for my name, he schal take an hundrid foold, and schal welde euerlastynge lijf. (aiōnios g166)
Every one who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or land, on account of my Name, will receive many times as much, and will ‘gain Immortal Life.’ (aiōnios g166)
30 But manye schulen be, the firste the laste, and the laste the firste.
But many who are first now will then be last, and those who are last will be first.
