New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them.

1And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”

2And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?”

3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”

4“Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.”

4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

5But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts.

5And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

6 But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation.

6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

7 ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,

7‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,

8 and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one,

8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.

9 let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

9What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again.

10And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.

11He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her.

11And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her,

12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.” Jesus Blesses the Children

12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

13One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

13And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.

14When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.

14But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

15Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

16Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. The Rich Man

16And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

17As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

17And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.

18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’ ”

19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”

20“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”

21Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

22At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

22Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”

23And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

24This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.

24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”

27Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

28Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

28Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”

29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News,

29Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,

30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.

30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. ” Jesus Again Predicts His Death

31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

32They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him.

32And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,

33 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans.

33saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.

34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” Jesus Teaches about Serving Others

34And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”

35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

36 “What is your request?” he asked.

36And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

37They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

37And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

38But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”

38Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

39“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.

39And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,

40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.

41And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

42So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.

42And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,

43But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

46Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.

46And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

47When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”

49And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.”

50Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

50And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi, ” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

51And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”

52And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

52And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.