1 Getting up, He went from there to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds gathered around Him again, and, according to His custom, He once more [began] to teach them.
2 [Some] Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and [began] to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.
3 And He answered and said to them, |What did Moses command you?|
4 They said, |Moses permitted [a man] TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND [her] AWAY.|
5 But Jesus said to them, |Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.
6 |But from the beginning of creation, [God] MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.
7 |FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,
8 AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 |What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.|
10 In the house the disciples [began] questioning Him about this again.
11 And He said to them, |Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;
12 and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.|
13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, |Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 |Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it [at] [all].|
16 And He took them in His arms and [began] blessing them, laying His hands on them.
17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, |Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?|
18 And Jesus said to him, |Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
19 |You 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 And he said to Him, |Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.|
21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, |One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.|
22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
