Matthew 19:1-12 ▼

1 When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.

2 Great crowds followed him, and he cured them there.

3 Some Pharisees approached him, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?”

4 He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’

5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

7 They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss [her]?”

8 He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

9 I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.”

10 [His] disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 He answered, “Not all can accept [this] word, but only those to whom that is granted.

12 Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.”