Matthew 19:1-17 ▼

1 And it came to pass when Jesus finished these words that He withdrew from Galilee and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.

2 And many crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

3 And Pharisees came to Him, testing Him and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to send away his wife for any cause?”

4 And answering, He said, “Did you? not read that the One having created from the beginning ‘made them male and female,’

5 and He said, ‘On account of this a man will leave the father and the mother and be joined with his wife, and the two will be for one flesh’?

6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God yoked together, let man not separate.”

7 They say to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a roll of divorce and to send her away?”

8 He says to them, “Moses, for your? hardness of heart, allowed you? to divorce your? wives; but it has not been this way from the beginning.

9 And I say to you? that whoever shall send away his wife, except for sexual immorality, and shall marry another, he commits adultery.”

10 His disciples say to Him, “If this is the case of the man with the wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 And He said to them, “Not all receive this word, but those to whom it has been given.

12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from the womb of their mother, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. The one being able to receive it, let him receive it.”

13 Then little children were brought to Him so that He might lay the hands on them and He might pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

14 But Jesus said, “Permit the little children, and do not forbid them to come to Me! For unto such is the kingdom of the heavens.”

15 And having laid the hands on them, He went from there.

16 And behold, one having come to Him said, “Teacher, what good shall I do so that I shall have eternal life?”

17 And He said to him, “Why do you ask Me about the good? One is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”