Matthew 19:3-19

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^[a]

5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b] ?

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

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.

9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.

12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,

19 honor your father and mother,’^[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d] ”

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 5:31
• 2. Genesis 1:27; Genesis 5:2
• 3. Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31
• 4. Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Matthew 5:31
• 5. Matthew 5:32; S Luke 16:18
• 6. S Matthew 13:11; 1Co 7:7-9,17
• 7. S Mark 5:23
• 8. S Matthew 25:34
• 9. Matthew 18:3; 1 Peter 2:2
• 10. S Matthew 25:46
• 11. Luke 10:25
• 12. Leviticus 18:5
• 13. James 2:11
• 14. Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20
• 15. Leviticus 19:18; S Matthew 5:43

Footnotes

• [a] Gen. 1:27
• [b] Gen. 2:24
• [c] Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
• [d] Lev. 19:18