Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 He arose from there and came into the borders of Yehudah and beyond the Yarden. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he taught them again.
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From there he went to the area of Judea across the Jordan. A crowd of people, as was so often the case, went along, and he, as he so often did, taught them.
2 Perushim came to him testing him, and asked him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"
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Pharisees came up, intending to give him a hard time. They asked, "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife?"
3 He answered, "What did Moshe command you?"
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Jesus said, "What did Moses command?"
4 They said, "Moshe allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her."
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They answered, "Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her."
5 But Yeshua said to them, "For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this mitzvah.
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Jesus said, "Moses wrote this command only as a concession to your hardhearted ways.
6 But from the beginning of the creation, 'God made them male and female.
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In the original creation, God made male and female to be together.
7 For this cause will a man leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife,
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Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage
8 and the two will become one flesh,' so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
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he becomes one flesh with a woman - no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity.
9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
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Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart."
10 In the house, his talmidim asked him again about the same matter.
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When they were back home, the disciples brought it up again.
11 He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her.
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Jesus gave it to them straight: "A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her.
12 If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery."
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And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery."
13 They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the talmidim rebuked those who were bringing them.
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The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them.
14 But when Yeshua saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, "Allow the little children to come to me! Don't forbid them, for to such belong the kingdom of God.
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The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom.
15 Most assuredly I tell you, whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, he will in no way enter therein."
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Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."
16 He took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
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Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.
17 As he was going forth into the way, one ran to him, kneeled to him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
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As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"
18 Yeshua said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except one -- God.
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Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God.
19 You know the mitzvot: 'Do not murder,' 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not give false testimony,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and mother.'"
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You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."
20 He said to him, "Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth."
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He said, "Teacher, I have - from my youth - kept them all!"
21 Yeshua looking at him loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross."
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Jesus looked him hard in the eye - and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."
22 But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.
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The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23 Yeshua looked around, and said to his talmidim, "How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God!"
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Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who 'have it all' to enter God's kingdom?"
24 The talmidim were amazed at his words. But Yeshua answered again, "Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
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The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: "You can't imagine how difficult.
25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
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I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom."
26 They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, "Then who can be saved?"
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That set the disciples back on their heels. "Then who has any chance at all?" they asked.
27 Yeshua, looking at them, said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God."
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Jesus was blunt: "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it."
28 Kefa began to tell him, "Behold, we have left all, and have followed you."
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Peter tried another angle: "We left everything and followed you."
29 Yeshua said, "Most assuredly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the Good News's sake,
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Jesus said, "Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land - whatever - because of me and the Message
30 but he will receive one hundred times now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.
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will lose out. They'll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land - but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life!
31 But many who are first will be last; and the last first."
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This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first."
32 They were on the way, going up to Yerushalayim; and Yeshua was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him.
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Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next.
33 "Behold, we are going up to Yerushalayim. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief Kohanim and the Sofrim. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Goyim.
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"Listen to me carefully. We're on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans,
34 They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."
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who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive."
35 Ya`akov and Yochanan, the sons of Zavdai, came near to him, saying, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask."
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James and John, Zebedee's sons, came up to him. "Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us."
36 He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
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"What is it? I'll see what I can do."
37 They said to him, "Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory."
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"Arrange it," they said, "so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory - one of us at your right, the other at your left."
38 But Yeshua said to them, "You don't know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with?"
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Jesus said, "You have no idea what you're asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I'm about to be plunged into?"
39 They said to him, "We are able." Yeshua said to them, "You shall indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you shall be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with;
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"Sure," they said. "Why not?"
40 but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared."
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But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. There are other arrangements for that."
41 When the ten heard it, they began to be moved with indignation towards Ya`akov and Yochanan.
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When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John.
42 Yeshua summoned them, and said to them, "You know that they who are recognized as rulers over the Goyim lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
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Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads.
43 But it shall not be so among you, but whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.
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It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.
44 Whoever of you wants to become first among you, shall be servant of all.
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Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.
45 For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
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That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served - and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."
46 They came to Yericho. As he went out from Yericho, with his talmidim and a great multitude, the son of Timai, Bar-Timai, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.
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They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road.
47 When he heard that it was Yeshua the Natzri, he began to cry out, and say, "Yeshua, you son of David, have mercy on me!"
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When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, "Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!"
48 Many rebuked him, that he should be quiet, but he cried out the more a great deal, "You son of David, have mercy on me!"
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Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, "Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!"
49 Yeshua stood still, and said, "Call him." They called the blind man, saying to him, "Cheer up! Get up. He is calling you!"
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Jesus stopped in his tracks. "Call him over."
50 He, casting away his cloak, sprang up, and came to Yeshua.
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Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.
51 Yeshua answered him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "Rabbani, that I may see again."
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Jesus said, "What can I do for you?" The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
52 Yeshua said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has made you well." Immediately he received his sight, and followed Yeshua in the way.
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"On your way," said Jesus. "Your faith has saved and healed you." In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.