New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them.
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Jesus left that place and went beyond the Jordan and into the region of Judea. Crowds gathered around him again and, as usual, he taught them.
2 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”
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Some Pharisees came and, trying to test him, they asked, "Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?"
3 Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?”
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Jesus answered, "What did Moses command you?"
4 “Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.”
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They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a divorce certificate and to divorce his wife."
5 But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts.
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Jesus said to them, "He wrote this commandment for you because of your unyielding hearts.
6 But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation.
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At the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
7 ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,
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Because of this, a man should leave his father and mother and be joined together with his wife,
8 and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one,
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and the two will be one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.
9 let no one split apart what God has joined together.”
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Therefore, humans must not pull apart what God has put together."
10 Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again.
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Inside the house, the disciples asked him again about this.
11 He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her.
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He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;
12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”
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and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
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People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them.
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
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When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, "Allow the children to come to me. Don't forbid them, because God's kingdom belongs to people like these children.
15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
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I assure you that whoever doesn't welcome God's kingdom like a child will never enter it."
16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
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Then he hugged the children and blessed them.
17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
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As Jesus continued down the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?"
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.
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Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God.
19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’ ”
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You know the commandments: Don't commit murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't steal. Don't give false testimony. Don't cheat. Honor your father and mother."
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
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"Teacher," he responded, "I've kept all of these things since I was a boy."
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
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Jesus looked at him carefully and loved him. He said, "You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me."
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
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But the man was dismayed at this statement and went away saddened, because he had many possessions.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”
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Looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, "It will be very hard for the wealthy to enter God's kingdom!"
24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.
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His words startled the disciples, so Jesus told them again, "Children, it's difficult to enter God's kingdom!
25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
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It's easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom."
26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
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They were shocked even more and said to each other, "Then who can be saved?"
27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
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Jesus looked at them carefully and said, "It's impossible with human beings, but not with God. All things are possible for God."
28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
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Peter said to him, "Look, we've left everything and followed you."
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News,
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Jesus said, "I assure you that anyone who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or farms because of me and because of the good news
30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.
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will receive one hundred times as much now in this life—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and farms (with harassment)—and in the coming age, eternal life.
31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. ”
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But many who are first will be last. And many who are last will be first."
32 They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him.
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Jesus and his disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus in the lead. The disciples were amazed while the others following behind were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he told them what was about to happen to him.
33 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans.
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"Look!" he said. "We're going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles.
34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”
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They will ridicule him, spit on him, torture him, and kill him. After three days, he will rise up."
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
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James and John, Zebedee's sons, came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
36 “What is your request?” he asked.
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"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
37 They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
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They said, "Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory."
38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
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Jesus replied, "You don't know what you're asking! Can you drink the cup I drink or receive the baptism I receive?"
39 “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.
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"We can," they answered. Jesus said, "You will drink the cup I drink and receive the baptism I receive,
40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
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but to sit at my right or left hand isn't mine to give. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared."
41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.
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Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with James and John.
42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
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Jesus called them over and said, "You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around.
43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
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But that's not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.
44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.
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Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all,
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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for the Human One didn't come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people."
46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.
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Jesus and his followers came into Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho, together with his disciples and a sizable crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, Timaeus' son, was sitting beside the road.
47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was there, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy!"
48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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Many scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, "Son of David, show me mercy!"
49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”
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Jesus stopped and said, "Call him forward." They called the blind man, "Be encouraged! Get up! He's calling you."
50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
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Throwing his coat to the side, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi, ” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
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Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said, "Teacher, I want to see."
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.
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Jesus said, "Go, your faith has healed you." At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus on the way.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible