New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.
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And he got up, and went into the country of Judaea on the other side of Jordan: and great numbers of people came together to him again; and, as was his way, he gave them teaching.
2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"
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And Pharisees came to him, testing him with the question, Is it right for a man to put away his wife?
3 He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"
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And he said to them in answer, What did Moses say you were to do?
4 They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her."
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And they said to him, Moses let us give her a statement in writing, and be free from her.
5 But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you.
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But Jesus said to them, Because of your hard hearts he gave you this law.
6 But from the beginning of creation, "God made them male and female.'
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But from the first, male and female made he them.
7 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
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For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother, and be joined to his wife;
8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
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And the two will become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
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Let not that which has been joined together by God be parted by man.
10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.
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And in the house the disciples put questions to him again about this thing.
11 He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her;
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And he said to them, Whoever puts away his wife and takes another, is false to his wife;
12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."
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And if she herself puts away her husband and takes another, she is false to her husband.
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.
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And they took to him little children, so that he might put his hands on them: and the disciples said sharp words to them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
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And when Jesus saw it, he was angry, and said to them, Let the little children come to me, and do not keep them away; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."
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Truly I say to you, Whoever does not put himself under the kingdom of God like a little child, will not come into it at all.
16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
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And he took them in his arms, and gave them a blessing, putting his hands on them.
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
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And while he was going out into the way, a man came running to him, and went down on his knees, saying, Good Master, what have I to do so that I may have eternal life?
18 Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
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And Jesus said to him, Why do you say I am good? no one is good but one, and that is God.
19 You know the commandments: "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' "
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You have knowledge of what is said in the law, Do not put any one to death, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not take what is not yours, Do not give false witness, Do not get money by deceit, Give honour to your father and mother.
20 He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth."
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And he said to him, Master, all these laws I have kept from the time when I was young.
21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
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And Jesus, looking on him and loving him, said, There is one thing needed: go, get money for your goods, and give it to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven: and come with me.
22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
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But his face became sad at the saying, and he went away sorrowing: for he was one who had much property.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"
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And Jesus, looking round about, said to his disciples, How hard it is for those who have wealth to come into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
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And the disciples were full of wonder at his words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how hard it is for those who put faith in wealth to come into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
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It is simpler for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a man of wealth to come into the kingdom of God.
26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?"
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And they were greatly surprised, saying to him, Who then may have salvation?
27 Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."
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Jesus, looking on them, said, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God.
28 Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you."
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Peter said to him, See, we have given up everything, and come after you.
29 Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news,
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Jesus said, Truly I say to you, There is no man who has given up house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, because of me and the good news,
30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.
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Who will not get a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though with great troubles; and, in the world to come, eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."
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But a great number who are first will be last: and those who are last will be first.
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him,
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And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them: and they were full of wonder; but those who came after him were in fear. And again he took the twelve, and gave them word of the things which were to come on him,
33 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles;
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Saying, See, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be given up to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will give an order for his death, and will give him up to the Gentiles:
34 they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again."
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And they will make sport of him, and put shame on him, and give him cruel blows, and will put him to death; and after three days he will come back from the dead.
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you."
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And there came to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying to him, Master, will you give us whatever may be our request?
36 And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?"
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And he said to them, What would you have me do for you?
37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."
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And they said to him, Let us be seated, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.
38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
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But Jesus said to them, You have no knowledge of what you are saying. Are you able to take of my cup? or to undergo the baptism which I am to undergo?
39 They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
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And they said to him, We are able. And Jesus said to them, You will take of the cup from which I take; and the baptism which I am about to undergo you will undergo:
40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."
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But to be seated at my right hand or at my left is not for me to give: but it is for those for whom it has been made ready.
41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John.
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And hearing this, the ten became very angry with James and John.
42 So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.
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And Jesus made them come to him, and said to them, You see that those who are made rulers over the Gentiles are lords over them, and their great ones have authority over them.
43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant,
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But it is not so among you: but whoever has a desire to become great among you, let him be your servant:
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.
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And whoever has a desire to be first among you, let him be servant of all.
45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
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For truly the Son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.
46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.
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And they came to Jericho: and when he was going out of Jericho, with his disciples and a great number of people, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind man, was seated by the wayside, with his hand out for money.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
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And when it came to his ears that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he gave a cry, and said, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
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And some of them, turning in protest, gave him an order to be quiet: but he went on crying out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me.
49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you."
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And Jesus came to a stop and said, Let him come. And crying out to the blind man, they said to him, Be comforted: come, he has sent for you.
50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
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And he, putting off his coat, got up quickly, and came to Jesus.
51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again."
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And Jesus said to him, What would you have me do to you? And the blind man said, Master, make me able to see.
52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
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And Jesus said to him, Go on your way; your faith has made you well. And straight away he was able to see, and went after him in the way.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.