Matthew 19:1-6

1 When Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan.
2 Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them.
3 One day the Pharisees were badgering him: "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"
4 He answered, "Haven't you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female?
5 And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh - no longer two bodies but one.
6 Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart."
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.