Mark 10:1–31

THE QUESTION OF DIVORCE

10He^bb set out from there and went to the region of Judea^bc and across the Jordan.^bd Then crowds converged on him again, and as was his custom he taught^be them again.

²Some Pharisees^a came to test^b him, asking, “Is it lawful^c for a man to divorce^d his wife?”^e

³He replied to them, “What did Moses^f command you?”

⁴They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers^g and send her away.”^h

⁵But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.^{i 6}But from the beginning^j of creation^k God^H made them male and female.^{Il 7}For this reason a man will leave^m his father and mother^{J 8}and the two will become one flesh.^Kn So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”^o

¹⁰When they were in the house again, the disciples questioned him about this matter. ¹¹He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife^p and marries^q another commits adultery^r against her. ¹²Also, if she divorces her husband^s and marries another, she commits adultery.”

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

¹³People^t were bringing little children^u to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked^v them. ¹⁴When Jesus saw it, he was indignant^w and said to them, “Let the little children come to me.^x Don’t stop^y them, because the kingdom of God^z belongs to such as these. ¹⁵Truly I tell you,^aa whoever does not receive^Aab the kingdom of God like a little child^ac will never enter it.” ¹⁶After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands on^ad them and blessed^ae them.

THE RICH YOUNG RULER

¹⁷As^af he was setting out on a journey,^ag a man ran up, knelt down^ah before him, and asked him, “Good^ai teacher,^aj what must I do to inherit^ak eternal life?”^al

¹⁸“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone.^{am 19}You know the commandments: Do not murder;^an do not commit adultery;^ao do not steal;^ap do not bear false witness;^aq do not defraud;^ar honor^as your father and mother.”^Bat

²⁰He said to him, “Teacher,^au I have kept all these from my youth.”

²¹Looking at him, Jesus loved him^av and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor,^aw and you will have treasure^ax in heaven.^ay Then come,^C follow me.”^{az 22}But he was dismayed by this demand, and he went away grieving,^ba because he had many possessions.^bb

POSSESSIONS AND THE KINGDOM

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth^bc to enter the kingdom of God!”^bd

²⁴The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children,^be how hard it is^D to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich^bf person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶They were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”^bg

²⁷Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible,^bh but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

²⁸Peter^bi began to tell him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

²⁹“Truly I tell you,”^bj Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father^E or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,^{bk 30}who will not receive a hundred times^bl more, now at this time^bm—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions^bn—and eternal life^bo in the age to come.^{bp 31}But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”^bq