Concerning Divorce

1 aWhen Jesus had finished these words, He departed from Galilee and bcame into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan;

2 and 1large crowds followed Him, and aHe healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to 1Jesus, testing Him and asking, “aIs it lawful for a man to 2divorce his wife for any reason at all?”

4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read athat He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

5 and said, ‘aFor this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and bthe two shall become one flesh’?

6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

7 They * said to Him, “aWhy then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 He * said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to 1divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

9 “And I say to you, awhoever 1divorces his wife, except for 2immorality, and marries another woman 3commits adultery4.”

10 The disciples * said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.”

11 But He said to them, “aNot all men can accept this statement, but bonly those to whom it has been given.

12 “For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is agood for them if they remain beven as I.

9 But if they do not have self-control, alet them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 But to the married I give instructions, anot I, but the Lord, that the wife should not 1leave her husband

11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not 1divorce his wife.

12 But to the rest aI say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not 1divorce her.

13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not 1send her husband away.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through 1her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are aholy.

15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called 1us 2ato peace.

16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will asave your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

17 Only, aas the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And bso I direct in call the churches.

18 Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? aHe is not to be circumcised.

19 aCircumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is bthe keeping of the commandments of God.

20 aEach man must remain in that 1condition in which he was called.

21 Were you called while a slave? 1Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather 2do that.

22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is athe Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is bChrist’s slave.

23 aYou were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.

24 Brethren, aeach one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

25 Now concerning virgins I have ano command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who 1bby the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.

26 I think then that this is good in view of the 1present adistress, that bit is good for a man 2to remain as he is.

27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

28 But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have 1trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you.

29 But this I say, brethren, athe time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none;

30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess;

31 and those who use the world, as though they did not amake full use of it; for bthe form of this world is passing away.

32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is aunmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;

33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife,

34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but 1to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let 1her marry.

37 But he who stands firm in his heart, 1being under no constraint, but has authority 2over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well.

38 So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

39 aA wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband 1is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only bin the Lord.

40 But ain my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.