Matthew 19:3–12

3Some Pharisees came to put him to the test. They asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”

4Jesus replied, “Haven’t you read that in the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’? (Genesis 1:27) 5He said, ‘That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.’ (Genesis 2:24) 6They are no longer two, but one. So a man must not separate what God has joined together.”

7They asked, “Then why did Moses command that a man can give his wife a letter of divorce and send her away?”

8Jesus replied, “Moses let you divorce your wives because you were stubborn. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9Here is what I tell you. Anyone who divorces his wife and gets married to another woman commits adultery. A man may divorce his wife only if she has not been faithful to him.”

10The disciples said to him, “If that’s the way it is between a husband and wife, it is better not to get married.”

11Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept the idea of staying single. Only those who have been helped to live without getting married can accept it. 12Some men are not able to have children because they were born that way. Some have been made that way by other people. Others have made themselves that way in order to serve the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept living that way should do it.”