THE QUESTION OF DIVORCE

10 Hebb set out from there and went to the region of Judeabc and across the Jordan.bd Then crowds converged on him again, and as was his custom he taughtbe them again.

2 Some Phariseesa came to testb him, asking, “Is it lawfulc for a man to divorced his wife?”e

3 He replied to them, “What did Mosesf command you?”

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

5 But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.i 6 But from the beginningj of creationk GodA made them male and female.B,l 7 For this reason a man will leavem his father and motherC 8 and the two will become one flesh.D,n So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”o

10 When they were in the house again, the disciples questioned him about this matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wifep and marriesq another commits adulteryr against her. 12 Also, if she divorces her husbands and marries another, she commits adultery.”

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

13 Peoplet were bringing little childrenu to him in order that he might touch them, but the disciples rebukedv them. 14 When Jesus saw it, he was indignantw and said to them, “Let the little children come to me.x Don’t stopy them, because the kingdom of Godz belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you,aa whoever does not receiveE,ab the kingdom of God like a little childac will never enter it.” 16 After taking them in his arms, he laid his hands onad them and blessedae them.

THE RICH YOUNG RULER

17 Asaf he was setting out on a journey,ag a man ran up, knelt downah before him, and asked him, “Goodai teacher,aj what must I do to inheritak 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 honoras your father and mother.”F,at

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

21 Looking at him, Jesus loved himav and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor,aw and you will have treasureax in heaven.ay Then come,G 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

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

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

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

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

28 Peterbi 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 fatherI or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel,bk 30 who will not receive a hundred timesbl more, now at this timebm—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutionsbn—and eternal lifebo in the age to come.bp 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”bq

THE THIRD PREDICTION OF HIS DEATH

32 Theybr were on the road, going up to Jerusalem,bs and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished, but those who followed him were afraid.bt Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things that would happen to him.bu 33 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Manbv will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,bw and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles,bx 34 and they will mock him, spit on him, flogJ him, and kill him, and he will riseby after three days.”bz

SUFFERING AND SERVICE

35 Jamesa and John,b the sons of Zebedee,c approached him and said, “Teacher,d we want you to do whatever we ask you.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

37 They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.”e

38 Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking.f Are you able to drink the cupg I drink or to be baptized with the baptismh I am baptized with?”i

39 “We are able,” they told him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.j 40 But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.k 42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it overl them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you.m On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,n 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all.o 45 For even the Son of Manp did not come to be served, but to serve,q and to give his lifer as a ransoms for many.”* t

A BLIND MAN HEALED

46 Theyu came to Jericho.v And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blindw beggar,x was sitting by the road.y 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,z he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David,aa have mercyab on me!”ac 48 Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, “Have mercy on me,ad Son of David!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage!ae Get up; he’s calling for you.” 50 He threw off his coat,af jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51 Then Jesus answered him, “What do you wantag me to do for you?”

“Rabboni,”B,ah the blind man said to him, “I want to see.”

52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.”ai Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.