Matthew 19
19
Chapter 19
Jesus teaches about when a man sends his own wife away
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he went away from Galilee. He went to the part of Judea that is on the other side of the Jordan River. 2Large crowds followed Jesus there. He made the sick people well again.
3Some Pharisees came to talk to Jesus. They wanted to see how he would answer their question. They asked, ‘Can a man send his wife away so that she is no longer his wife? Is it right for him to do that for any reason he chooses?’
4Jesus replied, ‘You surely have read about this in the Bible. At the start, when God created the world, he made people male and female. #19:4 See Genesis 2:24. 5Because of this, a man leaves his father and his mother. God joins him and his wife together. The man and the woman become like one body. 6They are not two separate people any longer. They have come together as one person. God has put them together to be husband and wife. So nobody should make them separate.’
7Then the Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Moses said that a man could write a letter to say that he and his wife are no longer married. Then the man can send the woman away. Why did Moses say this?’
8Jesus answered them, ‘Moses said this because you people did not want to obey God. All these things were different at the start, when God made the world. 9But now I say to you: A man must not send his wife away and marry another woman. If he does that, it is the same as if he had sex with another man's wife. A man may only send his wife away if she has had sex with another man.’
10Jesus' disciples said to him, ‘You say that this is what it is like for a man and his wife. Then maybe it is better if people do not marry.’
11Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can agree with this idea. But God has helped some people to agree with it. 12There are several different reasons why a person may not marry. Some men cannot have sex. They were born like that. Some other people cannot have sex because people did something to them. Some people choose not to have sex. They do not marry because then they can work better for God and his kingdom. Anyone who can agree with this idea should do it.’
Jesus wants children to come to him
13Then some people brought their little children to Jesus. They wanted him to put his hands on each child's head. They wanted him to pray for them. But the disciples told the people that they should not do that.
14Jesus said to them, ‘Do not stop the children. Let them come to me. People must become like these children so that God can rule their lives. That is what the kingdom of heaven is like.’ 15So Jesus put his hands on each of the children's heads and he prayed for them. After that, he went away from that place.
Jesus meets a rich man
16One day a man came to Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked. ‘What good thing must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’
17Jesus replied, ‘Why do you ask me about a good thing? Only God is good. Nobody else. If you want to have real life, then you must obey God's laws.’
18The man asked Jesus, ‘Which laws must I obey?’
So Jesus replied, ‘Do not kill anyone. Do not have sex with anyone who is not your wife. Do not rob anyone. Do not say things that are not true about people. 19Love your father and your mother and obey them. Love other people as much as you love yourself.’
20‘I have always obeyed these laws,’ the young man replied. ‘What else must I do?’
21Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be completely good, then you must do this: You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
22When the young man heard this, he went away. He was not happy. He was feeling sad because he was a very rich man.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘What I say is true. It is very difficult for rich people to let God rule in their lives. 24The hole in a needle is very small. A camel cannot go through it! But I tell you, it is even more difficult than that for a rich person to let God rule in their life.’
25When the disciples heard this, they were even more surprised. They said, ‘So perhaps God will not save anyone!’
26Jesus looked at them and he replied, ‘For people, it really is impossible. But God can do it. God can do everything.’
27Peter said to Jesus, ‘Look! We have left everything that we had. Now we are your disciples. What will we receive because we have done this?’
28Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you this: One day God will cause all things to become new. I, the Son of Man, will sit on my great throne as King and I will rule that new world. You who are my disciples will also sit like kings on thrones. You will judge the people of the 12 tribes of Israel. 29Some people have left their homes. Or they may have left their brothers or sisters. Or they may have left their mother or their father. Or they may have left their wife or their children or their fields. They have done that because of me. God will give those people many more things than they have left behind, even 100 times more! And after they die, they will live for ever with God. 30But many people who are very important now will become the least important. And many people who are not important now will become very important then.’
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Matthew 19: EASY
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MissionAssist 2018
Matthew 19
19
1And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, he withdrew from Galilee, and came to the coasts of Judaea beyond the Jordan; 2and great crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3And the Pharisees came to him tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4But he answering said to them, Have ye not read that he who made them, from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, On account of this a man shall leave father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh? 6so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. 7They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and to send her away? 8He says to them, Moses, in view of your hardheartedness, allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not thus. 9But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, not for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries one put away commits adultery. 10His disciples say to him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11And he said to them, All cannot receive this word, but those to whom it has been given; 12for there are eunuchs which have been born thus from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs of men; and there are eunuchs who have made eunuchs of themselves for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
13Then there were brought to him little children that he might lay his hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked them. 14But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of the heavens is of such: 15and having laid his hands upon them, he departed thence.
16And lo, one coming up said to him, Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have life eternal? 17And he said to him, What askest thou me concerning goodness? one is good. But if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments. 18He says to him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19Honour thy father and thy mother, and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20The young man says to him, All these have I kept; what lack I yet? 21Jesus said to him, If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell what thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. 22But the young man, having heard the word, went away grieved, for he had large possessions.
23And Jesus said to his disciples, Verily I say unto you, A rich man shall with difficulty enter into the kingdom of the heavens; 24and again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to enter a needle's eye than a rich man into the kingdom of God. 25And when the disciples heard it they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved? 26But Jesus, looking on them, said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 27Then Peter answering said to him, Behold, we have left all things and have followed thee; what then shall happen to us? 28And Jesus said to them, Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit down upon his throne of glory, ye also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And every one who has left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit life eternal. 30But many first shall be last, and last first.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.