19:1 NOW WHEN Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the part of Judea that is beyond the Jordan; |
19:2 And great throngs accompanied Him, and He cured them there. |
19:3 And Pharisees came to Him and put Him to the test by asking, Is it lawful {and} right to dismiss {and} repudiate {and} divorce one's wife for any {and} every cause? |
19:4 He replied, Have you never read that He Who made them from the beginning made them male and female, |
19:5 And said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be united firmly (joined inseparably) to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? |
19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder (separate). |
19:7 They said to Him, Why then did Moses command [us] to give a certificate of divorce and thus to dismiss {and} repudiate a wife? |
19:8 He said to them, Because of the hardness (stubbornness and perversity) of your hearts Moses permitted you to dismiss {and} repudiate {and} divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been so [ordained]. |
19:9 I say to you: whoever dismisses (repudiates, divorces) his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery, {and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.} |
19:10 The disciples said to Him, If the case of a man with his wife is like this, it is neither profitable {nor} advisable to marry. |
19:11 But He said to them, Not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom [the capacity to receive] it has been given. |
19:12 For there are eunuchs who have been born incapable of marriage; and there are eunuchs who have been made so by men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves incapable of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let him who is able to accept this accept it. |
19:13 Then little children were brought to Jesus, that He might put His hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. |
19:14 But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not forbid {or} restrain {or} hinder them, for of such [as these] is the kingdom of heaven {composed}. |
19:15 And He put His hands upon them, and then went on His way. |
19:16 And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent {and} perfectly {and} essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life? |
19:17 And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly {and} essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]--God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments. |
19:18 He said to Him, What sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, |
19:19 Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. |
19:20 The young man said, I have observed all these {from my youth;} what still do I lack? |
19:21 Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. |
19:22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions. |
19:23 And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you, it will be difficult for a rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven. |
19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven. |
19:25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly puzzled (astonished, bewildered), saying, Who then can be saved [from eternal death]? |
19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God. |
19:27 Then Peter answered Him, saying, Behold, we have left [our] all and have become Your disciples [sided with Your party and followed You]. What then shall we receive? |
19:28 Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory, you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. |
19:29 And anyone {and} everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for My name's sake will receive many [even a hundred] times more and will inherit eternal life. |
19:30 But many who [now] are first will be last [then], and many who [now] are last will be first [then]. |