Matthew 19

¹ Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and he left Galilee and came into the territory ofJudaea on the far side of the Jordan.

² Large crowds fol owed him and he healed them there.

³ Some Pharisees approached him, and to put him to the test they said, 'Is it against the Law for a manto divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?'

⁴ He answered, 'Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them male and female

⁵ and that he said: This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife,and the two become one flesh?

⁶ They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings mustnot divide.'

⁷ They said to him, 'Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases ofdivorce?'

⁸ He said to them, 'It was because you were so hard-hearted, that Moses al owed you to divorce yourwives, but it was not like this from the beginning.

⁹ Now I say this to you: anyone who divorces his wife -- I am not speaking of an il icit marriage -- andmarries another, is guilty of adultery.'

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, 'If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not tomarry.'

¹¹ But he replied, 'It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it isgranted.

¹² There are eunuchs born so from their mother's womb, there are eunuchs made so by human agencyand there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyoneaccept this who can.'

¹³ Then people brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and pray. The disciplesscolded them,

¹⁴ but Jesus said, 'Let the little children alone, and do not stop them from coming to me; for it is to suchas these that the kingdom of Heaven belongs.'

¹⁵ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

¹⁶ And now a man came to him and asked, 'Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?'

¹⁷ Jesus said to him, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But ifyou wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.'

¹⁸ He said, 'Which ones?' Jesus replied, 'These: You shall not kil . You shall not commit adultery. Youshall not steal. You shal not give false witness.

¹⁹ Honour your father and your mother. You shal love your neighbour as yourself.'

²⁰ The young man said to him, 'I have kept al these. What more do I need to do?'

²¹ Jesus said, 'If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor,and you wil have treasure in heaven; then come, fol ow me.'

²² But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'In truth I tell you, it is hard for someone rich to enter the kingdom ofHeaven.

²⁴ Yes, I tel you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someonerich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.'

²⁵ When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said.

²⁶ Jesus gazed at them. 'By human resources', he told them, 'this is impossible; for God everything ispossible.'

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said, 'Look, we have left everything and fol owed you. What are we tohave, then?'

²⁸ Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tel you, when everything is made new again and the Son of man isseated on his throne of glory, you yourselves wil sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁹ And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake ofmy name wil receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life.

³⁰ 'Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.'