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left that place and went to the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Crowds again converged on Him, and as was His custom, He taught them once more.
2 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus to test Him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses command you?” Jesus replied.
4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 But Jesus told them, “It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses wrote you this command. 6 But from the beginning of Creation, God ‘made them male and female’. 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
10 Later in the house His disciples asked Jesus again about the same matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
13 Some people were bringing little children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Suffer the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. 15 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And He took the children in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
17 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked. “No one is good, except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not give false testimony; do not defraud; honour your father and mother’.”
20 “Teacher,” he said, “I have kept all of these from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22 But he was dismayed by this instruction, and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God!”
24 But the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more astonished, and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter said to Him, “Look, we have left everything to follow You.”
29 “I tell you the truth,“ Jesus replied, “there is no one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundred fold now in this time, houses and brothers, sisters and mothers, and children and lands—with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were astonished, and those who followed were afraid. Again He took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him. 33 “Listen, we are going up to Jerusalem,” He said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles, 34 and they will mock Him, and spit on Him, and flog Him, and kill Him, and He will rise after three days.”
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.
37 They answered Him, “Grant us to sit with You in Your glory, one at Your right hand and the other at Your left.”
38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with?”
39 “We are able,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and you will be baptised with the baptism I am baptised with, 40 but to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their men of exalted positions exercise authority over them. 43 But it must not be like that among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind man, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many people rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.”
So they called out to the blind man, “Take courage. Get up, He’s calling for you.” 50 So throwing aside his cloak, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
“Rabbouni,” the blind man said, “I want to see.”
52 “Go your way,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.