Matthew 19

19 ¹When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea, across the Jordan. ²Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³Pharisees came to test him, asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?"

⁴He answered, "Haven't you read that our Father, who made them at the beginning, made them male and female, ⁵and said, 'So a man will leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? ⁶So they are no longer two but one flesh; therefore, let no one separate what our Father has joined."

⁷They said to him, "Why then did Moses command that a man give a divorce certificate and send her away?"

⁸He told them, "Moses let you divorce your wives because your hearts were hard, but it wasn't like that from the beginning. ⁹I tell you: whoever divorces his wife—except for sexual sin—and marries another commits adultery."

¹⁰The disciples said to him, "If that's the case between husband and wife, it's better not to marry."

¹¹He said to them, "Not everyone can accept this word—only those it's given to. ¹²There are eunuchs born that way from their mother's womb; there are eunuchs made that way by others; and there are eunuchs who made themselves so for the kingdom of our Father. Let the one who can accept this, accept it."

Jesus Welcomes the Little Children

¹³Then little children were brought to him so he could lay hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked those bringing them.

¹⁴But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me—don't stop them, for the kingdom of our Father belongs to ones like these."

¹⁵And he laid his hands on them and went on from there.

The One Thing He Lacked

¹⁶Just then a man approached him and asked, "Teacher, what good must I do to obtain eternal life?"

¹⁷He said to him, "Why ask me about what is good? Only one is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments."

¹⁸"Which ones?" he asked. Jesus said, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, ¹⁹honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."

²⁰The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?"

²¹Jesus told him, "If you want to be complete, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor—you'll have treasure in heaven—then come, follow me."

²²When the young man heard this, he went away grieving, because he had great wealth.

²³Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I tell you: a rich person will hardly enter our Father's kingdom. ²⁴I tell you again: a camel fits through the eye of a needle easier than a rich person enters our Father's kingdom."

²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

²⁶Jesus looked at them and said, "This is impossible for people, but everything is possible with our Father."

²⁷Then Peter said to him, "Look, we've left everything and followed you. What then will we have?"

²⁸Jesus told them, "Truly: in the renewal, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁹"Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name will receive one hundred times more and inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."