Concerning Divorce

19 (A)When Jesus had finished these words, He left Galilee and (B)came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; and [a]large crowds followed Him, and (C)He healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to [b]Jesus, testing Him and [c]asking, “(D)Is it lawful for a man to [d]divorce his wife for any reason at all?” And He answered and said, “Have you not read (E)that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘(F)For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and (G)the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.” They *said to Him, “(H)Why, then, did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to [e]divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, (I)whoever [f]divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman [g]commits adultery[h].”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 19:2 Or many
  2. Matthew 19:3 Lit Him
  3. Matthew 19:3 Lit saying
  4. Matthew 19:3 Lit send away
  5. Matthew 19:8 Lit send away
  6. Matthew 19:9 Lit sends away
  7. Matthew 19:9 One early ms makes her commit adultery
  8. Matthew 19:9 One early ms adds and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery

Jesus’ Teaching about Divorce

10 (A)Setting out from there, Jesus *went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds *gathered to Him again, and, (B)as He was accustomed, He once more began to teach them.

And some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began questioning Him whether it was lawful for a man to [a]divorce his wife. And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “(C)Moses permitted a man to write a [b]certificate of divorce and [c]send his wife away.” But Jesus said to them, [d](D)Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But (E)from the beginning of creation, God (F)created them male and female. (G)For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother[e], (H)and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples again began questioning Him about this. 11 And He *said to them, (I)Whoever [f]divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; 12 and (J)if she herself [g]divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 10:2 Lit send away, the Heb term for divorce
  2. Mark 10:4 Permitting her to remarry
  3. Mark 10:4 Or divorce her
  4. Mark 10:5 Or With reference to
  5. Mark 10:7 Many late mss add and shall cling to his wife
  6. Mark 10:11 Or sends away
  7. Mark 10:12 Or sends away

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