Teachings about Divorce (Matthew 19:1–12)
1 UDB Jesus left that place with his disciples, and they went through the district of Judea and on across to the east side of the Jordan River. When crowds of people gathered around him again, he taught them again, as he customarily did. BSB BSB: Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.
2 UDB While he was teaching them, some Pharisees approached him and asked him, "Does our law permit a man to divorce his wife?" They asked that in order to be able to criticize him whether he answered "yes" or "no." BSB BSB: Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.
3 UDB He answered them, "What did Moses command your ancestors about this?" BSB BSB: “What did Moses command you?” He replied.
4 UDB One of them replied, "Moses permitted that a man may write out divorce papers so that he may send her away." BSB BSB: They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5 UDB Jesus said to them, "Your ancestors stubbornly wanted to be able to send their wives away. That is why Moses wrote that law. BSB BSB: But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.
6 UDB But when God first created people, it says, 'God made them male and female.' BSB BSB: However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’
7 UDB That explains why God said, 'When a man marries, he must leave his parents and join with his wife. BSB BSB: ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
8 UDB They will become like one person.' So they will no longer be like two people, but like one. BSB BSB: and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 UDB Because that is true, a man must not separate from his wife. God has joined them together, so they must stay together!" BSB BSB: Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
10 UDB When Jesus and his disciples were alone in a house, they asked him again about this. BSB BSB: When they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.
11 UDB He said to them, "God considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. BSB BSB: So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
12 UDB God also considers a woman who divorces her husband and marries another man to be committing adultery." BSB BSB: And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Jesus Blesses the Children (Matthew 19:13–15; Luke 18:15–17)
13 UDB Now people were bringing children to Jesus so that he would touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded those people. BSB BSB: Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 UDB When Jesus saw that, he became angry. He said to the disciples, "Allow the children to come to me! Do not forbid them! It is people who have qualities like children who will become God's people. BSB BSB: But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 UDB Note this: Those who do not welcome God as their king in the same manner as children would will certainly not become one of God's people." BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
16 UDB Then he embraced the children. He also put his hands on them and called on God to do good to them. BSB BSB: And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.
The Rich Young Man (Matthew 19:16–30; Luke 18:18–30)
17 UDB As Jesus was starting to travel again with his disciples, a man ran up to him. He knelt before Jesus and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?" BSB BSB: As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 UDB Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good! BSB BSB: “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.
19 UDB But to answer your question, you know the commandments of Moses: 'Do not murder anyone, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not testify falsely, do not cheat anyone, and honor your father and mother.'" BSB BSB: You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”
20 UDB The man said to him, "Teacher, I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young." BSB BSB: “Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.”
21 UDB Jesus looked at him and loved him. He said to him, "There is one thing that you have not yet done. You must go home, sell all that you possess, and then give the money to poor people. As a result, you will have riches in heaven. After you have done what I have told you, come and follow me!" BSB BSB: Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
22 UDB The man became disappointed when he heard Jesus's instructions. He went away sad because he was very rich. BSB BSB: But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
23 UDB Jesus looked around at the people. Then he exclaimed to his disciples, "It is very difficult for people who are wealthy to become one of God's people." BSB BSB: Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 UDB The disciples were confused by what he said. Jesus said again, "My dear friends, it is very difficult for anyone to become one of God's people. BSB BSB: And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 UDB In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich people to let God rule their lives." BSB BSB: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 UDB The disciples were very astonished. So they said to each other, "If that is so, then no one will be saved!" BSB BSB: They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”
27 UDB Jesus looked at them and then he said, "Yes, it is impossible for people to save themselves! But God certainly can save them because God can do anything!" BSB BSB: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
28 UDB Peter said, "Look, we have left behind everything and followed you." BSB BSB: Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”
29 UDB Jesus replied, "I want you to know this: Those who have left their houses, their brothers, their sisters, their father, their mother, their children, or their plots of ground for me and for the good news, BSB BSB: “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel
30 UDB they will receive in this life a hundred times as much as they left behind. That will include houses and people as dear as brothers and sisters and mothers and children, and plots of ground. Furthermore, although people will persecute them here on earth because they believe in me, in the future age they will have eternal life. BSB BSB: will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 UDB But I warn you all: Many who now consider themselves to be very important will be unimportant at that future time, and many who now consider themselves to be unimportant will be very important at that future time!" BSB BSB: But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
The Third Prediction of the Passion (Matthew 20:17–19; Luke 18:31–34)
32 UDB As they continued to travel, Jesus and his disciples were walking on the road that leads up to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished and the other people who were with them were afraid. Along the way he took the twelve disciples to a place by themselves. Then he began to tell them again about what was going to happen to him; he said, BSB BSB: As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him:
33 UDB "Listen carefully! We are going up to Jerusalem. There the chief priests and the men who teach the laws will arrest me, the Son of Man. They will declare that I must die. Then they will turn me over to the Gentiles. BSB BSB: “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles,
34 UDB Their men will ridicule me and spit on me. They will whip me, and then they will kill me. But on the third day after that, I will become alive again!" BSB BSB: who will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise again.”
The Request of James and John (Matthew 20:20–28)
35 UDB Along the way James and John, who were the two sons of Zebedee, approached Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do something for us!" BSB BSB: Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 UDB He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" BSB BSB: “What do you want Me to do for you?” He inquired.
37 UDB They said to him, "When you rule in your kingdom, let one of us sit at your right side and one sit at your left side." BSB BSB: They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.”
38 UDB But Jesus said to them, "You do not understand what you are asking for." Then he asked them, "Can you endure suffering like I am about to suffer? Can you die the kind of death I am about to die?" BSB BSB: “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?”
39 UDB They said to him, "Yes, we are able to do that!" Then Jesus said to them, "It is true that you will endure suffering like I will suffer, and others will kill you as they will kill me. BSB BSB: “We can,” the brothers answered. “You will drink the cup that I drink,” Jesus said, “and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo.
40 UDB But I am not the one who chooses who will sit next to me. God will give those places to the ones whom he chooses in advance." BSB BSB: But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 UDB The other ten disciples later heard about what James and John had requested. So they said they were unhappy with the two disciples. BSB BSB: When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.
42 UDB Then Jesus called them all together and said, "You know that kings and others who rule over the Gentiles enjoy showing that they are powerful. You also know that their officials enjoy commanding others. BSB BSB: So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.
43 UDB But do not be like them! On the contrary, all those among you who want God to consider them great must become like servants to the rest of you. BSB BSB: But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 UDB Furthermore, if anyone among you wants God to consider him to be the most important, he must act like a slave for the rest of you. BSB BSB: and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.
Jesus Heals Bartimaeus (Matthew 20:29–34; Luke 18:35–43)
46 UDB On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho. Then, while they were leaving Jericho along with a great crowd, a blind man who habitually begged for money was sitting beside the road. His name was Bartimaeus, and his father's name was Timaeus. BSB BSB: Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.
47 UDB When he heard people say that Jesus from Nazareth was passing by, he shouted, "Jesus! descendant of David, be merciful to me!" BSB BSB: When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 UDB Many people scolded him and told him that he should be quiet. But he shouted even more, "You who are a descendant of King David, be merciful to me!" BSB BSB: Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 UDB Jesus stopped and said, "Call him to come over here!" They called the blind man, saying, "Jesus is calling you! So cheer up and get up and come!" BSB BSB: Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man. “Take courage!” they said. “Get up! He is calling for you.”
50 UDB He threw aside his cloak as he jumped up, and he came to Jesus. BSB BSB: Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus.
51 UDB Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "Teacher, I want to be able to see again!" BSB BSB: “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Rabboni,” said the blind man, “let me see again.”
52 UDB Jesus said to him, "I am healing you because you believed in me. So you may go!" He could see immediately. And he went with Jesus along the road. BSB BSB: “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.