< Mark 10 >

1 Jesus left Capernaum and went to the region of Judea and Transjordan. Once again people flocked to see him, and he was teaching them like he always did.
On leaving that place, Jesus went into the district of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Crowds gathered about him again; and again, as usual, he began teaching them.
2 Some Pharisees came to see him. They tried to test him by asking the question, “Is divorce legal?”
Presently some Pharisees came up and, to test him, asked, “Has a husband the right to divorce his wife?”
3 “What did Moses tell you to do?” he asked in reply.
“What direction did Moses give you?” replied Jesus.
4 “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send the woman away,” they replied.
“Moses,” they said, “permitted a man to draw up in writing a notice of separation and divorce his wife.”
5 Then Jesus told them, “Moses only wrote down this rule for you because of your hard-hearted attitude.
“It was owing to the hardness of your hearts,” said Jesus, “that Moses gave you this direction;
6 However, in the beginning, from creation, God made male and female.
but, at the beginning of the Creation, ‘God made them male and female.’
7 That's why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined in marriage to his wife,
‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother,
8 and the two become one body. They are no longer two but one.
and the man and his wife will become one;’ so that they are no longer two, but one.
9 Let no one separate what God has joined together.”
What God himself, then, has yoked together no one must separate.”
10 When they were back indoors, the disciples began asking him about this.
When they were indoors, the disciples asked him again about this,
11 “Any man who divorces his wife and marries again commits adultery against her,” he told them.
and he said, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against his wife;
12 “And if the wife divorces her husband and marries again she commits adultery.”
and, if the woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she is guilty of adultery.”
13 Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them, but the disciples told them off and tried to keep the children away from Jesus.
Some of the people were bringing little children to Jesus, for him to touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who had brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw what they were doing, he became very upset and told them, “Let the children come to me! Don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
When, however, Jesus saw this, he was indignant. “Let the little children come to me,” he said, “do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the kingdom of God belongs.
15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't welcome the kingdom of God like a child won't enter it.”
I tell you, unless a person receives the kingdom of God like a child, they will not enter it at all.”
16 He hugged the children, placed his hands on them, and blessed them.
Then he embraced the children, and, placing his hands on them, gave them his blessing.
17 As Jesus set out on his journey, a man came running over and kneeled down before Jesus. “Good teacher, what should I do to make sure I have eternal life?” he asked. (aiōnios g166)
As Jesus was resuming his journey, a man came running up to him, and threw himself on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to gain eternal life?” (aiōnios g166)
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good, only God.
“Why do you call me good?” answered Jesus. “No one is good but God.
19 You know the commandments: you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not cheat, honor your father and mother…”
You know the commandments – ‘Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not say what is false about others. Do not cheat. Honor your father and your mother.’”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I've obeyed all these commandments since I was small.”
“Teacher,” he replied, “I have observed all these from my childhood.”
21 Jesus looked at him with love and said, “You're only missing one thing. Go and sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”
Jesus looked at the man, and his heart went out to him, and he said, “There is still one thing wanting in you; go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have wealth in heaven; then come and follow me.”
22 At this, the man's face fell, and he left feeling very sad, for he was very wealthy.
But the man’s face clouded at these words, and he went away distressed, for he had great possessions.
23 Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “It's only with difficulty that wealthy people enter the kingdom of God!”
Then Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for people of wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were shocked at this. But Jesus went on, “My friends, it is difficult to enter God's kingdom.
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “My children, how hard a thing it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter God's kingdom.”
It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more confused. “Then who on earth can be saved?” they asked one another.
“Then who can be saved?” they exclaimed in the greatest astonishment.
27 Looking right at them, Jesus replied, “From a human point of view, it's impossible—but not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Jesus looked at them, and answered, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God.”
28 Peter spoke up, “We've left everything to follow you…”
“But we,” began Peter, “we left everything and have followed you.”
29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “anyone who has left behind their home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands because of me, and for the sake of the good news,
“I tell you,” said Jesus, “there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, for my sake and for the good news,
30 will receive in return in due course a hundred times as many homes and brothers and sisters and children and lands—as well as persecution. In the world to come they will receive eternal life. (aiōn g165, aiōnios g166)
who will not receive a hundred times as much, even now in the present – houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land, though not without persecutions – and in the age that is coming, eternal life. (aiōn g165, aiōnios g166)
31 However, many of the first will be last, and the last first.”
But many who are first now will then be last, and the last will be first.”
32 They continued on their way to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking on ahead. The disciples were apprehensive and the other followers were afraid. So Jesus took the disciples aside and began to explain to them what was about to happen to him.
They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus walking in front of them. The disciples were filled with awe, while those who were following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Gathering the Twelve around him once more, Jesus began to tell them what was about to happen to him.
33 “We're going to Jerusalem,” he told them, “and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and religious teachers. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the foreigners.
“Listen!” he said. “We are going up to Jerusalem; and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, and they will condemn him to death, and they will give him up to the Gentiles,
34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. But three days later he will rise again.”
who will mock him, spit on him, and scourge him, and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again.”
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to see him. “Teacher,” they said, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask you.”
James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus, and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “So what do you want me to do for you?” Jesus replied.
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 “When you're victorious and sit on your throne, make sure we sit beside you, one on the right, the other on the left,” they told him.
“Grant us this,” they answered, “to sit, one on your right, and the other on your left, when you come in glory.”
38 “You don't know what you're asking,” replied Jesus. “Can you drink the cup I drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism of pain I will suffer?”
“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup that I am to drink? Or receive the baptism that I am to receive?”
39 “Yes, we can,” they replied. “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the same baptism as me,” Jesus told them.
“Yes,” they answered, “we can.” “You will indeed drink the cup that I am to drink,” Jesus said, “and receive the baptism that I am to receive,
40 “But it's not for me to grant who should sit on my right or on my left. These places are reserved for those for whom they have been prepared.”
but as to a seat at my right or at my left – that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 When the other ten disciples heard about this, they started getting upset with James and John.
On hearing of this, the ten others were at first very indignant about James and John.
42 Jesus called the disciples together and told them, “You realize that those who claim to rule over nations oppress their people. The rulers act like tyrants.
But Jesus called the ten to him, and said, “Those who are regarded as ruling among the Gentiles lord it over them, as you know, and their great men oppress them.
43 But for you it's not like this. Anyone of you who wants you to be a ruler must be your servant,
But among you it is not so. No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and anyone who wants to be first among you must be the slave of all of you.
and whoever wants to take the first place among you must be the servant 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.”
for even the Son of Man came, not be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
46 Jesus and his disciples passed through Jericho, and as they were leaving town, accompanied by a large crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting at the roadside.
They came to Jericho. When Jesus was going out of the town with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.
47 When he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he started shouting out, “Jesus, son of David, please have mercy on me!”
Hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to call out, “Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me.”
48 Lots of people told him to be quiet, but that only made him shout even more, “Jesus, son of David, please have mercy me!”
Many of the people kept telling him to be quiet; but the man continued to call out all the louder, “Son of David, take pity on me.”
49 Jesus stopped, and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called him over, telling him, “Good news! Get up. He's calling for you.”
Then Jesus stopped. “Call him,” he said. So they called the blind man. “Have courage!” they exclaimed. “Get up; he is calling you.”
50 Bartimaeus jumped up, threw off his coat, and rushed over to Jesus.
The man threw off his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. “Teacher,” he said to Jesus, “I want to see!”
“What do you want me to do for you?” said Jesus, addressing him. “Rabboni,” the blind man answered, “I want to recover my sight.”
52 “You can go. Your trust in me has healed you.” Immediately Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus as he went on his way.
“You may go,” Jesus said, “Your faith has delivered you.” Immediately he recovered his sight, and began to follow Jesus along the road.

< Mark 10 >