1Jesus set out from there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Again crowds gathered around him, and as was his custom, he taught them again.a 2To test him, some people asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?"b 3He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" 4They said, "Moses permitted a husband to write out a certificate of divorce and send his wife away."
5Jesus said to them, “Because of your hard hearts, Moses wrote this commandment for you. 6But from creation’s beginning, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and be united with his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.’ Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9So what God has joined together, let no human being separate.”c 10When they were in the house again, the disciples began questioning Jesus about this.
11He told them, “If a man divorces his wife and marries another woman, he commits adultery against her.d 12And if a wife divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”e 13People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to touch them. But the disciples rebuked the people who brought them. 14When Jesus saw it, he was indignant. “Let the little children come to me,” he said to them. “Do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God the way a little child does—that person will never enter it.” 16Then he took the children in his arms and blessed them, placing his hands on them.
17As Jesus was setting out on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20The man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was young.” 21Jesus looked at him and loved him. “You lack one thing,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. Come and follow me.”f
22At these words the man’s face fell, and he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. 23Looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!” 24The disciples were amazed at what he said. Again Jesus answered them, “Children, how hard it is to enter into the kingdom of God!g 25It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of the needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 26They were utterly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?”
27Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God, because everything is possible for God.” 28Peter spoke up, “Look, we have left everything and have followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, everyone who has left home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or land, for my sake and the sake of the gospel,h 30will receive a hundred times as much now, in this present time: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, along with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come. 31Many who are first, however, will be last, and those who are last will be first.”
32They were on the road, heading up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were astonished, but those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside once more, he began to tell them what was about to happen to him:i 33“Look, we are heading up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man is going to be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, who will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. 34They will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. After three days he will rise again.”j 35Then James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him and said, “Teacher, whatever we ask of you, we want you to do for us.” 36He asked them, “What is it you want me to do for you?”
37They said to him, "Grant us this: in your glory let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left." 38Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Can you drink the cup that I drink? Or can you be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"k 39They said to him, "We can." Jesus told them, "The cup that I drink, you will drink, and the baptism I am baptized with, you will be baptized with. 40But to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to grant. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared." 41When the other ten heard this, they grew indignant with James and John. 42Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers over the Gentiles dominate them, and their great ones wield authority over them.
43But it is not that way among you. Rather, whoever among you wants to become great must be your servant,l 44and whoever wants to be first among you must be everyone's slave. 45For the Son of Man himself did not come to be served. He came to serve and to give up his life as a ransom for many.” 46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.m 47When he heard it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began shouting, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!”
48Many people rebuked him, telling him to be quiet, but he kept shouting all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49Jesus stopped. "Call him," he said. So they called the blind man. "Take heart," they told him. "Get up! He is calling you." 50Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51Jesus asked him, "What would you like me to do for you?" "Rabboni," the blind man replied, "I want to see."n 52Jesus said to him, "Go. Your faith has made you well." At once he could see, and he followed Jesus on the road.o