| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them. | 1Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them. |
| 2Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?” | 2Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" |
| 3Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?” | 3He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" |
| 4“Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.” | 4They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." |
| 5But Jesus responded, “He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. | 5But Jesus said to them, "He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts. |
| 6 But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. | 6But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. |
| 7 ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, | 7For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, |
| 8 and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, | 8and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. |
| 9 let no one split apart what God has joined together.” | 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." |
| 10Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. | 10In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. |
| 11He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. | 11So he told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. |
| 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.” Jesus Blesses the Children | 12And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." |
| 13One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. | 13Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them. |
| 14When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. | 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. |
| 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” | 15I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." |
| 16Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. The Rich Man | 16After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them. |
| 17As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” | 17Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" |
| 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. | 18Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. |
| 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’ ” | 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.'" |
| 20“Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” | 20The man said to him, "Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth." |
| 21Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” | 21As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, "You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." |
| 22At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. | 22But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. |
| 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” | 23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" |
| 24This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. | 24The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! |
| 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” | 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." |
| 26The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. | 26They were even more astonished and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" |
| 27Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” | 27Jesus looked at them and replied, "This is impossible for mere humans, but not for God; all things are possible for God." |
| 28Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. | 28Peter began to speak to him, "Look, we have left everything to follow you!" |
| 29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, | 29Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel |
| 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. | 30who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much--homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life. |
| 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. ” Jesus Again Predicts His Death | 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first." |
| 32They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. | 32They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. |
| 33 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. | 33"Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. |
| 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” Jesus Teaches about Serving Others | 34They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again." |
| 35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” | 35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." |
| 36 “What is your request?” he asked. | 36He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" |
| 37They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” | 37They said to him, "Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory." |
| 38But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” | 38But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?" |
| 39“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. | 39They said to him, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, |
| 40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” | 40but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared." |
| 41When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. | 41Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John. |
| 42So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. | 42Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. |
| 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, | 43But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, |
| 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. | 44and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. |
| 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus | 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." |
| 46Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. | 46They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. |
| 47When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” | 47When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" |
| 48“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” | 48Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" |
| 49When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” | 49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man and said to him, "Have courage! Get up! He is calling you." |
| 50Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. | 50He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. |
| 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi, ” the blind man said, “I want to see!” | 51Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Rabbi, let me see again." |
| 52And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. | 52Jesus said to him, "Go, your faith has healed you." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road. |
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