19:1 Now when 1 Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River. 2 19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
19:3 Then some Pharisees 3 came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful 4 to divorce a wife for any cause?” 5 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female, 6 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 7 19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 19:7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” 8 19:8 Jesus 9 said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, 10 but from the beginning it was not this way. 19:9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” 19:10 The 11 disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 19:11 He 12 said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given.