Mark 10

1 And he rose up from there and comes into the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds come together to him again, and as he was accustomed he taught them again. 2 And they were asking him whether it is permitted for a man to send his wife away — testing him. [a] 3 And he answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 And they said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” [b]

5 But Jesus said to them, “He wrote you this command because of your hardness of heart. 6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. [c] 7 ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and holds fast to his wife, [d] 8 and the two become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. [e] 9 What God has yoked together, then, let no man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples were asking him about this again. 11 And he says to them, “Whoever sends his wife away and marries another commits adultery against her; † 12 and if she, having sent her husband away, marries another, she commits adultery.”

13 And they were bringing children to him so that he might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Amen, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

17 And as he was going out on the road, one man ran up and knelt in front of him and was asking him, “Good teacher, what am I to do so that I may inherit everlasting life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one — God. 19 You know the commands: ‘You are not to murder,’ ‘You are not to commit adultery,’ ‘You are not to steal,’ ‘You are not to give false witness,’ ‘You are not to defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” [f] 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus looked at him and loved him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [g] † 22 But he became downcast at the word and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 And Jesus looked around and says to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have money to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 But the disciples were astonished at his words. And Jesus again answered and says to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! [h] 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 But they were astounded beyond measure, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and says, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and have followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Amen, I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news 30 who will not receive a hundred times as much now, in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions — and in the coming age everlasting life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

32 And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And he took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that were about to happen to him: 33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the nations, 34 and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him; and after three days he will rise.”

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Give us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be immersed with the immersion I am immersed with?” [i] † 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the immersion I am immersed with you will be immersed; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to give, but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 And when the ten heard it they began to be indignant about James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to himself and says to them, “You know that those who are regarded as ruling the nations lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not so among you; rather, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be slave 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 in place of many.” [j]

46 And they come to Jericho. And as he was going out from Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road. [k] 47 And hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” 48 And many rebuked him to make him be quiet; but he cried out much more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they call the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart, get up, he is calling you.” 50 And he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered him and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbouni, that I may see again.” [l] 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has saved you.” And at once he saw again, and he followed him on the road.