1 Then he left and went to the territory of Judaea over the Jordan. Crowds gathered to him again, and again he taught them as usual. 2 Now some Pharisees came up and asked him if a man was allowed to divorce his wife. This was to tempt him.
3 So he replied, "What did Moses lay down for you?"
4 They said, "Moses permitted a man to divorce her by writing out a separation notice."
5 Jesus said to them, "He wrote you that command on account of the hardness of your hearts. 6 But from the beginning, when God created the world, Male and female, He created them:
7 hence a man shall leave his father and mother, 8 and the pair shall be one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What God has joined, then, man must not separate."
10 Indoors, the disciples again asked him about this, 11 and he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman is an adulterer to the former, 12 and she is an adulteress if she divorces her husband and marries another man."
13 Now people brought children for him to touch them, and the disciples checked them; 14 but Jesus was angry when he saw this, and he said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not stop them: the Realm of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you truly, whoever will not submit to the Reign of God like a child will never get into it at all." 16 Then he put his arms round them, laid his hands on them and blessed them.
17 As he went out on the road a man ran up and knelt down before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit life eternal?"
18 Jesus said to him, "Why call me 'good'? No one is good, no one but God. 19 You know the commands: do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honour your father and mother."
20 "Teacher," he said, "I have observed all these commands from my youth."
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "There is one thing you want," he said; "go and sell all you have; give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, take up the cross, and follow me." 22 But his face fell at that, and he went sadly away, for he had great possessions.
23 Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those who have money to get into the Realm of God!" 24 The disciples were amazed at what he said; so he repeated, "My sons, how difficult it is [for those who rely on money] to get into the Realm of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye than for a rich man to get into the Realm of God."
26 They were more astounded than ever; they said to themselves, "Then who ever can be saved?"
27 Jesus looked at them and said, "For men it is impossible, but not for God: anything is possible for God."
28 Peter began, "Well, we have left our all and followed you."
29 Jesus said, "I tell you truly, no one has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, 30 who does not get a hundred times as much ??in this present world homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands, together with persecutions, and in the world to come life eternal. 31 Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."
32 They were on the way up to Jerusalem, Jesus walking in front of them: the disciples were in dismay and the company who followed were afraid. So once again he took the twelve aside and proceeded to tell them what was going to happen to himself.
33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of man will be betrayed to the high priests and scribes; they will sentence him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him; then after three days he will rise again."
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, came up to him saying, "Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you."
36 So he said, "What do you want me to do for you?"
37 They said to him, "Give us seats, one at your right hand and one at your left hand, in your glory."
38 Jesus said, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I have to drink, or undergo the baptism I have to undergo?"
39 They said to him, "We can." Jesus said, "You shall drink the cup I have to drink and undergo the baptism I have to undergo; 40 but it is not for me to grant seats at my right or my left hand ??these belong to the men for whom they have been destined." 41 Now when the ten heard of this, they burst into anger at James and John;
42 so Jesus called them and said, "You know the so-called rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men overbear them: 43 not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever of you wants to be first must be your slave; 45 for the Son of man himself has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
46 Then they reached Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a considerable crowd, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who sat beside the road, 47 heard it was Jesus of Nazaret. So he started to shout, "Son of David! Jesus! have pity on me." 48 A number of the people checked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"
49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." Then they called the blind man and told him, "Courage! Get up, he is calling you." 50 Throwing off his cloak he jumped up and went to Jesus.
51 Jesus spoke to him and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said, "Rabboni, I want to regain my sight."
52 Then Jesus said, "Go, your faith has made you well;" and he regained his sight at once and followed Jesus along the road.