Matthew 19:1-12 - On Divorce

¹ AND it came to pass when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan. ² And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. ³ And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

⁴ But he replying, said unto them, Have ye not read, that he who created them from the beginning, created them male and female? ⁵ And he said, for this reason shall a man forsake father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

⁶ Wherefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath yoked together, let no man separate.

⁷ They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give her a bill of divorce, and to put her away?

⁸ He saith unto them, It was on account of the hardness of your hearts that Moses gave you permission to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not thus. ⁹ And I tell you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for whoredom, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth the divorced woman, committeth adultery.

¹⁰ His disciples said unto him, If the case of a man with his wife be thus, it is not expedient to marry.

¹¹ Then he said to them, All men are not capable of receiving this saying, but they to whom it is given. ¹² For there are eunuchs, who were so from their mothers' womb; and there are eunuchs, who have been made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that is capable of receiving, let him receive it.

¹ AND arising, he went from thence into the coasts of Judea, through the country on the other side of the Jordan; and again the multitudes came together unto him; and as his custom was, he again taught them. ² And the Pharisees coming to him, put a question to him, Is it lawful for a husband to put away his wife? tempting him.

³ He answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

⁴ They said, Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.

⁵ Then Jesus answering said unto them, For the hardness of your hearts he wrote you that ordinance. ⁶ But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female;

⁷ and said, For this cause shall a man forsake father and mother, and shall adhere to his wife; ⁸ and they two shall be one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God hath yoked together, let no man separate.

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples again asked him of this matter. ¹¹ And he said unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her: ¹² and if a wife put away her husband, and marrieth another, she committeth adultery.

¹⁸ Every one who putteth away his wife and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and every one who marrieth a woman divorced from her husband, committeth adultery.