Matthew 19:1-12 - On Divorce

¹ When Jesus finished saying this he moved from Galilee and went to the territory of Judaea that lies across the Jordan. ² Large crowds followed him and he healed them there. ³ Then the Pharisees came up to tempt him. They asked, "Is it right to divorce one's wife for any reason?"

⁴ He replied, "Have you never read that He who created them male and female from the beginning ⁵ said, Hence a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and the pair shall be one flesh?

⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What God has joined, then, man must not separate."

⁷ They said to him, "Then why did Moses lay it down that we were to divorce by giving a separation-notice?"

⁸ He said to them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, on account of the hardness of your hearts, but it was not so from the beginning. ⁹ I tell you, whoever divorces his wife except for unchastity and marries another woman, commits adultery; and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

¹⁰ The disciples said to him, "If that is a man's position with his wife, there is no good in marrying."

¹¹ He said to them, "True, but this truth is not practicable for everyone, it is only for those who have the gift. ¹² There are eunuchs who have been eunuchs from their birth, there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Realm of heaven. Let anyone practice it for whom it is practicable."

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."

¹⁸ Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.