Matthew 19:1-12 - On Divorce

¹ It happened when Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan. ² Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there. ³ Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

⁴ He answered, "Haven't you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall join to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?'

⁶ So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man tear apart."

⁷ They asked him, "Why then did Moses command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?"

⁸ He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so. ⁹ I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."

¹⁰ His disciples said to him, "If this is the case of the man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry."

¹¹ But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying, but those to whom it is given. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it, let him receive it."

¹ He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them. ² Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

³ He answered, "What did Moses command you?"

⁴ They said, "Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her."

⁵ But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.

⁷ For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."

¹⁰ In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter. ¹¹ He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her. ¹² If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery."

¹⁸ Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.