20 Bible Verses about Divorce

I saw the Jews who were married to women of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab:

Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answering, said to Ezra, We have done evil against our God, and have taken as our wives strange women of the peoples of the land. But still there is hope for Israel in this question. Let us make an agreement with our God to put away all the wives and all their children, if it seems right to my lord and to those who go in fear of the words of our God. Let it be done in keeping with the law. Up, now! For this is your business, and we are with you. Take heart and do it. read more.
Then Ezra got up, and made the chiefs of the priests and the Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do this. So they took an oath. Then Ezra got up from before the house of God and went into the room of Jehohanan, the son of Eliashib. When he arrived there, he took no food or drink, for he was sorrowing for the sin of those who had come back. They made a public statement to all Judah and Jerusalem, to all those who came back, that they were to come together to Jerusalem. And that if anyone did not come before three days were past, as ordered by the rulers and the responsible men, all his goods would be put under the curse. He himself would be cut off from the meeting of the people who had come back. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin came together to Jerusalem before three days were past. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people were seated in the wide square in front of the house of God. They shook with fear because of this business of this business and because of the great rain. Ezra the priest got to his feet and said to them: You have done wrong and taken strange women for your wives, thus increasing the sin of Israel. Give praise to Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the strange women. Then all the people, answered with a loud voice: As you have said, so it is right for us to do. The number of people is great, and it is a time of much rain; it is not possible for us to go on waiting outside. This is not a thing that may be done in one day or even two: for our sin in this business is great. So now let our rulers be representatives for all the people. Let all those in our towns who are married to strange women come at fixed times, and with them the responsible men and the judges of every town, till the burning wrath of our God is turned away from us, and this has been done. Only Jonathan, the son of Asahel, and Jahzeiah, the son of Tikvah, were against this, Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. So those who had come back did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of families, by their fathers' families, all of them by their names, were marked out. On the first day of the tenth month they took their places to go into the question with care. they reached the end of all the men who were married to strange women by the first day of the first month.

I made them clean from all strange people. Regular watches were fixed for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work.

I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. And he who marries her when she is divorced, commits adultery.

Again, it was said, 'Whoever gets rid of his wife has to give her a certificate of divorce.' I say to you that everyone divorcing his wife, except for the reason of fornication, makes her liable to commit adultery. And if she marries again, the man she marries also commits adultery.

He said: He who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. If she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

They asked him: Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, to send her away? He answered: Moses allowed you to send your wives away because of your hardness of heart. It was not allowed from the beginning.

Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him. Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife? They asked. What did Moses command you? Jesus asked. They said: Moses allowed us to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. read more.
He wrote this commandment because of your hard hearts, Jesus replied. God made male and female from the beginning of creation.

I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. And he who marries her when she is divorced, commits adultery.

I say to you that everyone divorcing his wife, except for the reason of fornication, makes her liable to commit adultery. And if she marries again, the man she marries also commits adultery.

Pharisees came to him. They tested him, asking: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?

Again, it was said, 'Whoever gets rid of his wife has to give her a certificate of divorce.'

This is the reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife. They will become one flesh.

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What God has joined together, let no man pull apart (separate)!

She is unfaithful to her own husband and forgets her sacred vows to God.

If she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.

This is what Jehovah says: Where are your mother's divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.

Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, was not afraid. She also acted like a prostitute.

When a man sells his daughter into slavery, she will not go free the way male slaves do.

If he fails to do any of these things, she should be given her freedom without cost.

Do not be afraid. You will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace. You will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

Jehovah will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit; a wife, who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.

This is what Jehovah says: Where are your mother's divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.

Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, was not afraid. She also acted like a prostitute.

Do not be afraid. You will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace. You will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

You ask: Why do you not accept our offerings? It is because Jehovah is a witness between you and the wife of your youth. The one to whom you have been unfaithful! She is your companion, the wife of your marriage vows.

You evict the women of my people from their pleasant houses. You remove the glory of their young children from generation to generation.

To the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord commands do not let the wife depart from her husband. If she leaves, let her remain unmarried or become reconciled to her husband. A husband should not divorce his wife.

The elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, They will fine him a hundred shekels of silver. They will give it to the girl's father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. She will remain his wife. He may not divorce her all his days.

She should no longer wear the clothes she was wearing when you captured her. She may live in your house and mourn the loss of her father and mother for one month. After that you may marry her. Later if you are not happy with the woman you may divorce her. She may go free. But you have slept with her as your wife, so you cannot sell her as a slave or make her into your own slave.

If the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife. She has been defiled. That is an abomination before Jehovah, and you shall not bring sin on the land Jehovah your God gives you as an inheritance.

When a man marries a woman and later decides he does not love her because he found something he does not like about her he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house. She leaves his house and becomes another man's wife. If the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, read more.
her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife. She has been defiled. That is an abomination before Jehovah, and you shall not bring sin on the land Jehovah your God gives you as an inheritance.

When a man marries a woman and later decides he does not love her because he found something he does not like about her he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house.

She leaves his house and becomes another man's wife.

He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, a woman who has lost her virginity, or a prostitute. He may only marry a virgin from his own people.

You ask: Why do you not accept our offerings? It is because Jehovah is a witness between you and the wife of your youth. The one to whom you have been unfaithful! She is your companion, the wife of your marriage vows. Did God make you one? Your flesh and spirit belong to him. What does God look for but godly descendants? Do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. I hate divorce and he who covers his garment with violence,' said Jehovah, the God of Israel. Jehovah of Hosts declares: 'Guard yourselves and do not deal treacherously.'

The disciples said to him: This being the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.

He answered: Moses allowed you to send your wives away because of your hardness of heart. It was not allowed from the beginning.

A widow or a divorced woman must keep every vow she makes and every promise to abstain from something.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was glad with wine, he gave orders to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presences of King Ahasuerus. That Vashti the queen was to come before him, with her royal crown, and let the people and the captains see her beauty: for she was very beautiful. But when the servants gave her the king's order, Vashti the queen said she would not come. The king was very angry. His heart was burning with wrath. read more.
The king spoke to the wise men that were experts with knowledge of the times. It was the king's practice. The closest to the king were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media. They were friends of the king, and had the first places in the kingdom. By law, what is to be done to Vashti the queen? She has not done what King Ahasuerus ordered her to do. Before the king and the captains, Memucan gave his answer: Vashti the queen has done wrong, not only to the king, but also to all the captains and to all the peoples in all the divisions of the kingdom of King Ahasuerus. For news of what the queen has done will come to the attention of all women. They will no longer give respect to their husbands when it is said to them, 'King Ahasuerus gave orders for Vashti the queen to come before him and she did not come.' The wives of the captains of Persia and Media, hearing what the queen has done, will say the same to all the king's captains. So there will be much shame and anger. If it is pleasing to the king, let an order go out from him. Let it be recorded among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it may never be changed. That Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. Let the king give her place to another who is better than she. When the king's order is made public through all his great kingdom all the wives will give honor to their husbands, great as well as small. This suggestion seemed good to the king and the captains. The king did as Memucan said. He sent letters to all the divisions of the kingdom where their language is used. The letter said that every man was to be the ruler in his house, and that this order was to be given out in the language of his people.

A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [Jesus continued to tell illustrations.]

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a release. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

Let us make an agreement with our God to put away all the wives and all their children, if it seems right to my lord and to those who go in fear of the words of our God. Let it be done in keeping with the law.

Again, it was said, 'Whoever gets rid of his wife has to give her a certificate of divorce.'

When a man marries a woman and later decides he does not love her because he found something he does not like about her he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house.

A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [Jesus continued to tell illustrations.]

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a release. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

Let us make an agreement with our God to put away all the wives and all their children, if it seems right to my lord and to those who go in fear of the words of our God. Let it be done in keeping with the law.

Again, it was said, 'Whoever gets rid of his wife has to give her a certificate of divorce.'

When a man marries a woman and later decides he does not love her because he found something he does not like about her he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house.