Mark 10

¹Setting out from there, he went into the regions of Judea and across the Jordan. Once again, crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom, he began to teach them again.

²Some Pharisees approached him and, testing him, asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to dismiss his wife?” ³He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴They said, “Moses permitted a man ‘to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss her.’” ⁵Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. ⁶But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸ and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore, what God has yoked together, let no human separate.”

¹⁰Back in the house, the disciples questioned him again about this. ¹¹He told them, “Whoever dismisses his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²And if she dismisses her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³People were bringing little children to him so that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶Then, taking them into his arms, he began to bless them fervently, laying his hands on them.

¹⁷As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰The man said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all of these since my youth.” ²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²²But the man’s face fell at these words, and he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴The disciples were bewildered by his words. But Jesus spoke to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶They were even more astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “With humans it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

²⁸Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this present time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with persecutions—and in the coming age, eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

³²They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were in awe, while those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was about to happen to him: ³³ “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the nations. ³⁴They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.”

³⁵James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” ³⁷They said to him, “Grant that we may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” ³⁸Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” ³⁹They said to him, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized; ⁴⁰but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

⁴¹When the other ten heard this, they began to be indignant toward James and John. ⁴²Jesus called them together and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise absolute authority over them. ⁴³But it is not so among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wants to be first among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the many.”

⁴⁶They came to Jericho. As he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a considerable crowd, Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart! Get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰Throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabbouni, let me see again.” ⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has restored you.” Immediately he saw again and began following him on the road.