Mark 10

1Then Jesus left there and went into the area of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again crowds came to Him, and as usual He taught them.

2Some Pharisees came to test Jesus. They asked: Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?

3Jesus answered: What did Moses command you?

4They said: Moses allowed a man to write a paper of divorce and send his wife away.

5Jesus said to them: Moses wrote that rule because your hearts were hard.

6But at the beginning, when God made the world, He made them male and female.

7For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8and the two will become one. So they are no longer two, but one.

9No one should separate what God has joined together.

10Later, in the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this again.

11He told them: Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against her.

12And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she is guilty of adultery.

13People were bringing little children to Jesus so He could touch them. But the disciples told them to stop.

14When Jesus saw this, He was upset. He said to them: Let the little children come to me. Do not stop them, because God's kingdom belongs to people like these.

15I tell you the truth, anyone who does not receive God's kingdom like a little child will never enter it.

16Then Jesus took the children in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

17As Jesus was starting on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. He asked: Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?

18Jesus said: Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

19You know the commands: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not lie, do not cheat, honor your father and mother.

20The man said: Teacher, I have obeyed all these since I was a boy.

21Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus said: There is one thing you still need to do. Go, sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. After that, come and follow me.

22When the man heard this, his face fell, and he went away sad, because he was very rich.

23Jesus looked around and said to His disciples: How hard it is for rich people to enter God's kingdom!

24The disciples were surprised at His words. But Jesus said again: Children, how hard it is to enter God's kingdom!

25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom.

26The disciples were even more amazed. They said to each other: Then who can be saved?

27Jesus looked at them and said: For people this is impossible, but not for God. Everything is possible for God.

28Then Peter said to Him: We have left everything to follow You.

29Jesus answered: I tell you the truth, everyone who has left home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or fields for me and for the good news

30will receive a hundred times as much in this life — homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, along with troubles — and in the world to come, eternal life.

31But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

32They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus walked ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, and the others who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him.

33Jesus said: We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will say He must die, and they will hand Him over to those who are not Jews.

34They will make fun of Him, spit on Him, beat Him with whips, and kill Him. But three days later He will rise again.

35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus. They said: Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.

36Jesus said: What do you want me to do for you?

37They answered: Let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your glory.

38But Jesus said: You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism I am going to go through?

39They answered: We can. Jesus said to them: You will drink the cup I drink, and you will go through the baptism I go through.

40But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or my left. Those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.

41When the other ten disciples heard about this, they were angry with James and John.

42So Jesus called them together and said: You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over the people, and the important men use their power over them.

43But it must not be that way among you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.

44And whoever wants to be first must be the slave of everyone.

45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve and to give His life to set many people free.

46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His disciples and a large crowd were leaving the town, a blind man named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road begging.

47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

48Many people told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder: Son of David, have mercy on me!

49Jesus stopped and said: Call him. So they called the blind man and said: Cheer up! Get up! He is calling you.

50The man threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51Jesus asked him: What do you want me to do for you? The blind man said: Teacher, I want to see.

52Jesus said: Go, your faith has healed you. At once the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.