1And from there he set out and came to the region of Judea and the other side of the Jordan, and again crowds came together to him. And again, as he was accustomed to do, he began to teach them. 2And Pharisees came up and asked him if it was permitted for a man to divorce his wife, in order to test him. 3And he answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4So they said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart. 6But from the beginning of creation ‘he made them male and female. 7Because of this a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh,’ so that they are no longer two but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.” 10And in the house again the disciples began to ask him about this. 11And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” 13And they were bringing young children to him so that he could touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the young children come to me. Do not forbid them, ˻for to such belongs˼ the kingdom of God. 15Truly I say to you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a young child will never enter into it.” 16And after taking them into his arms, he blessed them, placing his hands on them. 17And as he was setting out on his way, one individual ran up and knelt down before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?” 18So Jesus 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 give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ” 20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” 21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all that you have, and give the proceeds to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me.” 22But he looked gloomy at the statement and went away sorrowful, ˻because he had˼ many possessions. 23And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How ˻difficult it is for˼ those who possess wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were astounded at his words. But Jesus answered and said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter into the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 26And they were very astounded, saying to one another, “And who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “With human beings it is impossible, but not with God. For all thingsare possible with God.” 28Peter began to say to him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields on account of me and on account of the gospel 30˻who will not˼ receive a hundred times as much now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, together with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” 32Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going on ahead of them. And they were astounded, but those who were following him were afraid. And taking aside the twelve again, he began to tell them the things that were about to happen to him: 33“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles. 34And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you.” 36And he said to them, “What do you want me ˻to do˼ for you?” 37So they said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory.” 38But Jesus 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 that I am baptized with?” 39And they said to him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup that I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41And when they heard this, the ten began to be indignant about James and John. 42And Jesus called them to himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their people in high positions exercise authority over them. 43But it is not like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be the 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 many.” 46And they came to Jericho. And as he was setting out from Jericho along with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. 47And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48And many people warned him that he should be quiet. But he was crying out ˻even more loudly˼, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He is calling you.” 50And he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51And Jesus answered him and said, “What do you want ˻me to do˼ for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabboni, that I may regain my sight.” 52And Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.” And immediately he regained his sight and began to follow him on the road.