Mark 10

1From there he got up and went into the territory of Judea and the land beyond the Jordan. Once more crowds came together to him, and once more he taught them, as he usually did.

2Some Pharisees came up and put him to the test by asking whether a man may lawfully divorce his wife.

3He replied, “What command did Moses give you?”

4They said, “Moses permitted writing out a certificate of divorce and sending her away.”

5Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of your hard hearts.

6But from the beginning of creation, he made them male and female.

7That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife,

8and the two will become one flesh. As a result, they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9So then, what God has yoked together, no human being is to separate.”

10Back in the house, the disciples questioned him about this once more.

11He told them, “If a man divorces his wife and marries someone else, he commits adultery against her.

12And if she herself divorces her husband and marries another, she is committing adultery.”

13People were bringing children to him so he could touch them, but the disciples scolded them.

14Seeing this, Jesus became indignant and told them, “Let the children come to me. Do not keep them away, since the kingdom of God belongs to those like them.

15Truly I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a child will by no means enter it.”

16Then he embraced them and blessed them, putting his hands on them.

17As he was starting out on the road, a man came running to him, fell on his knees, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God.

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.’”

20“Teacher,” he replied, “I have obeyed all of these from my youth on.”

21Jesus looked closely at him and felt love for him, and said to him, “There is one thing you are missing. Go and sell whatever you own and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

22His face clouded over at these words, and he went away in sorrow, because he owned a great deal of property.

23Looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for people who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”

24The disciples were startled at what he said. Jesus responded again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

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

26They were utterly astounded and kept saying to one another, “Who, then, can be saved?”

27Jesus looked straight at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God, since everything is possible for God.”

28Peter began telling him, “Look, we have given up everything and followed you.”

29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who has left a house, or brothers or sisters, or mother or father, or children or fields, because of me and because of the gospel

30will receive a hundredfold now, in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, with persecutions too—and in the coming age, eternal life.

31Many who are first, though, will be last, and those who are last will be first.”

32They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way ahead of them. They were in awe, and those who followed were afraid. Once again he took the Twelve aside and began telling them what was about to happen to him:

33“Listen, we are on our way up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will sentence him to death and turn him over to the Gentiles,

34who will ridicule him, spit on him, whip him, and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again.”

35Then James and John, Zebedee’s sons, approached him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we request.”

36He asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”

37They replied, “Allow us to sit in your glory, one of us at your right and one at your left.”

38Jesus said to them, “You do not realize what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am drinking, or be baptized with the baptism I am being baptized with?”

39“We are able,” they told him. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I am drinking, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am being baptized with.

40But sitting at my right or left is not for me to give; it is for those it has been made ready for.”

41On hearing this, the ten grew indignant with James and John.

42Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those recognized as rulers over the Gentiles domineer over them, and their leading figures wield authority over them.

43Among you, however, it is not like that. Whoever wishes to become great among you is to be your servant,

44and whoever wishes to be first among you is to be everyone’s slave.

45For the Son of Man, too, came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom in place of many.”

46Next they came to Jericho. As he was going out of Jericho together with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Timaeus’s son Bartimaeus, a blind man who begged, was sitting beside the road.

47When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he started shouting, “Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!”

48Many scolded him, telling him to be silent, but he cried out even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49Jesus stood still and said, “Call him over.” They called the blind man and told him, “Courage! Get up, he is calling for you.”

50He flung away his cloak, leaped up, and came to Jesus.

51Jesus answered him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied, “Rabbouni, let me see again.”

52Jesus told him, “Go. Your faith has made you well.” Right away his sight returned, and he began following him on the road.