Study Desk

Some Pharisees came to ^(F1)Jesus, testing Him and ^(F2)asking, "^(C1)Is it lawful for a man to ^(F3)divorce his wife for any reason at all?"

And He answered and said, "Have you not read ^(C1)that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,

and said, '^(C1)FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND ^(C2)THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?

"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate."

They ^(*)said to Him, "^(C1)Why, then, did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?"

He ^(*)said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to ^(F1)divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

"And I say to you, ^(C1)whoever ^(F1)divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman ^(F2)commits adultery^(F3)."

The disciples ^(*)said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry."

But He said to them, "^(C1)Not all men can accept this statement, but ^(C2)only those to whom it has been given.

"For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it."