1 Jesus left that place and came to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Crowds gathered around him again, and, as was his custom, he taught them again.

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

10 In the house, the disciples asked him about this again. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

13 People were bringing children to him so that he would touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me. Do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 He took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

17 As he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You 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.’ ” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.” 21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But his face fell at these words, and he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

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

28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, 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 gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundredfold now, in this time: houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going 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 Gentiles. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him, and after three days he will rise.”

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

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

46 They came to Jericho. As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting beside the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many rebuked him, telling him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” They called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart! Get up; he is calling you.” 50 He threw off his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. 51 Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabbouni, let me regain my sight.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.