Mark 10:1-16

1Getting up, He left there (Capernaum) and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; and crowds gathered around Him again and accompanied Him, and as was His custom, He once more began to teach them.

2Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him [intending to trick Him into saying something wrong], and asked Him, “Is it lawful [according to Scripture] for a man to divorce his wife and send her away?”

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

4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of hearts [your callousness and insensitivity toward your wives and the provision of God] he wrote you this precept.

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

7For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother [to establish a home with his wife],

8and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but [are united as] one flesh.

9Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce].”

10In the house the disciples began questioning Him again about this.

11And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;

12and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

13People were bringing children to Him so that He would touch and bless them, but the disciples reprimanded them and discouraged them [from coming].

14But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and He said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

15I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

16And He took the children [one by one] in His arms and blessed them [with kind, encouraging words], placing His hands on them.