Matthew 19
The full text of Matthew 19 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.
2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?"
4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female,
5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?
6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
7 "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 And I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.
10 The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11 Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given.
12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; there are eunuchs who were made that way by others; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
13 Then little children were brought to him for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?"
17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments."
18 "Which ones?" he asked. Jesus replied, "'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.'"
20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, 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."
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27 Then Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Translation notes (12)
- Matthew 19:4a This verse quotes Genesis 1:27. The Greek phrase ho ktisas, meaning 'the one who created,' is here rendered 'the Creator.'
- Matthew 19:5a This verse quotes Genesis 2:24 from the Septuagint.
- Matthew 19:9a The Greek phrase me epi porneia means 'not on the ground of porneia.' The word porneia is a broad term for sexual immorality, and its precise scope here (which could include adultery, incestuous or otherwise unlawful unions, or premarital unchastity) is debated across different traditions and is not resolved by this translation.
- Matthew 19:9b The Greek word moichatai is in the present middle/passive voice, meaning 'commits adultery / is involved in adultery.' Some manuscripts add the phrase 'and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery' (compare Matthew 5:32); this addition is included in many other manuscripts but is omitted here, following the shorter critical reading, though the manuscript situation itself is contested.
- Matthew 19:9c The exception clause appears as me epi porneia here but as parektos logou porneias at Matthew 5:32, while the parallel passages in Mark and Luke (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18) contain no exception clause. How these passages relate—whether Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 are harmonized, and what the exception covers—is a long-standing question of interpretation that divides traditions, and this translation deliberately does not resolve it.
- Matthew 19:12a The Greek word eunouchos can refer to a literally castrated man, a man incapable of or abstaining from marriage, or, figuratively, one who renounces marriage for the kingdom; Jesus uses the term across this range of meanings. The phrase 'made themselves so' (Greek eunouchisan heautous) is widely understood figuratively, referring to voluntary celibacy rather than self-mutilation.
- Matthew 19:16a The earliest manuscripts read simply 'Teacher' (Greek Didaskale). The reading 'Good teacher' appears in later manuscripts, likely harmonized from Mark 10:17 and Luke 18:18. The shorter reading is followed here, and it shapes Jesus' reply in verse 17.
- Matthew 19:17a The earliest manuscripts read, 'Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only One who is good,' which matches the shorter reading of 'Teacher' in verse 16. Later manuscripts read, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone,' which is harmonized with Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19. The shorter critical reading is followed here.
- Matthew 19:19a This verse quotes Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, and Leviticus 19:18.
- Matthew 19:21a The Greek word teleios, meaning 'perfect / complete / mature,' carries the sense of wholeness or full devotion, not flawlessness.
- Matthew 19:28a The Greek word palingenesia, literally meaning 'rebirth / regeneration,' refers to the renewal or remaking of the world. Here, the word is used for this future, ultimate renewal, not for personal rebirth.
- Matthew 19:29a Some manuscripts read 'a hundred times' (hekatontaplasiona, ἑκατονταπλασίονα), while others read 'many times over' (pollaplasiona, πολλαπλασίονα, compare Luke 18:30). The reading 'a hundred times' is followed here. The phrase 'or wife' is present in many early copies but absent in some, and it is included in this translation.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own modern English translation, worked directly from the original Greek and honest to the earliest manuscripts. It was completed in 2026 — the most modern English Bible translation — and is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter, including all of Matthew, is free to read here on the web.
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