Open English Translation MARK Chapter 10

10 Then Yeshua left Capernaum and went down to the Yudean area and across the Yordan river. Again the crowds followed him, and he taught them just like he usually did.

2 Some from the Pharisee party approached Yeshua to check him out and asked, “Does the law allow a husband to dismiss his wife?”

3 “Well, what law did Moses give to you all?” he asked.

4 [ref]They answered, “Moses said that a husband is allowed to write a statement of divorce and dismiss his wife with it.”

5 Yeshua responded, “Yes, he wrote that law because he saw your stubborn desires, 6 [ref]but God made both men and women right at the beginning. 7 [ref]As a result, a man leaves his parents and joins together with his wife 8 and the couple become a single unit. So there’s no longer two of them, but only one. 9 So if it’s God who joins them together like that, no person has the authority to separate them.”

10 Back in the house again, his apprentices asked about this. 11 [ref]And Yeshua told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another person, commits adultery towards his wife.” 12 And likewise if the wife divorces her husband and marries another person, she is committing adultery towards her husband.”

13 The people were bringing small children for Yeshua to touch, but his apprentices scolded them. 14 However, Yeshua noticed it and was upset, “Just let those kids come. Don’t prevent them because God’s kingdom consists of people like them. 15 [ref]Actually, you can’t even enter God’s kingdom unless you accept it just like a small child does.” 16 So he continued hugging the children and commanding a good life for them as he placed his hands on each one.

17 One time when Yeshua was starting out on a trip, a man caught up to him and kneeling down in front of him asked, “Good teacher, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life?”

18 He answered, “Why do you call me good? No person is good—only God is. 19 [ref]You know the commandments: don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie about others, don’t defraud others, and honour your parents.”

20 The man responded, “I’ve kept all of those since I was young.”

21 Yeshua looked up at him with genuine love and said, “There’s one thing still to be done: sell everything you have and give the money to the poor—then you’ll have wealth in heaven. After that, come and follow me.” 22 But the man grew very sad when he heard this, because he owned many properties.

23 Yeshua looked around at his followers, “It’s so difficult for wealthy people to enter God’s kingdom.”

24 (His followers were a bit stunned at his teaching.) Yeshua continued, “Yes, it’s certainly difficult to enter into God’s kingdom. 25 It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.”

26 Now they were totally stunned, asking, “How can anyone possibly be saved then?”

27 Yeshua looked intently at them, “Yes, humanly it’s quite impossible. But with God it’s different—God can do anything!”

28 Peter said, “We left everything and came and followed you.”

29 He answered, “Yes I can assure you all that anyone who left their home or farm, and left their siblings or parents or children because of me and my teaching, 30 they’ll be rewarded one hundred times over with homes and farms and siblings and parents and children along with persecution, but gaining eternal life in the next era. 31 [ref]But many at the top now will be at the bottom then, and many at the bottom now will be blessed then.”

32 They were heading south on their way to Yerusalem with Yeshua in front, and his followers were a bit surprised and a bit scared. Yeshua took the twelve aside and started telling them what was going to happen to him, 33 “We’re on our way down to Yerusalem and humanity’s child will be turned over to the chief priests and the religious teachers, and they’ll sentence him to die and pass him over to the non-Jews. 34 Then they’ll ridicule him and spit on him before they beat him and execute him, but he’ll come back to life again in three days time.”

35 Then Yacob and Yohan, the two sons of Zebedee approached Yeshua and asked, “Teacher, we’d like to ask a favour from you—please don’t disappoint us.”

36 “What do you want from me?” Yeshua asked.

37 They answered, “Allow us two to sit beside you in heaven—one of us on each side of you.”

38 [ref]But Yeshua replied, “You don’t even understand what you’re asking for. Do you think you could endure the suffering that I have to go through? Or to be enveloped in the darkness that I have to go down into?”

39 And they replied, “Sure we can.”

“And indeed you all will suffer like me and be enveloped in darkness like I will be,” responded Yeshua, 40 “but as for deciding who will sit next to me, that’s not my decision to make because it’s already been decided.”

41 When the ten other apprentices heard what these two had asked for, they were upset at Yacob and Yohan. 42 [ref]But Yeshua called them over, “Listen, in most countries their rulers boss the people around and their leaders exert their authority over them. 43 [ref]But it doesn’t work like that with you—anyone of you who wanted to be honoured must serve the others, 44 and anyone who wants to become the most respected has to work like a slave does. 45 Even humanity’s child didn’t come to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom to set many people free.”

46 They arrived at Jericho, and then when Yeshua and his followers were leaving again with a large crowd following, they came across blind Bartimeus sitting beside the path begging. 47 When he heard that it was Yeshua from Nazareth going past, he yelled out, “Yeshua, promised descendant of David, help me please.”

48 When several people told him to stop, he just yelled out even louder, “Yeshua, promised descendant of David, please help me.”

49 Then Yeshua stopped and got the people to call the blind man. So they called him, “Hey, be confident! Get up and come because he’s called for you.”

50 So Bartimeus threw off his jacket, jumped up, and was led to Yeshua.

51 “Now, what can I do for you?” Yeshua asked.

“My teacher, I’d like to be able to see,” Bartimeus replied.

52 Then Yeshua responded, “Ok, off you go then—your faith has saved you.”

And immediately Bartimeus was able to see, and followed along the path after Yeshua.