4. The Pharisees said, “Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife by writing a certificate of divorce.”
5. Jesus said, “Moses wrote that command for you because you refused to accept God’s teaching.
6. But when God made the world, ‘he made people male and female.’
7. ‘That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.
8. And the two people will become one.’ So they are no longer two, but one.
9. God has joined them together, so no one should separate them.”
10. Later, when the followers and Jesus were in the house, they asked him again about the question of divorce.
11. He said, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman has sinned against his wife. He is guilty of adultery.
12. And the woman who divorces her husband and marries another man is also guilty of adultery.”
13. People brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But the followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him.
14. Jesus saw what happened. He did not like his followers telling the children not to come. So he said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children.