Matthew 19:3-9

Expanded Bible

³ Some Pharisees came to Jesus ·and tried to trick [to trap/test] him. They asked, “Is it ·right [lawful; ^Caccording to the law of Moses] for a man to divorce his wife for any reason he chooses?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “·Surely you have [^LHaven’t you…?] read in the Scriptures: ·When God made the world, ‘he [^LFrom the beginning, the Creator] made them male and female’ [Gen. 1:27; 5:2]. ⁵ And God said, ‘So a man will leave his father and mother and be ·united with [joined to] his wife, and the two will become ·one body [as though they were one person; ^Tone flesh; Gen. 2:24].’ ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them.”

⁷ The Pharisees asked, “Why then did Moses give a command for a man to divorce his wife by giving her ·divorce papers [a certificate of divorce/dismissal; Deut. 24:1]?”

⁸ Jesus answered, “Moses ·allowed [permitted] you to divorce your wives because ·you refused to accept God’s teaching [^Lof your hard-heartedness], but ·divorce was not allowed in the beginning [or this was not God’s intention at creation; ^Lfrom the beginning it was not like this]. ⁹ I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman ·is guilty of [commits] adultery.^[a] ·The only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if his wife has sexual relations with another man [^L …except in the case of sexual immorality].”