Mark 9
9
1Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!”
The Transfiguration
2Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. 4Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.
5Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials#9:5 Greek three tabernacles.—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.
7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” 8Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.
9As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man#9:9 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. had risen from the dead. 10So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”
11Then they asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?#9:11 Greek that Elijah must come first?”
12Jesus responded, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt? 13But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted.”
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.
16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked.
17One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.#9:18 Or becomes weak. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
19Jesus said to them,#9:19 Or said to his disciples. “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.
21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.
He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”
23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
24The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
25When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil#9:25 Greek unclean. spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!”
26Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.
28Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”
29Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.#9:29 Some manuscripts read by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
30Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” 32They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
33After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
36Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf#9:37 Greek in my name. welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”
Using the Name of Jesus
38John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”
39 “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. 40Anyone who is not against us is for us. 41If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
42 “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. 43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell#9:43a Greek Gehenna; also in 9:45, 47. with two hands.#9:43b Some manuscripts add verse 44, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’ See 9:48. 45If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.#9:45 Some manuscripts add verse 46, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’ See 9:48. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’#9:48 Isa 66:24.
49 “For everyone will be tested with fire. # 9:49 Greek salted with fire; other manuscripts add and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. 50Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”
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Mark 9: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Mark 9
9
1And he went on to say, “I tell you, there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.”
The Transfiguration
(Mt 17.1–13; Lk 9.28–36)
2 #
2 Pet 1.17–18
Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus, 3and his clothes became shining white — whiter than anyone in the world could wash them. 4Then the three disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. 5Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Teacher, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He and the others were so frightened that he did not know what to say.
7 #
Mt 3.17; Mk 1.11; Lk 3.22 Then a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my own dear Son — listen to him!” 8They took a quick look round but did not see anyone else; only Jesus was with them.
9As they came down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has risen from death.”
10They obeyed his order, but among themselves they started discussing the matter, “What does this ‘rising from death’ mean?” 11#Mal 4.5; Mt 11.14And they asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?”
12His answer was, “Elijah is indeed coming first in order to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected? 13I tell you, however, that Elijah has already come and that people treated him just as they pleased, as the Scriptures say about him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit
(Mt 17.14–20; Lk 9.37–43a)
14When they joined the rest of the disciples, they saw a large crowd round them and some teachers of the Law arguing with them. 15When the people saw Jesus, they were greatly surprised, and ran to him and greeted him. 16Jesus asked his disciples, “What are you arguing with them about?”
17A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, because he has an evil spirit in him and cannot talk. 18Whenever the spirit attacks him, it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grits his teeth, and becomes stiff all over. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not.”
19Jesus said to them, “How unbelieving you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me!” 20They brought him to Jesus.
As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit, so that he fell on the ground and rolled round, foaming at the mouth. 21“How long has he been like this?” Jesus asked the father.
“Ever since he was a child,” he replied. 22“Many times the evil spirit has tried to kill him by throwing him in the fire and into water. Have pity on us and help us, if you possibly can!”
23 “Yes,” said Jesus, “if you yourself can! Everything is possible for the person who has faith.”
24The father at once cried out, “I do have faith, but not enough. Help me to have more!”
25Jesus noticed that the crowd was closing in on them, so he gave a command to the evil spirit. “Deaf and dumb spirit,” he said, “I order you to come out of the boy and never go into him again!”
26The spirit screamed, threw the boy into a bad fit, and came out. The boy looked like a corpse, and everyone said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him to rise, and he stood up.
28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive the spirit out?”
29 “Only prayer can drive this kind out,” answered Jesus; “nothing else can.”
Jesus Speaks Again about his Death
(Mt 17.22–23; Lk 9.43b–45)
30Jesus and his disciples left that place and went on through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was, 31because he was teaching his disciples: “The Son of Man will be handed over to those who will kill him. Three days later, however, he will rise to life.”
32But they did not understand what this teaching meant, and they were afraid to ask him.
Who is the Greatest?
(Mt 18.1–5; Lk 9.46–48)
33They came to Capernaum, and after going indoors Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
34 #
Lk 22.24
But they would not answer him, because on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. 35#Mt 20.26–27; 23.11; Mk 10.43–44; Lk 22.26Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all.” 36Then he took a child and made him stand in front of them. He put his arms round him and said to them, 37#Mt 10.40; Lk 10.16; Jn 13.20“Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me.”
Whoever is not Against Us is For Us
(Lk 9.49–50)
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man who was driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our group.”
39 “Do not try to stop him,” Jesus told them, “because no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterwards to say evil things about me. 40#Mt 12.30; Lk 11.23For whoever is not against us is for us. 41#Mt 10.42I assure you that anyone who gives you a drink of water because you belong to me will certainly receive his reward.
Temptations to Sin
(Mt 18.6–9; Lk 17.1–2)
42 “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied round his neck and be thrown into the sea. 43#Mt 5.30So if your hand makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than to keep both hands and go off to hell, to the fire that never goes out.#9.43 Some manuscripts add verse 44: There ‘the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out’ (see verse 48). 45And if your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than to keep both feet and be thrown into hell.#9.45 Some manuscripts add verse 46: There ‘the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out’ (see verse 48). 47#Mt 5.29And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out! It is better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into hell. 48#Is 66.24There ‘the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out.’
49 “Everyone will be purified by fire as a sacrifice is purified by salt.
50 #
Mt 5.13; Lk 14.34–35 “Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?
“Have the salt of friendship among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.