Mark 9

1Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not die before they’ve seen the kingdom of God come with power.”

Jesus’ Appearance Is Transformed

2Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain. While they were up there all alone, his appearance was transformed. 3They watched as his clothes became so white that they were shining, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4Elijah and Moses appeared in front of them and started talking with Jesus.

5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6Peter didn’t really know what to say, because they were so afraid.

7Then a cloud appeared and covered them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!”

8Suddenly, when they looked around, they didn’t see anyone with them anymore except for Jesus.

9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they’d seen. He told them to wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves. But they asked each other what “rising from the dead” meant.

11They also asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?”

12Jesus replied, “Elijah will come first and put everything back in order. So why is it written that the Son of Man will suffer much and be rejected? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they’ve done to him everything they wanted to do, just as it is written about him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy Controlled by an Evil Spirit

14When they got back to the other disciples, they found a large crowd standing around them, and the teachers of the law were arguing with them. 15When all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with wonder and they ran to greet him.

16“What are you arguing about with them?” Jesus asked.

17A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He’s controlled by an evil spirit that keeps him from speaking. 18Whenever it takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and his body becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they couldn’t.”

19“You unbelieving generation!” Jesus responded. “How long am I going to be with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20So they brought him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“Since he was a child,” he answered. 22“The spirit has often thrown him into the fire or into the water to try to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

23“ ‘If you can’?” asked Jesus. “Everything is possible for someone who believes!”

24“I do believe!” the boy’s father cried out. “Help me overcome my unbelief!”

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running over to see what was happening, he ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. “You spirit that makes him unable to hear and speak,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

26The spirit screamed and shook the boy wildly, then it came out of him. The boy looked so lifeless that many people said, “He’s dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive out the evil spirit?”

29He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Jesus Speaks a Second Time About His Coming Death

30They left that place and went through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where they were, 31because he was instructing his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to people who will kill him, but after three days he will rise from the dead.” 32But they didn’t understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

Who Is the Greatest?

33They came to Capernaum, and when they were in the house together, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34Nobody said anything because they’d been arguing on the way about which one of them was the greatest.

35Jesus sat down and called for the 12 disciples to come to him. “Anyone who wants to be the first must be the very last,” he told them. “They have to be a servant to everyone else.”

36Jesus brought a little child into the middle of the group. Holding the child in his arms, he said to them, 37“Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

Anyone Who Is Not Against Us Is for Us

38“Teacher,” John said, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop because he wasn’t one of us.”

39“Don’t stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can say anything bad about me right afterwards. 40Anyone who isn’t against us is for us. 41Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly receive a reward.

Leading People to Sin

42“If anyone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43-44If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better for you to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go with two hands into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45-46If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It would be better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. 47If your eye causes you to sin, pull it out. It would be better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye than to be thrown with two eyes into hell, 48where,

“ ‘The worms that eat them never die,

and the fire is never put out.’

49“Everyone will be salted with fire.

50“Unrefined salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves to preserve your peace with each other.”

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Mark 9

1He said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see God’s kingdom arrive with power.”

Moses and Elijah Appear with Jesus

(Matthew 17:1–8; Luke 9:28–36)

2After six days Jesus took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

Jesus’ appearance changed in front of them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.

5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s put up three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6(Peter didn’t know how to respond. He and the others were terrified.)

7Then a cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

8Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus.

9On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They were to wait until the Son of Man had come back to life. 10They kept in mind what he said but argued among themselves what he meant by “come back to life.” 11So they asked him, “Don’t the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”

12Jesus said to them, “Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully? 13Indeed, I can guarantee that Elijah has come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased, as Scripture says about him.”

Jesus Cures a Demon-Possessed Boy

(Matthew 17:14–20; Luke 9:37–43a)

14When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. Some experts in Moses’ Teachings were arguing with them. 15All the people were very surprised to see Jesus and ran to welcome him.

16Jesus asked the experts in Moses’ Teachings, “What are you arguing about with them?”

17A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son. He is possessed by a spirit that won’t let him talk. 18Whenever the spirit brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes exhausted. I asked your disciples to force the spirit out, but they didn’t have the power to do it.”

19Jesus said to them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”

20They brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground, rolled around, and foamed at the mouth.

21Jesus asked his father, “How long has he been like this?”

The father replied, “He has been this way since he was a child. 22The demon has often thrown him into fire or into water to destroy him. If it’s possible for you, put yourself in our place, and help us!”

23Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.”

24The child’s father cried out at once, “I believe! Help my lack of faith.”

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he gave an order to the evil spirit. He said, “You spirit that won’t let him talk, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.”

26The evil spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and everyone said, “He’s dead!”

27Jesus took his hand and helped him to stand up.

28When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we force the spirit out of the boy?”

29He told them, “This kind of spirit can be forced out only by prayer.” #9:29 Some manuscripts and translations add “and fasting.”

Jesus Again Foretells That He Will Die and Come Back to Life

(Matthew 17:22–23; Luke 9:43b–45)

30They left that place and were passing through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was 31because he was teaching his disciples. He taught them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people. They will kill him, but on the third day he will come back to life.”

32The disciples didn’t understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him.

Greatness in the Kingdom

(Matthew 18:1–5; Luke 9:46–48)

33Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.

35He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.” 36Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Using the Name of Jesus

(Luke 9:49–50)

38John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us.”

39Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me. 40Whoever isn’t against us is for us. 41I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”

Causing Others to Lose Faith

(Matthew 18:6–10; Luke 17:1–4)

42“These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.

43“So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out.#9:43 Some manuscripts and translations add verses 44 and 46, which both say: “In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out.” 45If your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear it out! It is better for you to enter God’s kingdom with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. 48In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out. 49Everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? Have salt within you, and live in peace with one another.”

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