Mark 9

Following Jesus

1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth,t there are some standing here who will nott experiencet death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”s

The Transfiguration

2 Six days latert Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them,s3 and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them.4 Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses,s and they were talking with Jesus.5 Sot Peter said to Jesus,t “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three sheltersts – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”6 (For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.)s7 Thent a clouds overshadowed them,t and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son.t Listen to him!”s

8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10 They kept this statement to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant.
11 Thent they asked him,t “Why do the experts in the lawt say that Elijah must come first?”12 He said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised?

13 But I tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.”

The Disciples’ Failure to Heal

14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the lawt arguing with them.15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and rant at once and greeted him.16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”17 A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute.18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, butt they were not able to do so.”t19 He answered them,t “Yout unbelievingts generation! How much longert must I be with you? How much longer must I enduret you?s Bring him to me.”20 So they brought the boyt to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. Het fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.21 Jesust asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.22 It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’s All things are possible for the one who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebukedt the unclean spirit,s saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boyt looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!”

27 But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 Then,t after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”

29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”s

Second Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

30 They went out from there and passed through Galilee. Butt Jesust did not want anyone to know,31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.t Theyt will kill him,t and after three days he will rise.”s

32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.

Questions About the Greatest

33 Thent they came to Capernaum.s After Jesust was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

37 “Whoever welcomest one of these little childrens in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

On Jesus’ Side

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.”39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me.40 For whoever is not against us is for us.

41 For I tell you the truth,t whoever gives you a cup of water becauset you bear Christ’sts name will never lose his reward.
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstonets tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to havet two hands and go into hell,s to the unquenchable fire.sss45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to havet two feet and be thrown into hell.ss47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out!t It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to havet two eyes and be thrown into hell,48 where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.49 Everyone will be salted with fire.ss

50 Salts is good, but if it loses its saltiness,s how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

MARK 9

1 I can assure you that some of the people standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom come with power.

The True Glory of Jesus

(Matthew 17.1-13; Luke 9.28-36)

4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

6 But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.
7  t The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!”

8 At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.
9 As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death.

10 So they kept it to themselves. But they wondered what he meant by the words “raised from death.”

11  t The disciples asked Jesus, “Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?”

12  t Jesus answered:
Elijah certainly will comet to get everything ready. But don't the Scriptures also say that the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected?

13 I can assure you that Elijah has already come. And people treated him just as they wanted to, as the Scriptures say they would.

Jesus Heals a Boy

(Matthew 17.14-20; Luke 9.37-43a)

14 When Jesus and his three disciples came back down, they saw a large crowd around the other disciples. The teachers of the Law of Moses were arguing with them.

15 The crowd was really surprised to see Jesus, and everyone hurried over to greet him.

16 Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about?”
17 Someone from the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. A demon keeps him from talking.

18 Whenever the demon attacks my son, it throws him to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grit his teeth in pain. Then he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to force out the demon, but they couldn't do it.”

19 Jesus said, “You people don't have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

20 They brought the boy, and as soon as the demon saw Jesus, it made the boy shake all over. He fell down and began rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like this?”
The man answered, “Ever since he was a child.

22 The demon has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. Please have pity and help us if you can!”

23 Jesus replied, “Why do you say ‘if you can’? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!”

24 At once the boy's father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.”

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was gathering fast, he spoke sternly to the evil spirit that had kept the boy from speaking or hearing. He said, “I order you to come out of the boy! Don't ever bother him again.”
26 The spirit screamed and made the boy shake all over. Then it went out of him. The boy looked dead, and almost everyone said he was.

27 But Jesus took hold of his hand and helped him stand up.

28 After Jesus and the disciples had gone back home and were alone, they asked him, “Why couldn't we force out that demon?”

29 Jesus answered, “Only prayer can force out this kind of demon.”

Jesus Again Speaks //about His Death

(Matthew 17.22,23; Luke 9.43b-45)

32 The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask.

Who Is the Greatest?

(Matthew 18.1-5; Luke 9.46-48)

34 t They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.

35  t After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, “If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others!”
36 Then Jesus asked a child to stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said,

37 t “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me.”

For or against Jesus

(Luke 9.49,50)

38 John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn't one of us, and we told him to stop.”

39 Jesus said to his disciples:
Don't stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me. 40 t Anyone who isn't against us is for us.

41 t And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.

Temptations To Sin

(Matthew 18.6-9; Luke 17.1,2)

48 t The worms there never die, and the fire never stops burning.

49 Everyone must be salted with fire.t
50  t Salt is good. But if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made salty again? Have salt among you and live at peace with each other.t