Mark 9:9-29

9As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10They kept this word to themselves, questioning what “rising from the dead” meant.

11Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12“Elijah does come first and restores all things,” he replied. “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

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

14When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing with them.

15When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran to greet him.

16He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?”

17Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak.

18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

19He replied to them, “You unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.”

20So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21“How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said.

22“And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’? Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

24Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again.”

26Then it came out, shrieking and throwing him into terrible convulsions. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.”

27But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.

28After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”