Mark 9

The Transfiguration

1And Jesus was saying to them, “1Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

22Six days later, Jesus took with Him 3Peter and 4James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; 3and 5His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5Peter said to Jesus, “6Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; 7let us make three 8tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. 7Then a cloud 9formed, overshadowing them, and 10a voice 11came out of the cloud, “12This is My beloved Son, 13listen to Him!” 8All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.

914As they were coming down from the mountain, He 15gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, 16until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10They 17seized upon 18that statement, discussing with one another 19what rising from the dead meant. 11They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that 20Elijah must come first?” 12And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of 21the Son of Man that 22He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13But I say to you that Elijah has 23indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”

All Things Possible

1424When they came back to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15Immediately, when the entire crowd saw Him, they were 25amazed and began running up to greet Him. 16And He asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; 18and 26whenever it seizes him, it 27slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and 28stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” 19And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” 20They brought 29the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” 23And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ 30All things are possible to him who believes.” 24Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” 25When Jesus saw that 31a crowd was 32rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and mute spirit, I 33command you, come out of him and do not enter him 34again.” 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up. 28When He came 35into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, “Why could we not drive it out?” 29And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.”

Death and Resurrection Foretold

3036From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. 31For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “37The Son of Man is to be 38delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” 32But 39they 40did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.

3341They came to Capernaum; and when He 42was in 43the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they kept silent, for on the way 44they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. 35Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “45If anyone wants to be first, 46he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36Taking a child, He set him 47before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37“48Whoever receives 49one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Dire Warnings

3850John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and 51we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. 4052For he who is not against us is 53for us. 41For 54whoever gives you a cup of water to drink 55because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

42“56Whoever causes one of these 57little ones who believe to stumble, it 58would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he 59had been cast into the sea. 4360If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into 6162hell, into the 63unquenchable fire, 44[64where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 45If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into 6566hell, 46[67where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 4768If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into 6970hell, 4871where their worm does not die, and 72the fire is not quenched.

49“For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good; but 73if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you 74make it salty again? 75Have salt in yourselves, and 76be at peace with one another.”