Mark 9

Following Jesus

8:34 Then¹ Jesus² called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower,³ he must deny⁴ himself, take up his cross,⁵ and follow me. 8:35 For whoever wants to save his life⁶ will lose it,⁷ but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. 8:36 For what benefit is it for a person⁸ to gain the whole world, yet⁹ forfeit his life? 8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? 8:38 For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him¹⁰ when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 9:1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth,¹¹ there are some standing here who will not¹² experience¹³ death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”¹⁴

The Transfiguration

9:2 Six days later¹⁵ Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them,¹⁶ 9:3 and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them. 9:4 Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses,¹⁷ and they were talking with Jesus. 9:5 So¹⁸ Peter said to Jesus,¹⁹ “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters²⁰ – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 9:6 (For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.)²¹ 9:7 Then²² a cloud²³ overshadowed them,²⁴ and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son.²⁵ Listen to him!”²⁶ 9:8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus.

9:9 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. 9:10 They kept this statement to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant.

9:11 Then²⁷ they asked him,²⁸ “Why do the experts in the law²⁹ say that Elijah must come first?” 9:12 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? 9:13 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

9:14 When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law³⁰ arguing with them. 9:15 When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran³¹ at once and greeted him. 9:16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 9:17 A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. 9:18 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, but³² they were not able to do so.”³³ 9:19 He answered them,³⁴ “You³⁵ unbelieving³⁶ generation! How much longer³⁷ must I be with you? How much longer must I endure³⁸ you?³⁹ Bring him to me.” 9:20 So they brought the boy⁴⁰ to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He⁴¹ fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 9:21 Jesus⁴² asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 9:22 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.” 9:23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’⁴³ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 9:24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

9:25 Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked⁴⁴ the unclean spirit,⁴⁵ saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 9:26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy⁴⁶ looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” 9:27 But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.

9:28 Then,⁴⁷ after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 9:29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”⁴⁸

Second Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

9:30 They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But⁴⁹ Jesus⁵⁰ did not want anyone to know, 9:31 for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.⁵¹ They⁵² will kill him,⁵³ and after three days he will rise.”⁵⁴ 9:32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him.

Questions About the Greatest

9:33 Then⁵⁵ they came to Capernaum.⁵⁶ After Jesus⁵⁷ was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 9:34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 9:35 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.” 9:36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 9:37 “Whoever welcomes⁵⁸ one of these little children⁵⁹ in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

On Jesus’ Side

9:38 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.” 9:39 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. 9:40 For whoever is not against us is for us. 9:41 For I tell you the truth,⁶⁰ whoever gives you a cup of water because⁶¹ you bear Christ’s⁶² name will never lose his reward.

9:42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone⁶³ tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 9:43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have⁶⁴ two hands and go into hell,⁶⁵ to the unquenchable fire.⁶⁶ 9:45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have⁶⁷ two feet and be thrown into hell.⁶⁸ 9:47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out!⁶⁹ It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have⁷⁰ two eyes and be thrown into hell, 9:48 where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. 9:49 Everyone will be salted with fire.⁷¹ 9:50 Salt⁷² is good, but if it loses its saltiness,⁷³ how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

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