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He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them. His clothing became glistening, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.

Peter answered Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.

A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant.

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

12 He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”

14 Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. 15 Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him. 16 He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”

17 One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; 18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.”

19 He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

20 They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.

21 He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?”

He said, “From childhood. 22 Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”

26 After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead, so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.

28 When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”

30 They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it. 31 For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”

32 But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

34 But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.

35 He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” 36 He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. 40 For whoever is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward. 42 Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, [a] into the unquenchable fire, 44 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Isaiah 66:24[b] 45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, [c] into the fire that will never be quenched— 46 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ [d] 47 If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into God’s Kingdom with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna[e] of fire, 48 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Isaiah 66:24 49 For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Footnotes

  1. 9:43 or, Hell
  2. 9:44 NU omits verse 44.
  3. 9:45 or, Hell
  4. 9:46 NU omits verse 46.
  5. 9:47 or, Hell

And Jesus said to them, Truly and solemnly I say to you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death before they see the kingdom of God come in [its] power.

Six days after this, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them and became resplendent with divine brightness.

And His garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller (cloth dresser, launderer) on earth could bleach them.

And Elijah appeared [there] to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were [a]holding [a protracted] conversation with Jesus.

And [b]Peter took up the conversation, saying, Master, it is good and suitable and beautiful for us to be here. Let us make three booths (tents)—one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.

For he did not [really] know what to say, for they were in a violent fright ([c]aghast with dread).

And a cloud threw a shadow upon them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My Son, the [[d]most dearworthy] Beloved One. Be [e]constantly listening to and obeying Him!

And looking around, they suddenly no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus only.

And as they were coming back down the mountain, He admonished and [f]expressly ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man should rise from among the dead.

10 So they carefully and faithfully kept the matter to themselves, questioning and disputing with one another about what rising from among the dead meant.

11 And they asked Him, Why do the scribes say that it is necessary for Elijah to come first?(A)

12 And He said to them, Elijah, it is true, does come first to restore all things and [g]set them to rights. And how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be utterly despised and be treated with contempt and rejected?(B)

13 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and [people] did to him whatever they desired, as it is written of him.

14 And when they came to the [nine] disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scribes questioning and disputing with them.

15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw Jesus [[h]returning from the holy mount, His face and person yet glistening], they were greatly amazed and ran up to Him [and] greeted Him.

16 And He asked them, About what are you questioning and discussing with them?

17 And one of the throng replied to Him, Teacher, I brought my son to You, for he has a dumb spirit.

18 And wherever it lays hold of him [so as to make him its own], it dashes him down and convulses him, and he foams [at the mouth] and grinds his teeth, and he [[i]falls into a motionless stupor and] is wasting away. And I asked Your disciples to drive it out, and they were not able [to do it].

19 And He answered them, O unbelieving generation [without any faith]! How long [j]shall I [have to do] with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to Me.

20 So they brought [the boy] to Him, and when the spirit saw Him, at once it completely convulsed the boy, and he fell to the ground and kept rolling about, foaming [at the mouth].

21 And [Jesus] asked his father, How long has he had this? And he answered, From the time he was a little boy.

22 And it has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, do have pity on us and help us.

23 And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!

24 At once the father of the boy gave [an [k]eager, [l]piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my [m]weakness of faith!

25 But when Jesus noticed that a crowd [of people] came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You dumb and deaf spirit, I charge you to come out of him and never go into him again.

26 And after giving a [hoarse, clamoring, fear-stricken] shriek of anguish and convulsing him terribly, it came out; and the boy lay [pale and motionless] like a corpse, so that many of them said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took [[n]a strong grip of] his hand and began lifting him up, and he stood.

28 And when He had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, Why could not we drive it out?

29 And He replied to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer [o]and fasting.

30 They went on from there and passed along through Galilee. And He did not wish to have anyone know it,

31 For He was [engaged for the time being in] teaching His disciples. He said to them, The Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of men, and they will put Him to death; and when He has been killed, after three days He will rise [[p]from death].

32 But they did not comprehend what He was saying, and they were afraid to ask Him [what this statement meant].

33 And they arrived at Capernaum; and when [they were] in the house, He asked them, What were you discussing and arguing about on the road?

34 But they kept still, for on the road they had discussed and disputed with one another as to who was the greatest.

35 And He sat down and called the Twelve [apostles], and He said to them, If anyone desires to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.

36 And He took a little child and put him in the center of their group; and taking him in [His] arms, He said to them,

37 Whoever in My name and for My sake accepts and receives and welcomes one such child also accepts and receives and welcomes Me; and whoever so receives Me receives not only Me but Him Who sent Me.

38 John said to Him, Teacher, we saw a man who does not follow along with us driving out demons in Your name, and we forbade him to do it, because he [q]is not one of our band [of Your disciples].

39 But Jesus said, Do not restrain or hinder or forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in My name will soon afterward be able to speak evil of Me.

40 For he who is not against us is for us.(C)

41 For I tell you truly, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to and bear the name of Christ will by no means fail to get his reward.

42 And whoever causes one of these little ones (these believers) who [r]acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin, it would be better (more profitable and wholesome) for him if a [huge] millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

43 And if your hand puts a stumbling block before you and causes you to sin, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to go into life [[s]that is really worthwhile] maimed than with two hands to go to hell (Gehenna), into the fire that cannot be put out.[t]

45 And if your foot is a cause of stumbling and sin to you, cut it off! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter into life [that is really worthwhile] crippled than, having two feet, to be cast into hell (Gehenna)[u].

47 And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out! It is more profitable and wholesome for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell (Gehenna),

48 Where their worm [[v]which preys on the inhabitants and is a symbol of the wounds inflicted on the man himself by his sins] does not die, and the fire is not put out.(D)

49 For everyone shall be salted with fire.

50 Salt is good (beneficial), but if salt has lost its saltness, how will you restore [the saltness to] it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace and live in harmony with one another.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:4 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  2. Mark 9:5 H.A.A. Kennedy, Sources of New Testament Greek.
  3. Mark 9:6 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
  4. Mark 9:7 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
  5. Mark 9:7 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  6. Mark 9:9 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon.
  7. Mark 9:12 Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Holy Bible.
  8. Mark 9:15 Richard Trench, Notes on the Miracles.
  9. Mark 9:18 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  10. Mark 9:19 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  11. Mark 9:24 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
  12. Mark 9:24 Henry Swete, The Gospel According to Saint Mark.
  13. Mark 9:24 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  14. Mark 9:27 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  15. Mark 9:29 Some manuscripts add “and fasting.”
  16. Mark 9:31 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  17. Mark 9:38 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
  18. Mark 9:42 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
  19. Mark 9:43 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
  20. Mark 9:43 Verses 44 and 46, which are identical with verse 48, are not found in the best ancient manuscripts.
  21. Mark 9:45 See footnote on Mark 9:43.
  22. Mark 9:48 Ezra Palmer Gould, cited by A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures and Henry Swete, The Gospel According to Saint Mark.