Luke 9
English Standard Version
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
9 (A)And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 (B)and he sent them out to (C)proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 (D)And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, (E)no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.[a] 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town (F)shake off the dust from your feet (G)as a testimony (H)against them.” 6 (I)And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus
7 (J)Now (K)Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that (L)John had been raised from the dead, 8 (M)by some that Elijah had appeared, and (N)by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And (O)he sought to see him.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10 On their return (P)the apostles told him all that they had done. (Q)And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he (R)welcomed them and (S)spoke to them of the kingdom of God and (T)cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now (U)the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, (V)“Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, (W)“You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than (X)five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, (Y)he looked up to heaven and (Z)said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
18 (AA)Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, (AB)“John the Baptist. But others say, (AC)Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, (AD)“The Christ of God.”
Jesus Foretells His Death
21 (AE)And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 (AF)saying, (AG)“The Son of Man must (AH)suffer many things and (AI)be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on (AJ)the third day be raised.”
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him (AK)deny himself and (AL)take up his cross (AM)daily and follow me. 24 For (AN)whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 (AO)For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For (AP)whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed (AQ)when he comes in (AR)his glory and the glory of the Father and of (AS)the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not (AT)taste death (AU)until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 (AV)Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him (AW)Peter and John and James and (AX)went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was (AY)altered, and (AZ)his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[b] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him (BA)were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake (BB)they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three (BC)tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—(BD)not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, (BE)a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And (BF)a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, (BG)my Chosen One;[c] (BH)listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. (BI)And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
37 (BJ)On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for (BK)he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but (BL)they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O (BM)faithless and twisted generation, (BN)how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus (BO)rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and (BP)gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at (BQ)the majesty of God.
Jesus Again Foretells His Death
(BR)But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus[d] said (BS)to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: (BT)The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 (BU)But they did not understand this saying, and (BV)it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Who Is the Greatest?
46 (BW)An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, (BX)“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and (BY)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For (BZ)he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Anyone Not Against Us Is For Us
49 (CA)John answered, “Master, we saw someone (CB)casting out demons in your name, and (CC)we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, (CD)for the one who is not against you is for you.”
A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus
51 When the days drew near for (CE)him to be taken up, (CF)he set his face (CG)to go to Jerusalem. 52 And (CH)he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of (CI)the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But (CJ)the people did not receive him, because (CK)his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell (CL)fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”[e] 55 But he turned and rebuked them.[f] 56 And they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were going (CM)along the road, (CN)someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus[g] said to him, “Leave (CO)the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and (CP)proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, (CQ)but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, (CR)“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- Luke 9:3 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
- Luke 9:31 Greek exodus
- Luke 9:35 Some manuscripts my Beloved
- Luke 9:43 Greek he
- Luke 9:54 Some manuscripts add as Elijah did
- Luke 9:55 Some manuscripts add And he said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them”
- Luke 9:60 Greek he
Luke 9
Tree of Life Version
Sending Out the Twelve
9 Now when Yeshua called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2 He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey—no walking stick, no travel bag, no bread, no money, nor even to have two shirts. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and depart from there. 5 And whoever does not receive you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a witness against them.” 6 So they went out and began traveling throughout the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard all that was happening. He was very confused, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 but others that Elijah had appeared, and others that some prophet from among the ancients had arisen. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.
A Hungry Crowd in a Desolate Place
10 When the emissaries returned, they described to Yeshua all they had done. Then He took them along and withdrew privately to a city named Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out and followed Him. So Yeshua welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those in need of healing.
12 Now the day began to wind down, and the twelve came and said to Yeshua, “Send the crowd away, so they might go into the nearby villages and countryside and find food and lodging; for we are in a desolate place here.”
13 But Yeshua said to them, “You give them something to eat!”
But they said, “We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish, unless we go to buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men.
Then Yeshua said to His disciples, “Have the people recline in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and all reclined. 16 And He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, He offered the bracha and broke them. And He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 Then they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of the fragments.
Secrets Revealed to the Disciples Alone
18 Once when Yeshua was praying alone and His disciples were near, He put a question to them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 They replied, “John the Immerser, but others Elijah, and others that some prophet from among the ancients has arisen.”
20 Then He said to them, “But who do you that say I am?”
Then Peter answered and said, “The Messiah of God.”
21 But Yeshua warned them, and He ordered them not to tell this to anyone, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
23 Then Yeshua was saying to everyone, “If anyone wants to follow Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
25 “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. [a] 27 But I tell you truthfully, there are some standing here who will never taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Glorified on a Mountain
28 About eight days after these teachings, Yeshua took Peter, John, and Jacob with Him and went up the mountain to pray. 29 While He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothing flashed like white lightning. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah. 31 Appearing in glory, they were speaking of Yeshua’s departure, which was about to take place in Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and those with him were overcome with sleep. But when they awakened, they saw Yeshua’s glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 And as they were leaving Yeshua, Peter said to Him, “Master, it’s good for us to be here. Let’s make three sukkot: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.
34 While he was yet saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, the One I have chosen. Listen to Him!” [b] 36 And after the voice happened, Yeshua was found alone. They kept quiet and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
Coming Down from the Mountaintop
37 On the next day as they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Yeshua. 38 Suddenly a man from the crowd shouted out loudly, saying, “Teacher, I’m begging You to look at my son, for he’s my only child! 39 You see, a spirit takes hold of him, and he immediately screams. It throws him into convulsions with frothing. It hardly ever leaves him—it’s crushing him! 40 I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”
41 Then answering, Yeshua said, “O faithless and twisted generation,[c] how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 And while the boy was still approaching Yeshua, the demon knocked him down to the ground and threw him into convulsions. But Yeshua rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and restored him to his father. 43 And all were amazed at the mighty power of God. But as everyone was marveling at all He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “Put these words into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this statement; it was yet concealed from them so they could not grasp it. And they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
46 Now a dispute began between the disciples as to who might be the greatest among them. 47 But Yeshua, knowing the reasoning of their heart, took a child and set him by His side. 48 He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in My name, welcomes Me. And whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One who sent Me. The one who is the least among all of you is the one who is great.”
49 John replied, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he doesn’t follow along with us.”
50 Yeshua said to him, “Do not stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.”
Samaria Turns Yeshua Away
51 When the days were approaching for Him to be taken up, Yeshua was determined to go up to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers before Him, and they went and entered a Samaritan village to make His arrangements. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was focused on going up to Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples Jacob and John saw this, they said, “Master, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them[d]?” 55 But Yeshua turned and rebuked them.[e]
56 Then they moved on to another village. 57 As they were traveling on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 But Yeshua said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 He said to another, “Follow Me.”
But that one said, “First let me go and bury my father.”
60 But Yeshua said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Then another also said, “I will follow You, Master, but first let me say goodbye to those in my home.”
62 But Yeshua said to him, “No one who has put his hand to the plow and looked back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- Luke 9:27 cf. Dan. 7:10.
- Luke 9:36 cf. Ps. 2:7; Prov. 30:4; Isa. 9:5(6); Deut. 18:15.
- Luke 9:41 cf. Deut. 32:5.
- Luke 9:54 Some mss. add just as Elijah did.
- Luke 9:55 Some mss. add and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you have—for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.