Mark 9
Common English Bible
9 1 Jesus continued, “I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom arrive in power.”
Jesus transformed
2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, 3 and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. 4 Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified.
7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One[a] had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept it to themselves, wondering, “What’s this ‘rising from the dead’?” 11 They asked Jesus, “Why do the legal experts say that Elijah must come first?”
12 He answered, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. Why was it written that the Human One[b] would suffer many things and be rejected? 13 In fact, I tell you that Elijah has come, but they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it was written about him.”
A demon-possessed boy
14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them and legal experts arguing with them. 15 Suddenly the whole crowd caught sight of Jesus. They ran to greet him, overcome with excitement. 16 Jesus asked them, “What are you arguing about?”
17 Someone from the crowd responded, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, since he has a spirit that doesn’t allow him to speak. 18 Wherever it overpowers him, it throws him into a fit. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and stiffens up. So I spoke to your disciples to see if they could throw it out, but they couldn’t.”
19 Jesus answered them, “You faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him to me.”
20 They brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a fit. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been going on?”
He said, “Since he was a child. 22 It has often thrown him into a fire or into water trying to kill him. If you can do anything, help us! Show us compassion!”
23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can do anything’? All things are possible for the one who has faith.”
24 At that the boy’s father cried out, “I have faith; help my lack of faith!”
25 Noticing that the crowd had surged together, Jesus spoke harshly to the unclean spirit, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 After screaming and shaking the boy horribly, the spirit came out. The boy seemed to be dead; in fact, several people said that he had died. 27 But Jesus took his hand, lifted him up, and he arose.
28 After Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we throw this spirit out?”
29 Jesus answered, “Throwing this kind of spirit out requires prayer.”
Jesus predicts his death
30 From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. 31 This was because he was teaching his disciples, “The Human One[c] will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed he will rise up.” 32 But they didn’t understand this kind of talk, and they were afraid to ask him.
33 They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” 34 They didn’t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all.” 36 Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn’t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me.”
Recognize your allies
38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”
39 Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him. No one who does powerful acts in my name can quickly turn around and curse me. 40 Whoever isn’t against us is for us. 41 I assure you that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly be rewarded.
42 “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and to be thrown into the lake. 43 If your hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off. It’s better for you to enter into life crippled than to go away with two hands into the fire of hell, which can’t be put out.[d] 45 If your foot causes you to fall into sin, chop it off. It’s better for you to enter life lame than to be thrown into hell with two feet.[e] 47 If your eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out. It’s better for you to enter God’s kingdom with one eye than to be thrown into hell with two. 48 That’s a place where worms don’t die and the fire never goes out.[f] 49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? Maintain salt among yourselves and keep peace with each other.”
Footnotes
- Mark 9:9 Or Son of Man
- Mark 9:12 Or Son of Man
- Mark 9:31 Or Son of Man
- Mark 9:43 9:44 is omitted in most critical editions of the Gk New Testament where worms don’t die and the fire never goes out.
- Mark 9:45 9:46 is omitted in most critical editions of the Gk New Testament where worms don’t die and the fire never goes out.
- Mark 9:48 Isa 66:24
Mark 9
English Standard Version
9 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not (A)taste death (B)until they see the kingdom of God after it has come (C)with power.”
The Transfiguration
2 (D)And after six days Jesus took with him (E)Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was (F)transfigured before them, 3 and (G)his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one[a] on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, (H)“Rabbi,[b] it is good that we are here. Let us make three (I)tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For (J)he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And (K)a cloud overshadowed them, and (L)a voice came out of the cloud, (M)“This is my beloved Son;[c] (N)listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 (O)And as they were coming down the mountain, (P)he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, (Q)until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 (R)So they kept the matter to themselves, (S)questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say (T)that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first (U)to restore all things. And (V)how is it written of the Son of Man that he should (W)suffer many things and (X)be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and (Y)they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
14 (Z)And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, (AA)were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has (AB)a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and (AC)they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O (AD)faithless generation, (AE)how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it (AF)convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But (AG)if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, (AH)“‘If you can’! (AI)All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out[d] and said, “I believe; (AJ)help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that (AK)a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, (AL)“You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and (AM)convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus (AN)took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had (AO)entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”[e]
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
30 (AP)They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, (AQ)after three days he will rise.” 32 (AR)But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?
33 And (AS)they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house (AT)he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way (AU)they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, (AV)“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and (AW)taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 (AX)“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and (AY)whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us
38 (AZ)John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone (BA)casting out demons in your name,[f] and (BB)we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 (BC)For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, (BD)whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because[g] you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
Temptations to Sin
42 (BE)“Whoever causes one of (BF)these little ones who believe in me to sin,[h] (BG)it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 (BH)And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to (BI)hell,[i] to (BJ)the unquenchable fire.[j] 45 (BK)And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into (BL)hell. 47 (BM)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into (BN)hell, 48 ‘where (BO)their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire.[k] 50 (BP)Salt is good, (BQ)but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? (BR)Have salt in yourselves, and (BS)be at peace with one another.”
Footnotes
- Mark 9:3 Greek launderer (gnapheus)
- Mark 9:5 Rabbi means my teacher, or my master
- Mark 9:7 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
- Mark 9:24 Some manuscripts add with tears
- Mark 9:29 Some manuscripts add and fasting
- Mark 9:38 Some manuscripts add who does not follow us
- Mark 9:41 Greek in name that
- Mark 9:42 Greek to stumble; also verses 43, 45, 47
- Mark 9:43 Greek Gehenna; also verse 47
- Mark 9:43 Some manuscripts add verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48)
- Mark 9:49 Some manuscripts add and every sacrifice will be salted with salt
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
