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
Mark 9
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 9
1 Then he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”[a]
Jesus Is Transfigured.[b] 2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And in their presence he was transfigured; 3 his clothes became dazzling white—whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them. 4 And Elijah with Moses appeared, conversing with Jesus.
5 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He did not know what to say, for they were so frightened. 7 Then a cloud cast a shadow over them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore, but only Jesus.
Elijah Has Already Come.[c] 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus ordered them to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 Therefore, they kept the matter to themselves, although they did argue about what rising from the dead could possibly mean.
11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He said to them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things. Yet how is it written about the Son of Man?—that he must endure great suffering and be treated with contempt! 13 However, I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.”
14 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by a Spirit.[d] When they returned to the disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some scribes were engaged in an argument with them. 15 As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overcome with awe and ran forward to greet him. 16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18 Wherever it seizes him, it flings him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
19 Jesus said to them in reply, “O unbelieving generation, how much longer shall I remain with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 When they brought the boy to him, the spirit saw him and immediately threw the child into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has the boy been in this condition?” “From childhood,” he replied. 22 “It has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. If it is possible for you to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus answered, “If it is possible! All things are possible for one who has faith.” 24 Immediately, the father of the child cried out, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering around them, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and mute spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 Shrieking and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out of him. He lay there like a corpse, so that many remarked, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
28 When he went indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to cast it out?” 29 He answered, “This kind cannot be driven out except by prayer [and by fasting].”[e]
30 Jesus Predicts His Passion a Second Time.[f] They proceeded from there and began to journey through Galilee, but Jesus did not want anyone to know about it 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man[g] will be handed over into the power of men. They will kill him, and three days after being killed he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
33 The Greatest in the Kingdom.[h] They came to Capernaum, and once they were in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” 34 But they remained silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest.
35 Then he sat down, summoned the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last of all and the servant of all.” 36 He then took a child, placed it in their midst, and put his arms around it as he said, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me receives not me but the one who sent me.”
38 Whoever Is Not against Us Is for Us. John said to him, “Teacher, we observed someone expelling demons in your name, and we forbade him because he was not one of us.”[i] 39 Jesus replied, “Do not hinder him, for no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Amen, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will certainly not go unrewarded.
42 Woe to the World because of Scandals.[j]“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.[k] It is preferable for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go into the unquenchable fire of Gehenna [ 44 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched][l] 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Gehenna [ 46 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched]. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is preferable for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into Gehenna, 48 where the devouring worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.
49 The Simile of Salt.“For everyone will be salted with fire.[m] 50 Salt is good, but if salt loses its saltiness, how can you revive its flavor? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Footnotes
- Mark 9:1 Come with power: the reference is to the new age of humanity that begins with the death of Jesus.
- Mark 9:2 See notes on Mt 17:1-8 and 17:1.
- Mark 9:9 See note on Mt 17:9-13.
- Mark 9:14 See note on Mt 17:14-21.
- Mark 9:29 Other ancient manuscripts omit: “and by fasting.”
- Mark 9:30 Mark very effectively alternates the glorious and suffering aspects of the Messiah, following up the most spectacular exorcism in the Gospel with Jesus’ second prediction of his Passion. He also implies that the initiative for the death of the Servant (see Isa 53) belongs to God.
- Mark 9:31 Son of Man: see note on Mt 8:20.
- Mark 9:33 This incident and the sayings that follow it are most likely intended to be a commentary on the lack of understanding exhibited by the disciples. They are to serve the poor and lowly. Jesus used children as the symbol for the anawim, the poor in spirit, i.e., the lowly in the Christian community.
- Mark 9:38 Not one of us: though the man was not one of the Twelve, he was a believer in Jesus and acted in his name. Therefore, Jesus counsels the Twelve that they should not oppose him.
- Mark 9:42 See note on Mt 18:5-11.
- Mark 9:43 Cut it off: Jesus is here using hyperbole, a figure of speech that exaggerates to make a point. He means that sometimes sin can be overcome only by taking drastic action. Gehenna: the name, from the Hebrew Ge Hinnon, of a small valley southwest of Jerusalem; it was a popular image for hell because of the refuse that was continually burned there.
- Mark 9:44 These verses are omitted in the best manuscripts; they are repetitions of v. 48 (see Isa 66:24).
- Mark 9:49 This somewhat obscure verse was perhaps introduced because of the reference to fire in v. 48. Fire signifies the testing that precedes God’s judgment (see 1 Cor 3:13-15). Salt, a symbol of fidelity, was sprinkled on sacrificial victims so that they might be pleasing to God (Lev 2:13). When the testing is endured with fidelity, it makes the believer acceptable to God.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
