Mark 10:35-45

Living Bible

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him in a low voice.^[a] “Master,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”

³⁶ “What is it?” he asked.

³⁷ “We want to sit on the thrones next to yours in your Kingdom,” they said, “one at your right and the other at your left!”

³⁸ But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I must drink from? Or to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”

³⁹ “Oh, yes,” they said, “we are!”

And Jesus said, “You shall indeed drink from my cup and be baptized with my baptism, ⁴⁰ but I do not have the right to place you on thrones next to mine. Those appointments have already been made.”

⁴¹ When the other disciples discovered what James and John had asked, they were very indignant. ⁴² So Jesus called them to him and said, “As you know, the kings and great men of the earth lord it over the people; ⁴³ but among you it is different. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. ⁴⁴ And whoever wants to be greatest of all must be the slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even I, the Messiah,^[b] am not here to be served, but to help others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”