Luke 9
Christian Standard Bible
Commissioning the Twelve
9 Summoning the Twelve,(A) he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.(B) 2 Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.(C)
3 “Take nothing for the road,”(D) he told them, “no staff,(E) no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5 If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”(F) 6 So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.
Herod’s Desire to See Jesus
7 Herod the tetrarch(G) heard about everything that was going on.(H) He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, 8 some that Elijah had appeared,(I) and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.(J) 9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see him.(K)
Feeding of the Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned,(L) they reported to Jesus all that they had done.(M) He took them along and withdrew privately to a[a] town called Bethsaida.(N) 11 When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them,(O) spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the day,(P) the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away,(Q) so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”
13 “You give them something to eat,” he told them.
“We have no more than five loaves(R) and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (For about five thousand men were there.)
Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down[b] in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did what he said, and had them all sit down. 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,(S) he blessed and broke them.(T) He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.
Peter’s Confession of the Messiah
18 While he was praying in private(U) and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”[c](V)
20 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”(W)
His Death and Resurrection Predicted
21 But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one,(X) 22 saying,(Y) “It is necessary that the Son of Man(Z) suffer many things(AA) and be rejected(AB) by the elders, chief priests, and scribes,(AC) be killed, and be raised the third day.”(AD)
Take Up Your Cross
23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after[d] me, let him deny himself,(AE) take up his cross daily,[e] and follow me.(AF) 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.(AG) 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?(AH) 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words,(AI) the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory(AJ) and that of the Father and the holy angels.(AK) 27 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death(AL) until they see the kingdom of God.”(AM)
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after this conversation,(AN) he took along Peter, John, and James(AO) and went up on the mountain to pray.(AP) 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,(AQ) and his clothes became dazzling white.(AR) 30 Suddenly, two men were talking with him—Moses and Elijah. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep,[f](AS) and when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him. 33 As the two men were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master,(AT) it’s good for us to be here. Let’s set up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying.(AU)
34 While he was saying this, a cloud appeared and overshadowed(AV) them. They became afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came from the cloud,(AW) saying, “This is my Son,(AX) the Chosen One;[g](AY) listen to him!” (AZ)
36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent, and at that time told no one what they had seen.
The Power of Jesus over a Demon
37 The next day,(BA) when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child.(BB) 39 A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”(BC)
41 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse[h] generation,(BD) how long will I be with you and put up with you?(BE) Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy,(BF) and gave him back to his father.(BG) 43 And they were all astonished at the greatness of God.(BH)
The Second Prediction of His Death
While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing,(BI) he told his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink in:[i] The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”(BJ)
45 But they did not understand this statement;(BK) it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it,(BL) and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Who Is the Greatest?
46 An argument started among them about who was the greatest of them.(BM) 47 But Jesus, knowing their inner thoughts,[j](BN) took a little child and had him stand next to him. 48 He told them, “Whoever welcomes[k] this little child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.(BO) For whoever is least among you—this one is great.”(BP)
In His Name
49 John responded,(BQ) “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,(BR) and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us.”(BS)
50 “Don’t stop him,” Jesus told him, “because whoever is not against you is for you.”[l](BT)
The Journey to Jerusalem
51 When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up,(BU) he determined[m](BV) to journey to Jerusalem.(BW) 52 He sent messengers ahead of himself,(BX) and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans(BY) to make preparations for him. 53 But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem.(BZ) 54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” [n](CA)
55 But he turned and rebuked them,[o] 56 and they went to another village.
Following Jesus
57 As they were traveling on the road someone said to him,(CB) “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 Then he said to another, “Follow me.”
“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”
60 But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”(CC)
61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”(CD)
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- 9:10 Other mss add deserted place near a
- 9:14 Lit them recline
- 9:19 Lit has risen
- 9:23 Lit come after
- 9:23 Other mss omit daily
- 9:32 Lit were weighed down with sleep
- 9:35 Other mss read the Beloved
- 9:41 Or corrupt, or perverted, or twisted; Dt 32:5
- 9:44 Lit “Put these words in your ears
- 9:47 Lit the thoughts of their hearts
- 9:48 Or receives, throughout the verse
- 9:50 Other mss read against us is for us
- 9:51 Lit he stiffened his face to go; Is 50:7
- 9:54 Other mss add as Elijah also did
- 9:55–56 Other mss add and said, “You don’t know what kind of spirit you belong to. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives but to save them,”
Luke 9
New Living Translation
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
9 One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples[a] and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money,[b] or even a change of clothes. 4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. 5 And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.
Herod’s Confusion
7 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[c] heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. 8 Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.
9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.
12 Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”
13 But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” 14 For there were about 5,000 men there.
Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 So the people all sat down. 16 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. 17 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah[d] sent from God!”
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. 22 “The Son of Man[e] must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27 I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials[f]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.
35 Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One.[g] Listen to him.” 36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. 39 An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. 40 I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.”
41 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”
42 As the boy came forward, the demon knocked him to the ground and threw him into a violent convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil[h] spirit and healed the boy. Then he gave him back to his father. 43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
While everyone was marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” 45 But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[i] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”
Using the Name of Jesus
49 John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”
50 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
Opposition from Samaritans
51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up[j]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.[k] 56 So they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”
The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead![l] Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- 9:1 Greek the Twelve; other manuscripts read the twelve apostles.
- 9:3 Or silver coins.
- 9:7 Greek Herod the tetrarch. Herod Antipas was a son of King Herod and was ruler over Galilee.
- 9:20 Or the Christ. Messiah (a Hebrew term) and Christ (a Greek term) both mean “anointed one.”
- 9:22 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 9:33 Greek three tabernacles.
- 9:35 Some manuscripts read This is my dearly loved Son.
- 9:42 Greek unclean.
- 9:48 Greek in my name.
- 9:54 Some manuscripts add as Elijah did.
- 9:55 Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verse 55 and an additional sentence in verse 56: And he said, “You don’t realize what your hearts are like. 56 For the Son of Man has not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”
- 9:60 Greek Let the dead bury their own dead.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
