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; 56for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them”
- Luke 9:60 Greek he
Luke 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Commissioning the Twelve
9 Summoning the Twelve,(A) He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal[a] 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 walking stick,(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 5,000
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[b] 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 cured[c] those who needed healing.
12 Late in the day,[d](P) the Twelve approached and said to Him, “Send the crowd away,(Q) so 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 5,000 men were there.)
Then He told His disciples, “Have them sit down[e] in groups of about 50 each.” 15 They did so, 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. Then they picked up[f] 12 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.”[g](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) “The Son of Man(Z) must 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 come with[h] Me, he must deny himself,(AE) take up his cross daily,[i] 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 What is a man benefited if he gains the whole world, 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 I tell you the truth: 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 these words,(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 death,[j] which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and those with him were in a deep sleep,[k](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 us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.(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:
36 After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was found. They kept silent, and in those days told no one what they had seen.
The Power of Faith 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 Often a spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth;[m] wounding[n] him, it hardly ever leaves him. 40 I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”(BC)
41 Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and rebellious[o] 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, cured 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:[p] 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.[q]
Who Is the Greatest?
46 Then an argument started among them about who would be the greatest of them.(BM) 47 But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts,(BN) took a little child and had him stand next to Him. 48 He told them, “Whoever welcomes[r] 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.”[s](BT)
The Journey to Jerusalem
51 When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up,[t](BU) He determined[u](BV) to journey to Jerusalem.(BW) 52 He sent messengers ahead of Him,(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?”[v](CA)
55 But He turned and rebuked them,[w] 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[x] 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.”[y]
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 also 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
- Luke 9:1 In this passage, different Gk words are translated as heal. In Eng, “to heal” or “to cure” are synonyms with little distinction in meaning. Technically, we do not heal or cure diseases. People are healed or cured from diseases.
- Luke 9:10 Other mss add deserted place near a
- Luke 9:11 Or healed; in this passage, different Gk words are translated as heal. In Eng, “to heal” or “to cure” are synonyms with little distinction in meaning. Technically, we do not heal or cure diseases. People are healed or cured from diseases.
- Luke 9:12 Lit When the day began to decline
- Luke 9:14 Lit them recline
- Luke 9:17 Lit Then were picked up by them
- Luke 9:19 Lit has risen
- Luke 9:23 Lit come after
- Luke 9:23 Other mss omit daily
- Luke 9:31 Or departure; Gk exodus
- Luke 9:32 Lit were weighed down with sleep
- Luke 9:35 Other mss read the Beloved
- Luke 9:39 Lit convulsions with foam
- Luke 9:39 Or bruising, or mauling
- Luke 9:41 Or corrupt, or perverted, or twisted; Dt 32:5
- Luke 9:44 Lit Put these words in your ears
- Luke 9:45 Lit about this statement
- Luke 9:48 Or receives, throughout the verse
- Luke 9:50 Other mss read against us is for us
- Luke 9:51 His ascension
- Luke 9:51 Lit He stiffened His face to go; Is 50:7
- Luke 9:54 Other mss add as Elijah also did
- Luke 9:55 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 9:58 Wild birds, as opposed to domestic birds
- Luke 9:59 Not necessarily meaning his father was already dead
Luke 9
New King James Version
Sending Out the Twelve(A)
9 Then (B)He called His twelve disciples together and (C)gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 (D)He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 (E)And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.
4 (F)“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 (G)And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, (H)shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
6 (I)So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod Seeks to See Jesus(J)
7 (K)Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” (L)So he sought to see Him.
Feeding the Five Thousand(M)
10 (N)And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. (O)Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 (P)When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men.
Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He (Q)blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were [a]filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ(R)
18 (S)And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
19 So they answered and said, (T)“John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”
20 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
(U)Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(V)
21 (W)And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, (X)“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Take Up the Cross and Follow Him(Y)
23 (Z)Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross [b]daily, and follow Me. 24 (AA)For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 (AB)For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 (AC)For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be (AD)ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. 27 (AE)But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus Transfigured on the Mount(AF)
28 (AG)Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were (AH)Moses and (AI)Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His [c]decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him (AJ)were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three [d]tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.
34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the (AK)cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, (AL)“This is [e]My beloved Son. (AM)Hear Him!” 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. (AN)But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.
A Boy Is Healed(AO)
37 (AP)Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him. 38 Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for 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 it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. 40 So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”
41 Then Jesus answered and said, “O [f]faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and [g]bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
Jesus Again Predicts His Death(AQ)
43 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.
But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, 44 (AR)“Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 (AS)But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.
Who Is the Greatest?(AT)
46 (AU)Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. 47 And Jesus, (AV)perceiving the thought of their heart, took a (AW)little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, (AX)“Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and (AY)whoever receives Me (AZ)receives Him who sent Me. (BA)For he who is least among you all will be great.”
Jesus Forbids Sectarianism(BB)
49 (BC)Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”
50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for (BD)he who is not against [h]us is on [i]our side.”
A Samaritan Village Rejects the Savior
51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for (BE)Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But (BF)they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples (BG)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, [j]just as (BH)Elijah did?”
55 But He turned and rebuked them, [k]and said, “You do not know what manner of (BI)spirit you are of. 56 [l]For (BJ)the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
The Cost of Discipleship(BK)
57 (BL)Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, 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 (BM)has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 (BN)Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”
But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, (BO)I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is (BP)fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- Luke 9:17 satisfied
- Luke 9:23 M omits daily
- Luke 9:31 Death, lit. departure
- Luke 9:33 tents
- Luke 9:35 NU My Son, the Chosen One
- Luke 9:41 unbelieving
- Luke 9:41 put up with
- Luke 9:50 NU you
- Luke 9:50 NU your
- Luke 9:54 NU omits just as Elijah did
- Luke 9:55 NU omits the rest of v. 55.
- Luke 9:56 NU omits For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’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.
Luke 9
New American Standard Bible
Ministry of the Twelve
9 (A)Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. 2 And He sent them out to (B)proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 3 And He said to them, “(C)Take nothing for your journey, (D)neither a staff, nor a [a]bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two [b]tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there [c]until you leave that city. 5 And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, (E)shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And as they were leaving, they began going [d]throughout the villages, (F)preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
7 (G)Now (H)Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that (I)John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that (J)Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And (K)he kept trying to see Him.
10 (L)When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. (M)And taking them with Him, He withdrew privately to a city called (N)Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and He welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God, and curing those who had need of healing.
Five Thousand Men Fed
12 Now the day [e]was ending, and the twelve came up and said to Him, “Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get [f]something to eat; because here, we are in a secluded place.” 13 But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” But they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (For there were about five thousand men.) But He said to His disciples, “Have them recline to eat (O)in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did so, and had them all recline. 16 And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them, and gave them to the disciples again and again, to serve the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied; and [g]the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve (P)baskets full.
Peter Says Jesus is The Christ
18 (Q)And it happened that while He was (R)praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the [h]people say that I am?” 19 They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “(S)The [i]Christ of God.” 21 But He [j](T)warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22 (U)saying, “(V)The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised on the third day.”
23 And He was saying to them all, “(W)If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For (X)whoever wants to save his [k]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [l]life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. 25 For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but (Y)loses or forfeits himself? 26 (Z)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. 27 But I say to you truthfully, (AA)there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28 (AB)About eight days after these sayings, He took along (AC)Peter, John, and James, and (AD)went up on the mountain (AE)to pray. 29 And while He was (AF)praying, the appearance of His face (AG)became different, and His clothing became white and [m]gleaming. 30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31 who, appearing in [n]glory, were speaking of His (AH)departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions (AI)had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him. 33 And as [o]these two men were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “(AJ)Master, it is good that we are here; and (AK)let’s make three [p]tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—(AL)not realizing what he was saying. 34 But while he was saying this, a cloud [q]formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And then (AM)a voice came from the cloud, saying, “(AN)This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 36 And when the voice [r]had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And (AO)they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.
37 (AP)On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 38 And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, because he is my only son, 39 and a spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40 And I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42 Now while he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the [s](AQ)greatness of God.
(AR)But while everyone was astonished at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44 “As for you, let these words sink into your ears: (AS)for the Son of Man is going to be [t]handed over to men.” 45 But (AT)they [u]did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not comprehend it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.
The Test of Greatness
46 (AU)Now an argument [v]started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47 But Jesus, (AV)knowing [w]what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side, 48 and He said to them, “(AW)Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; (AX)for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
49 (AY)John answered and said, “(AZ)Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; (BA)for the one who is not against you is [x]for you.”
51 When the days were approaching for (BB)His [y]ascension, He [z]was determined (BC)to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the (BD)Samaritans to [aa]make arrangements for Him. 53 And they did not receive Him, (BE)because [ab]He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples (BF)James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to (BG)command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But He turned and rebuked them.[ac] 56 And they went on to another village.
Exacting Discipleship
57 (BH)As they were going on the road, (BI)someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the sky have nests, but (BJ)the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 And He said to another, “(BK)Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and (BL)proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but (BM)first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “(BN)No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Footnotes
- Luke 9:3 Or knapsack
- Luke 9:3 A long shirt worn next to the skin
- Luke 9:4 Lit and leave from there
- Luke 9:6 Or from village to village
- Luke 9:12 Lit began to decline
- Luke 9:12 Lit provisions
- Luke 9:17 Lit what was left over to them of the broken pieces was
- Luke 9:18 Lit crowds
- Luke 9:20 I.e., Messiah
- Luke 9:21 Or strictly admonished
- Luke 9:24 Or soul
- Luke 9:24 Or soul
- Luke 9:29 Or flashing like lightning
- Luke 9:31 Or splendor
- Luke 9:33 Lit they
- Luke 9:33 Or sacred tents
- Luke 9:34 Lit occurred
- Luke 9:36 Lit occurred
- Luke 9:43 Or majesty
- Luke 9:44 Or betrayed
- Luke 9:45 Lit were not knowing
- Luke 9:46 Lit entered
- Luke 9:47 Lit the reasoning; or argument
- Luke 9:50 Or on your side
- Luke 9:51 Lit taking up
- Luke 9:51 Lit set His face
- Luke 9:52 Or prepare
- Luke 9:53 Lit His face was proceeding toward
- Luke 9:55 Some late mss add: and said, “You do not know of what kind of spirit you are; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. 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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
