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
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 Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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.
