Mark 9

Revised Standard Version

9 ¹ And he said to them, “Truly, 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.”

The Transfiguration

² And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, ³ and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Eli′jah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. ⁵ And Peter said to Jesus, “Master,^[a] it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli′jah.” ⁶ For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. ⁷ And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son;^[b] listen to him.” ⁸ And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

The Coming of Elijah

⁹ And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the dead. ¹⁰ So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. ¹¹ And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Eli′jah must come?” ¹² And he said to them, “Eli′jah does come first to restore all things; and how is it written of the Son of man, that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? ¹³ But I tell you that Eli′jah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

The Healing of a Boy with a Spirit

¹⁴ And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” ¹⁷ And one of the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; ¹⁸ and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” ¹⁹ And he answered them, “O faithless generation, 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 convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus^[c] asked his father, “How long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out^[d] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” ²⁵ And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and 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 took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. ²⁸ And when he had 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 His Death and Resurrection

³⁰ They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; ³¹ for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.

Who Is the Greatest?

³³ And they came to Caper′na-um; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴ But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. ³⁵ And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any one 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 taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Another Exorcist

³⁸ John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name,^[f] and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰ For he that is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

⁴² “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[g] it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ⁴³ And if your hand causes you to sin,^[h] cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell,^[i] to the unquenchable fire.^{[j] 45} And if your foot causes you to sin,^[k] cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.^{[l][m] 47} And if your eye causes you to sin,^[n] pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,^{[o] 48} where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. ⁴⁹ For every one will be salted with fire.^{[p] 50} Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”