Mark 9:2-50

Contemporary English Version

The True Glory of Jesus

(Matthew 17.1-13; Luke 9.28-36)

²^(A) Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. ³And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. ⁴Then Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.

⁵Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.

⁷^(B) The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!” ⁸At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.

⁹As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death. ¹⁰So they kept it to themselves. But they wondered what he meant by the words “raised from death.”

¹¹^(C) The disciples asked Jesus, “Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say that Elijah must come before the Messiah does?”

¹²^(D) Jesus answered:

Elijah certainly will come^[a] to get everything ready. But don't the Scriptures also say that the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected? ¹³I can assure you that Elijah has already come. And people treated him just as they wanted to, as the Scriptures say they would.

Jesus Heals a Boy

(Matthew 17.14-20; Luke 9.37-43a)

¹⁴When Jesus and his three disciples came back down, they saw a large crowd around the other disciples. The teachers of the Law of Moses were arguing with them.

¹⁵The crowd was really surprised to see Jesus, and everyone hurried over to greet him.

¹⁶Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about?”

¹⁷Someone from the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. A demon keeps him from talking. ¹⁸Whenever the demon attacks my son, it throws him to the ground and makes him foam at the mouth and grit his teeth in pain. Then he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to force out the demon, but they couldn't do it.”

¹⁹Jesus said, “You people don't have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰They brought the boy, and as soon as the demon saw Jesus, it made the boy shake all over. He fell down and began rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

²¹Jesus asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like this?”

The man answered, “Ever since he was a child. ²²The demon has often tried to kill him by throwing him into a fire or into water. Please have pity and help us if you can!”

²³Jesus replied, “Why do you say ‘if you can’? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!”

²⁴At once the boy's father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.”

²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd was gathering fast, he spoke sternly to the evil spirit that had kept the boy from speaking or hearing. He said, “I order you to come out of the boy! Don't ever bother him again.”

²⁶The spirit screamed and made the boy shake all over. Then it went out of him. The boy looked dead, and almost everyone said he was. ²⁷But Jesus took hold of his hand and helped him stand up.

²⁸After Jesus and the disciples had gone back home and were alone, they asked him, “Why couldn't we force out that demon?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “Only prayer can force out this kind of demon.”

Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

(Matthew 17.22,23; Luke 9.43b-45)

³⁰Jesus left with his disciples and started through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know about it, ³¹because he was teaching the disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to people who would kill him. But three days later he would rise to life. ³²The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask.

Who Is the Greatest?

(Matthew 18.1-5; Luke 9.46-48)

³³Jesus and his disciples went to his home in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about along the way?” ³⁴^(E) They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.

³⁵^(F) After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, “If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others!”

³⁶Then Jesus asked a child to stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said, ³⁷^(G) “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me.”

For or against Jesus

(Luke 9.49,50)

³⁸John said, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to force demons out of people. But he wasn't one of us, and we told him to stop.”

³⁹Jesus said to his disciples:

Don't stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me. ⁴⁰^(H) Anyone who isn't against us is for us. ⁴¹^(I) And anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name, just because you belong to me, will surely be rewarded.

Temptations To Sin

(Matthew 18.6-9; Luke 17.1,2)

⁴²It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their necks. ^43-44^(J) So if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! You would be better off to go into life paralyzed than to have two hands and be thrown into the fires of hell that never go out.^[b] ^45-46If your foot causes you to sin, chop it off. You would be better off to go into life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^[c] ⁴⁷^(K) If your eye causes you to sin, get rid of it. You would be better off to go into God's kingdom with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁸^(L) The worms there never die, and the fire never stops burning.

⁴⁹Everyone must be salted with fire.^[d]

⁵⁰^(M) Salt is good. But if it no longer tastes like salt, how can it be made salty again? Have salt among you and live at peace with each other.^[e]

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Footnotes

9.12 Elijah certainly will come: See the note at 6.15.
9.43,44 never go out: Some manuscripts add, “The worms there never die, and the fire never stops burning.”
9.45,46 thrown into hell: Some manuscripts add, “The worms there never die, and the fire never stops burning.”
9.49 salted with fire: Some manuscripts add “and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” The verse may mean that Christ's followers must suffer because of their faith.
9.50 Have salt among you and live at peace with each other: This may mean that when Christ's followers have to suffer because of their faith, they must still try to live at peace with each other.

2 Samuel 22

Contemporary English Version

David Sings to the Lord

(Psalm 18.1-50)

22 David sang a song to the Lord after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, especially Saul. These are the words to David's song:

²Our Lord and our God,
you are my mighty rock,^[a]
    my fortress, my protector.
³You are the rock
    where I am safe.
You are my shield,
my powerful weapon,^[b]
    and my place of shelter.

You rescue me and keep me
    safe from violence.
⁴I praise you, our Lord!
    I prayed to you,
and you rescued me
    from my enemies.
⁵Death, like ocean waves,
    surrounded me,
and I was almost swallowed
    by its flooding waters.

⁶Ropes from the world
of the dead
    had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
    in my path.
⁷I was in terrible trouble
    when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
    and answered my prayer.
⁸Earth shook and shivered!
The columns supporting the sky^[c]
    rocked back and forth.
You were angry
⁹    and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
    spewed from your mouth.

¹⁰You opened the heavens
    like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
    under your feet.
¹¹You rode on the backs
    of flying creatures.^[d]
You appeared^[e]
    with the wind as wings.
¹²Darkness was your tent!
Thunderclouds filled the sky,
    hiding you from sight.
¹³Fiery coals lit up the sky
    in front of you.

¹⁴Lord Most High, your voice
    thundered from the heavens.
¹⁵You scattered your enemies
    with arrows of lightning.
¹⁶You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
    could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
    to its foundations.

¹⁷You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
    from deep in the ocean.
¹⁸You rescued me from enemies
who were hateful
    and too powerful for me.
¹⁹On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
    but you defended me.
²⁰When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
    because you love me.
²¹You are good to me, Lord,
    because I do right,
and you reward me
    because I am innocent.
²²I do what you want
    and never turn to do evil.
²³I keep your laws in mind
and never turn away
    from your teachings.
²⁴I obey you completely
    and guard against sin.
²⁵You have been good to me
    because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
    by your standards.

²⁶You are always loyal
    to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
    to the faithful.
²⁷With all who are sincere
    you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
    as their deeds deserve.
²⁸You rescue the humble,
but you look for ways
    to put down the proud.

²⁹Our Lord and God,
you are my lamp.
You turn darkness to light.
³⁰You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.

³¹Your way is perfect, Lord,
    and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
    who run to you for help.
³²You alone are God!
    Only you are a mighty rock.^[f]
³³You are my strong fortress,
    and you set me free.
³⁴^(A) You make my feet run as fast
    as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
    on the mountains.

³⁵You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
    a bow of bronze.
³⁶You alone are my shield,
and by coming to help me,
    you have made me famous.
³⁷You clear the way for me,
    and now I won't stumble.

³⁸I kept chasing my enemies
until I caught them
    and destroyed them.
³⁹I destroyed them!
I stuck my sword
    through my enemies,
and they were crushed
    under my feet.
⁴⁰You helped me win victories
and forced my attackers
    to fall victim to me.

⁴¹You made my enemies run,
    and I killed them.
⁴²They cried out for help,
    but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
    but there was no answer.
⁴³I ground them to dust,
and I squashed them
    like mud in the streets.

⁴⁴You rescued me
    from my stubborn people
and made me the leader
of foreign nations,
    who are now my slaves.
⁴⁵They obey and come crawling.
⁴⁶    They have lost all courage
and from their fortresses
    they come trembling.

⁴⁷You are the living Lord!
    I will praise you!
You are a mighty rock.^[g]
I will honor you
    for keeping me safe.
⁴⁸You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
    in my power.
⁴⁹You protected me
    from violent enemies,
and you made me much greater
    than all of them.

⁵⁰^(B) I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
    among the nations.
⁵¹You give glorious victories
    to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
    will never end.

Footnotes

22.2 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
22.3 powerful weapon: The Hebrew has “the horn,” which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.
22.8 columns … sky: The sky was sometimes described as a dome that was held up by a foundation or pillars.
22.11 flying creatures: These were supernatural beings (see the note at 6.2).
22.11 appeared: Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts “swooped down” (see Psalm 18.10).
22.32 mighty rock: See the note at 22.2.
22.47 mighty rock: See the note at 22.2.

Hosea 2:2-23

Contemporary English Version

The Lord Promises To Punish Israel

²Accuse! Accuse your mother!
    She is no longer my wife,
and now I, the Lord,
    am not her husband.
Beg her to give up prostitution
    and stop being unfaithful,^[a]
³or I will strip her naked
    like the day she was born.
I will make her barren
like a desert,
    and she will die of thirst.
⁴You children are the result
of her unfaithfulness,
    and I'll show you no pity.
⁵Your mother was unfaithful.
She was disgraceful and said,
    “I'll run after my lovers.
Everything comes from them—
    my food and drink,
    my linen and wool,
    my olive oil and wine.”

⁶I, the Lord, will build
a fence of thorns
    to block her path.
⁷She will run after her lovers,
    but not catch them;
she will search,
    but not find them.
Then she will say, “I'll return
to my first husband.
    Life was better then.”
⁸She didn't know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
    were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
    she used in worshiping Baal.^[b]

⁹So I'll hold back the harvest
    of grain and grapes.
I'll take back
my wool and my linen
    that cover her body.
¹⁰Then I'll strip her naked
in the sight of her lovers.^[c]
    No one can rescue her.

¹¹I'll stop Israel's celebrations—
no more New Moon Festivals,
Sabbaths, or other feasts.
¹²She said, “My lovers gave me
vineyards and fig trees
as payment^[d] for sex.”

Now I, the Lord, will ruin
her vineyards and fig trees;
they will become clumps of weeds
eaten by wild animals.

¹³I'll punish her for the days
she worshiped Baal
    and burned incense to him.
I'll punish her for the times
    she forgot about me
and wore jewelry and rings
to attract her lovers.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

The Lord Will Help Israel

¹⁴Israel, I, the Lord,
will lure you into the desert
    and speak gently to you.
¹⁵^(A) I will return your vineyards,
and then Trouble Valley^[e]
    will become Hopeful Valley.
You will say “Yes” to me
as you did in your youth,
    when leaving Egypt.

¹⁶I promise from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master.^[f] ¹⁷I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called “Master.” ¹⁸And I will agree to let you live in peace—you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war. ¹⁹I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price^[g] I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness, ²⁰and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am.

²¹I will command the sky to send rain on the earth, ²²and it will produce grain, grapes, and olives in Jezreel Valley. ²³^(B) I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah.^[h] I will say to Lo-Ammi,^[i] “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.”

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Footnotes

2.2 prostitution … unfaithful: See the note at 1.2.
2.8 Baal: A Canaanite god of fertility.
2.10 I'll strip … lovers: Or “I'll show her lovers how disgusting she is.”
2.12 fig trees … payment: Hosea uses an unusual word for “fig tree,” which is spelled something like the word for “payment.”
2.15 Trouble Valley: Or “Achor Valley.” The exact location of the valley is unknown, but in Hebrew “Achor” sounds like “Achan,” who brought trouble on Israel by disobeying the Lord (see Joshua 7.24-26).
2.16 husband … master: In Hebrew the word “master” is the same as the name of the god Baal. But the Lord promises that his people will have a deep personal relationship with him (like a devoted wife and husband) rather than merely a legal tie (like a wife and her “master”).
2.19 bride price: It was the custom for the husband to pay his wife's parents a bride price. Instead of money, the Lord will give much better benefits to Israel.
2.23 Lo-Ruhamah: See the note at 1.6.
2.23 Lo-Ammi: See the note at 1.9.