Mark 9:30-42

New King James Version

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

³⁰ Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. ^31 (A)For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will ^(B)kill Him. And after He is killed, He will ^(C)rise the third day.” ³² But they ^(D)did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Who Is the Greatest?^(E)

^33 (F)Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you ^[a]disputed among yourselves on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the road they had ^(G)disputed among themselves who would be the ^(H)greatest. ³⁵ And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ^(I)“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶ Then ^(J)He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷ “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and ^(K)whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism^(L)

^38 (M)Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, ^(N)for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰ For ^(O)he who is not against ^[b]us is on ^[c]our side. ^41 (P)For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Jesus Warns of Offenses^(Q)

^42 (R)“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me ^[d]to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.