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Whoever Causes One of These Little Ones To Fall Would Be Better Off Dead

42 “And whoever causes one of these little ones believing in Me to fall— it would be better for him if instead a donkey’s millstone[a] were lying around his neck, and he had[b] been thrown into the sea.

Better To Remove Whatever Causes You To Fall Than To Go Into Hell

43 And if your hand should be causing you to fall, cut[c] it off. It is better that you enter into life crippled than go into Gehenna[d] having two hands— into the inextinguishable[e] fire. 44 [f] 45 And if your foot should be causing you to fall, cut it off. It is better that you enter into life lame than be thrown into Gehenna having two feet. 46 [g] 47 And if your eye should be causing you to fall, throw it out. It is better that you enter into the kingdom of God one-eyed than be thrown into Gehenna having two eyes— 48 where their worm[h] does not come-to-an-end, and the fire is not quenched. 49 For everyone will be salted with fire.

Have Salt In Yourselves, And Live In Peace

50 “Salt is good. But if the salt should become unsalty, with what will you season it? Be having salt[i] in yourselves, and be living-in-peace with one another”.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 9:42 That is, a large millstone turned by a donkey.
  2. Mark 9:42 That is, he would be better off to have been violently killed before committing this sin than to face the consequences of it.
  3. Mark 9:43 That is, take whatever measures are necessary to eliminate causes of falling in your life.
  4. Mark 9:43 That is, hell.
  5. Mark 9:43 Or, unquenchable.
  6. Mark 9:44 9:44 and 46 are added by some manuscripts, “where their worm does not come to an end and the fire is not quenched”, as in v 48.
  7. Mark 9:46 9:44 and 46 are added by some manuscripts, “where their worm does not come to an end and the fire is not quenched”, as in v 48.
  8. Mark 9:48 That is, the maggots eating their flesh never die. Jesus is quoting Is 66:24.
  9. Mark 9:50 Returning to the main point, be salt to those around you by being servants of all. Don’t lose your saltiness by focusing on who is greater.

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