Mark 9
International Standard Version
9 Then he told them, “I tell all of you[a] with certainty, some people standing here will not experience[b] death until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(A)
2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone[c] on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter told Jesus, “Rabbi,[d] it’s good that we’re here! Let’s set up three shelters[e]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 (Peter[f] didn’t know how to respond, because they were terrified.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said,[g] “This is my Son, whom I love. Keep on listening to him!” 8 Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus alone.
9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus[h] ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves but argued about what “rising from the dead” meant. 11 So they asked him, “Don’t the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 He told them, “Elijah is indeed coming first and will restore all things. Why, then, is it written that the Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be treated shamefully? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, yet people[i] treated him just as they pleased, as it is written about him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon(B)
14 As they approached the other[j] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them. 15 The whole crowd was very surprised to see Jesus[k] and ran to welcome him.
16 He asked the scribes,[l] “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 Whenever it brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. So I asked your disciples to drive the spirit[m] out, but they didn’t have the power.”
19 Jesus[n] told them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”
20 So they brought the boy[o] to him. When the spirit saw Jesus,[p] it immediately threw the boy[q] into convulsions. He fell on the ground and kept rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 Then Jesus[r] asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He said, “Since he was a child. 22 The spirit[s] has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us!”
23 Jesus told him, “‘If you are able?’ Everything is possible for the person who believes!”
24 With tears flowing,[t] the child’s father at once cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that won’t let him talk or hear—I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 The spirit[u] screamed, shook the child[v] violently, and came out. The boy was like a corpse, and many said that he was dead. 27 But Jesus took his hand and helped him up, and he stood up.
28 When Jesus[w] came home, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive the spirit[x] out?”
29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”[y]
Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection(C)
30 Then they left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus[z] didn’t want anyone to find out about it, 31 because he was teaching his disciples, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into human hands. They will kill him, but after being dead for three days he will be raised.” 32 They didn’t understand what this statement meant, and they were afraid to ask him.
True Greatness(D)
33 Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus[aa] was at home, he asked the disciples,[ab] “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, because they had argued on the road with one another about who was the greatest.
35 So he sat down, called the Twelve, and told them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He took him in his arms and told them, 37 “Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
The True Follower of Jesus(E)
38 John told Jesus,[ac] “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he wasn’t a follower like us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him, because no one who works a miracle in my name can slander me soon afterwards. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I tell all of you[ad] with certainty, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to the Messiah[ae] will never lose his reward.”
Causing Others to Sin(F)
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 So if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better for you to enter life injured than to have two hands and go to hell,[af] to the fire that cannot be put out. 44 In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.[ag]
45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.[ah] 46 In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.[ai]
47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It’s better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.[aj] 48 In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.
49 Because everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt.[ak] 50 Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can you restore its flavor? Keep on having salt among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”
Footnotes
- Mark 9:1 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Mark 9:1 Lit. taste
- Mark 9:3 Lit. anyone who cleans
- Mark 9:5 Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher
- Mark 9:5 Or tents
- Mark 9:6 Lit. He
- Mark 9:7 The Gk. lacks and said
- Mark 9:9 Lit. he
- Mark 9:13 Lit. they
- Mark 9:14 The Gk. lacks other
- Mark 9:15 Lit. him
- Mark 9:16 Lit. them
- Mark 9:18 Lit. it
- Mark 9:19 Lit. He
- Mark 9:20 Lit. him
- Mark 9:20 Lit. him
- Mark 9:20 Lit. him
- Mark 9:21 Lit. he
- Mark 9:22 Lit. It
- Mark 9:24 Other mss. lack With tears flowing
- Mark 9:26 Lit. It
- Mark 9:26 The Gk. lacks the child
- Mark 9:28 Lit. he
- Mark 9:28 Lit. drive it
- Mark 9:29 Other mss. lack and fasting
- Mark 9:30 Lit. He
- Mark 9:33 Lit. he
- Mark 9:33 Lit. them
- Mark 9:38 Lit. him
- Mark 9:41 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- Mark 9:41 Or Christ
- Mark 9:43 Lit. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom
- Mark 9:44 Other mss. lack this verse
- Mark 9:45 Lit. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom
- Mark 9:46 Other mss. lack this verse
- Mark 9:47 Lit. Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom
- Mark 9:49 Other mss. lack and every sacrifice will be salted with salt
Mark 9
Contemporary English Version
9 I can assure you that some of the people standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom come with power.
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. 3 And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter 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.” 6 But 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!” 8 At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.
9 As 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. 10 So 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? 13 I 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)
14 When 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.
15 The crowd was really surprised to see Jesus, and everyone hurried over to greet him.
16 Jesus asked, “What are you arguing about?”
17 Someone from the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. A demon keeps him from talking. 18 Whenever 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.”
19 Jesus 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.”
20 They 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.
21 Jesus asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like this?”
The man answered, “Ever since he was a child. 22 The 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!”
23 Jesus replied, “Why do you say ‘if you can’? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!”
24 At once the boy's father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.”
25 When 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.”
26 The 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. 27 But Jesus took hold of his hand and helped him stand up.
28 After Jesus and the disciples had gone back home and were alone, they asked him, “Why couldn't we force out that demon?”
29 Jesus answered, “Only prayer can force out this kind of demon.”
Jesus Again Speaks about His Death
(Matthew 17.22,23; Luke 9.43b-45)
30 Jesus left with his disciples and started through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know about it, 31 because 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. 32 The 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)
33 Jesus 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!”
36 Then 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)
38 John 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.”
39 Jesus 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)
42 It 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] 45-46 If 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.
49 Everyone 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]
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.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
