17 And six days after this, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

² And His appearance underwent a change in their presence; and His face shone ^[a]clear and bright like the sun, and His clothing became as white as light.

³ And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, who kept talking with Him.

⁴ Then Peter began to speak and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good and delightful that we are here; if You approve, I will put up three booths here—one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah.

⁵ While he was still speaking, behold, a shining cloud [^[b]composed of light] overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is My Son, My Beloved, with Whom I am [and ^[c]have always been] delighted. Listen to Him!^(A)

⁶ When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were ^[d]seized with alarm and struck with fear.

⁷ But Jesus came and touched them and said, Get up, and do not be afraid.

⁸ And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

⁹ And as they were going down the mountain, Jesus cautioned and commanded them, Do not mention to anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.

¹⁰ The disciples asked Him, Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?

¹¹ He replied, Elijah does come and will get everything restored and ready.

¹² But I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know or recognize him, but did to him as they liked. So also the Son of Man is going to be treated and suffer at their hands.

¹³ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them about John the Baptist.^(B)

¹⁴ And when they approached the multitude, a man came up to Him, kneeling before Him and saying,

¹⁵ Lord, do pity and have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy (is ^[e]moonstruck) and he suffers terribly; for frequently he falls into the fire and many times into the water.

¹⁶ And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to cure him.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered, O you unbelieving (^[f]warped, wayward, rebellious) and ^[g]thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me.

¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked privately, Why could we not drive it out?

²⁰ He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of ^[h]firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [^[i]that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

^21 [j]But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

²² When they were going about here and there in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is going to be turned over into the hands of men.

²³ And they will kill Him, and He will be raised [to life] again on the third day. And they were deeply and exceedingly grieved and distressed.

²⁴ When they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the half shekel [the temple tax] went up to Peter and said, Does not your Teacher pay the half shekel?^(C)

²⁵ He answered, Yes. And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him [about it] first, saying, What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly rulers collect duties or tribute—from their own sons or from others ^[k]not of their own family?

²⁶ And when Peter said, From other people ^[l]not of their own family, Jesus said to him, Then the sons are exempt.

²⁷ However, in order not to give offense and cause them to stumble [that is, to cause them ^[m]to judge unfavorably and unjustly] go down to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find there a shekel. Take it and give it to them to pay the temple tax for Me and for yourself.

18 At that time the disciples came up and asked Jesus, Who then is [really] the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

² And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them,

³ And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].

⁴ Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

⁵ And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.

⁶ But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and ^[a]acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (^[b]more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.

⁷ Woe to the world for such temptations to sin and influences to do wrong! It is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the person on whose account or by whom the temptation comes!

⁸ And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble and sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.

⁹ And if your eye causes you to stumble and sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you; it is better (more profitable and wholesome) for you to enter life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the hell (Gehenna) of fire.

¹⁰ Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven.

^11 [c]For the Son of man came to save [^[d]from the penalty of eternal death] that which was lost.

¹² What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray and gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?

¹³ And if it should be that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not get lost.

¹⁴ Just so it is not the will of My Father Who is in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost and perish.

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8 Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

² And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your entire land with frogs;

³ And the river shall swarm with frogs which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedchamber and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and upon your people, and into your ovens, your kneading bowls, and your dough.

⁴ And the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and all your servants.

⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, the streams and canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

⁶ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land.

⁷ But the magicians did the same thing with their enchantments and secret arts, and brought up [more] frogs upon the land of Egypt.

⁸ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the Lord, that He may take away the frogs from me and my people; and I will let the people go that they may sacrifice to the Lord.

⁹ Moses said to Pharaoh, Glory over me in this: dictate when I shall pray [to the Lord] for you, your servants, and your people, that the frogs may be destroyed from you and your houses and remain only in the river.

¹⁰ And [Pharaoh] said, Tomorrow. [Moses] said, Let it be as you say, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

¹¹ And the frogs shall depart from you and your houses and from your servants and your people; they shall remain in the river only.

¹² So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord [as he had agreed with Pharaoh] concerning the frogs which He had brought against him.

¹³ And the Lord did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards and villages, and out of the fields.

¹⁴ [The people] gathered them together in heaps, and the land was loathsome and stank.

¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was temporary relief, he made his heart stubborn and hard and would not listen or heed them, just as the Lord had said.

¹⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the ground, that it may become biting gnats or mosquitoes throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁷ And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and there came biting gnats or mosquitoes on man and beast; all the dust of the land became biting gnats or mosquitoes throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸ The magicians tried by their enchantments and secret arts to bring forth gnats or mosquitoes, but they could not; and there were gnats or mosquitoes on man and beast.

¹⁹ Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God! But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and strong and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

²⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes forth to the water; and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

²¹ Else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies] upon you, your servants, and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies], and also the ground on which they stand.

²² But on that day I will sever and set apart the land of Goshen in which My people dwell, that no swarms [of gadflies] shall be there, so that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

²³ And I will put a division and a sign of deliverance between My people and your people. By tomorrow shall this sign be in evidence.

²⁴ And the Lord did so; and there came heavy and oppressive swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies] into the house of Pharaoh and his servants’ houses; and in all of Egypt the land was corrupted and ruined by reason of the great invasion [of gadflies].

²⁵ And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Go, sacrifice to your God [here] in the land [of Egypt].

²⁶ And Moses said, It is not suitable or right to do that; for the animals the Egyptians hold sacred and will not permit to be slain are those which we are accustomed to sacrifice to the Lord our God; if we did this before the eyes of the Egyptians, would they not stone us?

²⁷ We will go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as He will command us.

²⁸ So Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Entreat [your God] for me.

²⁹ Moses said, I go out from you, and I will entreat the Lord that the swarms [of bloodsucking gadflies] may depart from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.

³⁰ So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.

³¹ And the Lord did as Moses had spoken: He removed the swarms [of attacking gadflies] from Pharaoh, from his servants, and his people; there remained not one.

³² But Pharaoh hardened his heart and made it stubborn this time also, nor would he let the people go.

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and tell him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

² If you refuse to let them go and still hold them,

³ Behold, the hand of the Lord [will fall] upon your livestock which are out in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds and the flocks; there shall be a very severe plague.

⁴ But the Lord shall make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.

⁵ And the Lord set a time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.

⁶ And the Lord did that the next day, and all [kinds of] the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died.

⁷ Pharaoh sent to find out, and behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened [his mind was set] and he did not let the people go.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Take handfuls of ashes or soot from the brickkiln and let Moses sprinkle them toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.

⁹ And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast in all the land [occupied by the Egyptians].

¹⁰ So they took ashes or soot of the kiln and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw them toward the sky, and it became boils erupting in sores on man and beast.

¹¹ And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of their boils; for the boils were on the magicians and all the Egyptians.

¹² But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, making it strong and obstinate, and he did not listen to them or heed them, just as the Lord had told Moses.

¹³ Then the Lord said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

¹⁴ For this time I will send all My plagues upon your heart and upon your servants and your people, that you may recognize and know that there is none like Me in all the earth.

¹⁵ For by now I could have put forth My hand and have struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.

¹⁶ But for this very purpose have I let you live, that I might show you My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.^(A)

¹⁷ Since you are still exalting yourself [in haughty defiance] against My people by not letting them go,

¹⁸ Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very heavy and dreadful fall of hail, such as has not been in Egypt from its founding until now.

¹⁹ Send therefore now and gather your cattle in hastily, and all that you have in the field; for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home shall be struck by the hail and shall die.

²⁰ Then he who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses and shelters.

²¹ And he who ignored the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.

²² The Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth your hand toward the heavens, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man and beast, and upon all the vegetation of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

²³ Then Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire (lightning) ran down to and along the ground, and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

²⁴ So there was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the weighty hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

²⁵ The hail struck down throughout all the land of Egypt everything that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail beat down all the vegetation of the field and shattered every tree of the field.

²⁶ Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, was there no hail.

²⁷ And Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time; the Lord is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong.

²⁸ Entreat the Lord, for there has been enough of these mighty thunderings and hail [these voices of God]; I will let you go; you shall stay here no longer.

²⁹ Moses said to him, As soon as I leave the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord; the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s.

³⁰ But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet [reverently] fear the Lord God.

³¹ The flax and the barley were smitten and ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax in bloom.

³² But the wheat and spelt [another wheat] were not smitten, for they ripen late and were not grown up yet.

³³ So Moses left the city and Pharaoh, and stretched forth his hands to the Lord; and the thunder and hail ceased, and rain was no longer poured upon the earth.

³⁴ But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more, and toughened and stiffened his hard heart, he and his servants.

³⁵ So Pharaoh’s heart was strong and obstinate; he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said by Moses.^(B)