Shared Word Translation
Mark 9
The Transfiguration
And he was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come in power.” And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his garments became radiant, exceedingly white, such as no fuller on earth is able to whiten. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were speaking with Jesus.
And answering, Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” And suddenly, looking around, they saw no one with them any longer except Jesus alone.
The Coming of Elijah
And as they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, except when the Son of Man should rise from the dead. And they held the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead might be. And they were asking him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” And he said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first and restores all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.”
A Boy with an Unclean Spirit
And coming to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, seeing him, were greatly amazed, and running up, greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?” And one from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, having a mute spirit; and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able.”
And answering them he said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought him to him. And seeing him, immediately the spirit convulsed the boy, and falling on the ground, he rolled, foaming. And he asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often it has cast him both into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
And Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able’—all things are possible for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And Jesus, seeing that a crowd was running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more.” And crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and he became like a corpse, so that most said, “He has died.” But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
And when he had entered the house, his disciples were asking him privately, “Why were we not able to cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind is not able to come out by anything except prayer.”
Jesus Again Foretells His Death
And going out from there, they were passing through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and when he has been killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him.
Who Is the Greatest?
And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And sitting down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me but the one who sent me.”
Not Against Us Is for Us
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.
For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.”
Temptations to Sin
“And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame than having two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.
For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”