Gospel of Mark Chapter Nine

9:1 Then he told them, “Truly I tell you, there are some who stand here that will not experience death before seeing the sanctuary of God appear with its power.”
9:2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John and brought them up a high mountain alone. There in front of them, he changed to another form.1
9:3 And his clothing turned brilliantly white as snow – greater than any washer could whiten them on earth.
9:4 Then Elijah appeared, with Moses – and they spoke with Jesus.
9:5 Then Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us erect three tents – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
9:6 For he didn’t know what to say because they were very afraid.
9:7 Then a cloud formed and enveloped them. A voice came out of the cloud: “This is my beloved Representative – listen to him!”
9:8 Then suddenly they looked around and didn’t see anyone but Jesus and themselves.
9:9 As they descended the mountain he instructed them not to tell anyone what they had witnessed, until the Servant of Humanity rises from the dead body.
9:10 They kept that statement between themselves – but debated with one another what appears from the dead body means.
9:11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
9:12 He answered them saying, “Elijah truly does come first – and restores everything – and as it is written about this Servant of Humanity, he bears many things and is scorned.
9:13 But I tell you, Elijah has already come and they have done to him whatever they wanted – as it is written about him.”
9:14 Then when he came towards his students he saw a great crowd surrounding them – and the scribes were questioning them.
9:15 Then immediately after they saw him, all the people were greatly astonished and ran to him, joyfully greeting him.
9:16 Then he asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”
9:17 Then someone from the crowd responded, saying, “Master I have brought to you my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.
9:18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him onto the ground and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth – and he is wasting away. I told your disciples to remove it and they couldn’t.”
9:19 Jesus responded by saying, “O faithless society, how long will I be with you? How long will I have to bear you? Bring him to me.”
9:20 So they brought the man to him and when he saw Jesus, immediately the spirit seized the child and he fell on the ground and rolled around frothing.
9:21 Jesus asked his father, “Since when did this start happening?” The father replied, “Since he was a child.
9:22 Oftentimes it will throw him into the fire or into the water to hurt him – but if you can do anything, please have mercy upon us and help us.”
9:23 Then Jesus said, “If you will only have faith – everything is possible for one who believes.”
9:24 Then immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears in his eyes, “Master I am believing – please help me with my doubt.”
9:25 When Jesus saw the crowd rapidly gathering around, he rebuked the impure spirit, saying to it, “You deaf and dumb spirit, I demand that you come out of him – and don’t enter him again!”
9:26 Crying and convulsing, the spirit came out of him and the boy appeared to be dead – so much so that many said, “He is dead.”
9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up – and he got up.
9:28 And when Jesus went into the house, his students asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”
9:29 He responded, “This kind will come out only by prayer and fasting.”
9:30 Then they departed there and passed through Galilee – and he didn’t want anyone to know.
9:31 For he had been teaching his students, “The Servant of Humanity is delivered to the hands of men – and they will kill his body; and after his body is killed, he will appear on the third day.”
9:32 While they didn’t understand what he was saying, they were afraid to ask him.
9:33 Then he arrived at Capernaum – and once they got to the house, he asked them, “What was it that you were arguing about on the way here?”
9:34 But they were silent, because they were arguing about who is greatest among them.
9:35 Then he sat down and called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be greatest, they must be last – and the servant of everyone.”
9:36 Then he picked up a child and set him in the middle of them – and after taking him in his arms, he said to them:
9:37 “Whoever accepts one of these children on my behalf accepts me – and whoever will accept me doesn’t accept me – but Him who sent me.”
9:38 Then John replied, saying, “Master we saw someone casting out demons in your name and he was not a follower of ours – so we forbade him."
9:39 But Jesus replied, “Do not forbid him – because no one who does a powerful thing in my name will be able to easily speak ill of me.
9:40 Because he who is not against us is with us.
9:41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name – because you belong to the Anointed of God [Messiah, Christ] – truly I say to you, he will never lose his reward.
9:42 And whoever offends one of these humble ones who trust in me – it will be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be cast into the sea.
9:43 If your hand causes you to offend – cut it off, for it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell – into the fire that is never quenched.
9:442
9:45 And if your foot causes you to offend – cut it off, as it is better for you to enter life lame than to go to hell – into the fire that will never be quenched.
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9:47 And if your eye causes you to offend – pluck it out, as it is better for you to enter the sanctuary of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into the hellish fire –
9:48 where their worm doesn’t die and the fire is never quenched.
9:49 Because all will be salted by fire.
9:50 Salt is good – but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season with it? Have salt within yourselves, and be at peace with one other.”

Footnotes:

1. Verse 9:2. The Greek word μεταμορφόω metamorphoō has been variously translated to “transfigured” in some translations. The word means, according to the lexicon, “to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure.”

2. Verse 9:44. This verse does not appear in early manuscripts.

3. Verse 9:46. This verse does not appear in early manuscripts.

Continue to Gospel of Mark Chapter Ten