Mark 9

1He went on to say to them, “Truly I tell you, some who stand here will not taste death until the kingdom of God has come in power and they have seen it.”

2Six days later Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, away from everyone else. There he was transfigured in front of them. 3His clothes turned dazzling and intensely white, white beyond what any launderer on earth could achieve. 4Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and the two were talking with Jesus. 5Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, how good it is that we are here! Let us set up three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say, because they were all badly frightened. 7Then a cloud came and cast its shadow over them, and a voice spoke from the cloud: “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” 8All at once they looked around and saw no one there with them any more, only Jesus.

9As they came down the mountain, he gave them orders not to describe what they had seen to anyone until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10They kept the matter to themselves, but they debated with one another what this “rising from the dead” might mean. 11They asked him, “Why do the scribes claim that Elijah has to come first?” 12He told them, “Elijah does come first and set everything right. Then why does Scripture say that the Son of Man is to suffer much and be scorned? 13But I tell you that Elijah has in fact come, and they did to him as they pleased, just as it is written about him.”

14When they got back to the other disciples, they found a large crowd surrounding them, and some scribes disputing with them. 15As soon as the people saw him, the whole crowd was overcome with wonder, and they ran up to greet him. 16He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?” 17A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. 18Whenever it takes hold of him, it dashes him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and goes stiff. I asked your disciples to throw it out, but they did not have the strength.” 19Jesus answered them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I stay with you? How long must I bear with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20So they brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21Jesus asked the boy’s father, “Since when has this been happening to him?” He answered, “Since he was a small child. 22Many times it has thrown him into fire or into water to kill him. But if you are able to do anything at all, help us. Have pity on us!” 23Jesus said to him, “’If you can!’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” 24At once the boy’s father cried out, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he gave the unclean spirit a stern order: “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you to come out of him and never go into him again!” 26The spirit shrieked, threw him into violent convulsions, and came out. The boy was left lying like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He has died.” 27But Jesus took hold of his hand and lifted him up, and he got to his feet. 28After he went indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not throw it out?” 29He told them, “This kind cannot be made to come out by any means except prayer.”

30They left that place and made their way through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31for he was busy teaching his disciples. “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into human hands,” he told them. “They will kill him, and three days after he is killed he will rise again.” 32But they did not grasp what he meant, and they were afraid to question him.

33They arrived at Capernaum. Once they were inside the house, he asked them, “What was it you were debating as we walked?” 34They said nothing, because on the way they had been debating among themselves which of them was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of everyone and the servant of everyone.” 36He took a little child and stood the child among them. Then, putting his arms around the child, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes a child like this one in my name is welcoming me. And whoever welcomes me is welcoming, not me, but the One who sent me.”

38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man throwing out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, since he did not go around with us.” 39Jesus said, “Do not stop him. No one who does a mighty work in my name will be quick to speak ill of me afterward. 40Anyone not against us is for us.

41If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose the reward.

42Whoever makes one of these little ones who believe in me fall away would be better off having a huge millstone hung around the neck and being thrown into the sea.

43If your hand leads you into sin, cut it off. You are better off entering life maimed than going off with both hands into hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. 45If your foot leads you into sin, cut it off. You are better off entering life lame than being thrown into hell with both feet. 47If your eye leads you into sin, tear it out. You are better off entering the kingdom of God with only one eye than being thrown into hell with two, 48where the worm that eats them never dies and the fire is never put out.

49Everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is a good thing. But if the salt stops being salty, how will you give it back its flavor? Have salt in yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”