Gospel according to Mark 9

¹ And he said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power’.

² Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured:

³ his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them.

⁴ Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah’.

⁶ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened.

⁷ And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’

⁸ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.

⁹ As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

¹⁰ They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.

¹¹ And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’

¹² ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt?

¹³ However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’

¹⁴ When they rejoined the disciples they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them.

¹⁵ The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him.

¹⁶ ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked.

¹⁷ A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him,

¹⁸ and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’

¹⁹ ‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’

²⁰ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied

²² ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’

²³ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’

²⁴ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’

²⁵ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’

²⁶ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead’.

²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand.

²⁸ When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’

²⁹ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’

³⁰ After leaving that place they made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know,

³¹ because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again’.

³² But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.

³³ They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’

³⁴ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest.

³⁵ So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all’.

³⁶ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them,

³⁷ ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me’.

³⁸ John said to him, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him’.

³⁹ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me.

⁴⁰ Anyone who is not against us is for us.

⁴¹ ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’

⁴² ‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck.

⁴³ And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out.

⁴⁵ And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

⁴⁷ And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell

⁴⁸ where their worm does not die nor their fire go out[*a].

⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰ Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’