1And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’
The transfiguration
2After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.4And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.5Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’6(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)7Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!’8Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.10They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what ‘rising from the dead’ meant.11And they asked him, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?’12Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?13But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.’
Jesus heals a boy possessed by an impure spirit
14When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.16‘What are you arguing with them about?’ he asked.17A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’19‘You unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.’20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.21Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered.22‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’23‘ “If you can”?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’24Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ he said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He’s dead.’27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’29He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.[1]’
Jesus predicts his death a second time
30They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’32But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’36He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them,37‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’
Whoever is not against us is for us
38‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.’39‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘For no-one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,40for whoever is not against us is for us.41Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Causing to stumble
42‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung round their neck and they were thrown into the sea.43-44If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.[2]45-46And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.[3]47And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,48where ‘ “the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Isa 66:24)49Everyone will be salted with fire.50‘Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.’
2And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, (Mt 17:1; Mr 5:37; Mr 14:33; Lu 9:28; 2Co 3:18)3and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one[1] on earth could bleach them. (Ps 104:2; Da 7:9; Mt 28:3)4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.5And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,[2] it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (Ne 8:15; Joh 1:38)6For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. (Mr 14:40; Lu 9:33)7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son;[3] listen to him.” (Ex 24:15; Mt 3:17; Mr 12:6; Ac 3:22; 2Pe 1:17)8And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.9And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (Mt 8:4; Mt 17:9; Mr 5:43; Mr 8:31)10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. (Lu 9:36; Joh 16:17)11And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” (Mt 11:14)12And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? (Ps 22:6; Isa 53:2; Da 9:26; Zec 13:7; Mal 4:6; Mt 26:24; Mr 8:31; Lu 1:16; Lu 23:11; Ac 1:6; Ac 3:21; Ac 4:11; Php 2:7)13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” (Mr 6:17; Mr 6:27)
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
14And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. (Mt 17:14; Lu 9:37)15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. (Mr 10:32)16And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”17And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. (Mr 9:25; Lu 11:14)18And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” (Mt 10:1; Mr 6:7; Lu 10:17)19And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” (Joh 14:9; Joh 20:27)20And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. (Mr 1:26)21And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mt 9:28; Mr 1:40)23And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mt 17:20; Mr 6:5; Mr 9:22)24Immediately the father of the child cried out[4] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Lu 17:5)25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” (Mr 9:15; Mr 9:17)26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” (Mr 9:20)27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. (Mr 1:31)28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” (Mr 7:17)29And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”[5]
Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection
30They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, (Mt 17:22; Mr 8:31; Mr 10:32; Lu 9:43)31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” (Mr 8:31)32But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mr 6:52; Mr 9:10; Lu 2:50; Lu 18:34; Lu 24:25; Joh 10:6; Joh 12:16; Joh 16:17)
Who Is the Greatest?
33And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” (Mt 17:24; Mt 18:1; Mr 10:35; Lu 9:46)34But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (Mr 9:50; Lu 22:24)35And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mt 20:26; Mt 23:11; Mr 10:43; Lu 22:26)36And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, (Mr 10:16)37“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mt 10:40; Mt 10:42)
Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name,[6] and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (Nu 11:28; Mt 7:22; Mt 12:27; Mr 16:17; Lu 9:49; Lu 10:17; Ac 19:13)39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.40For the one who is not against us is for us. (Mt 12:30; Lu 11:23)41For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. (Mt 10:42)
Temptations to Sin
42“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,[7] it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. (Zec 13:7; Mt 18:6; Mr 14:21; Lu 17:2; 1Co 8:12)43And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,[8] to the unquenchable fire.[9] (Mt 3:12; Mt 5:22; Mt 5:29; Mt 5:30; Mt 18:8; Mt 25:41; Mr 9:48)45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. (Mt 18:8; Mr 9:43)47And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, (Mt 5:22; Mt 5:29; Mt 18:9)48‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ (Isa 66:24)49For everyone will be salted with fire.[10]50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Eze 43:24; Mt 5:13; Mr 9:34; Lu 14:34; Ro 12:18; Ro 14:19; 2Co 13:11; Eph 4:29; Col 4:6; 1Th 5:13)