Mark 9
1
Then he said to them,“Truly I tell you, some people standing here will not experiencedeath
until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
2
Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain
to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them,
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and his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them.
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Then Elijah appeared to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
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Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it's good that we're here! Let's set up three shelters—one
for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
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(Peter didn't know how to respond, for they were terrified.)
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Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said,
“This is my Son, whom I love. Keep on listening to him!”
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Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus alone.
9
On their way down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen
until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
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They kept the matter to themselves but argued about what “rising from the dead” meant.
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So they asked him, “Don't the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
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He told them,“Elijah is indeed coming first and will restore all things. Why, then,
is it written that the Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be treated shamefully?
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But I tell you that Elijah has come, yet peopletreated him just as they pleased, as
it is written about him.”
14
As they approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some
scribes arguing with them.
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The whole crowd was very surprised to see Jesus and ran to welcome him.
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He asked the scribes,“What are you arguing about with them?”
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A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit
that won't let him talk.
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Whenever it brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the
mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. So I asked your disciples to drive the
spirit out, but they didn't have the power.”
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Jesus said to them,“You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long
must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”
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So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the
boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground and kept rolling around and foaming at
the mouth.
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Then Jesus asked his father,“How long has this been happening to him?” He said, “Since
he was a child.
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The spirit has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you
are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us!”
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Jesus said to him,“‘If you are able?’ Everything is possible for the person who believes!”
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With tears flowing, the child's father at once cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!”
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When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit,
saying to it,“You spirit that won't let him talk or hear—I command you to come out
of him and never enter him again!”
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The spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy was like a corpse,
and many said that he was dead.
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But Jesus took his hand and helped him up, and he stood up.
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When Jesus came home, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it
out?”
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He told them,“This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”
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Then they left that place and were passing through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone
to know it,
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for he was teaching his disciples and saying to them,“The Son of Man will be betrayed
into human hands. They will kill him, but after being dead for three days he will
be raised.”
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They didn't understand what this statement meant, and were afraid to ask him.
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Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples,“What
were you arguing about on the road?”
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But they kept silent, for on the road they had argued with one another about who was
the greatest.
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So he sat down and called the twelve. He told them,“If anyone wants to be first he
must be last of all and servant of all.”
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Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He took him in his arms
and said to them,
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“Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me
welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
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John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried
to stop him, because he wasn't a follower like us.”
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But Jesus said,“Don't stop him! For no one who works a miracle in my name can slander
me soon afterwards.
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For whoever is not against us is for us.
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Truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to
Christwill never lose his reward.”
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“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better
for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the
sea.
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So if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life
injured than to have two hands and go to hell,to the fire that cannot be put out.
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In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.
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And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life
crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
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In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.
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And 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 to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.
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In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.
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For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt.
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Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how can you restore its flavor? Keep on
having salt among yourselves, and live in peace with one another.”