Mark 9

And he said to them, “I'm telling you straight, some who are standing here won't taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

After 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 in front of them.

His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.

And there appeared in front of them Elijah and Moses, talking with Jesus.

And Peter said to Jesus, “Boss, it's good for us to be here. Let's put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

He didn't know what to say, because they were so frightened.

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him.”

Suddenly, when they looked round, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they'd seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

They kept the matter to themselves, talking over what “rising from the dead” meant.

And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus replied, “Elijah does come first, and puts everything right. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?

But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they've done to him everything they wanted, just as it's written about him.”

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.

As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who's got a spirit that's robbed him of speech.

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth and goes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they couldn't.”

“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus said, “how long will I stay with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it straight away threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

And Jesus asked the boy's father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he said.

“It's often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

And straight away the boy's father cried out, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he told the unclean spirit off. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never go into him again.”

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He's dead.”

But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it out?”

And he said, “This kind can only come out by prayer.”

They left that place and went through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know where they were,

because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of men. They'll kill him, and after three days he'll rise.”

But they didn't understand what he meant, and were afraid to ask him about it.

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”

But they kept quiet, because on the way they'd argued about who was the greatest.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of everyone.”

He took a little child and stood him among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me doesn't welcome me but the one who sent me.”

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he wasn't one of us.”

“Don't stop him,” Jesus said. “Nobody who does a miracle in my name can turn round the next moment and say anything bad about me.

Because whoever isn't against us is for us.

I'm telling you straight, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it'd be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied round their neck.

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It's better for you to go into life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out,

where their worm doesn't die, and the fire isn't put out.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It's better for you to go into life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell,

where their worm doesn't die, and the fire isn't put out.

And if your eye causes you to stumble, pull it out. It's better for you to go into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

where their worm doesn't die, and the fire isn't put out.

Everyone will be salted with fire.

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.”