Mark 9

1Then Jesus said to them: I tell you the truth, some of you standing here will not die before you see God's kingdom come with power.

2Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain by themselves. There Jesus was changed in front of them.

3His clothes became shining white, whiter than anyone on earth could make them.

4Then Elijah and Moses appeared, and they were talking with Jesus.

5Peter said to Jesus: Teacher, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters — one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

6Peter did not know what to say, because he and the others were so afraid.

7Then a cloud came and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!

8They looked around, and suddenly they saw no one with them except Jesus.

9As they came down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10They kept this to themselves, but they asked each other what rising from the dead meant.

11Then they asked Jesus: Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?

12Jesus answered: Elijah does come first to make everything ready. But why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated like nothing?

13I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.

14When Jesus and the three disciples came back to the others, they saw a large crowd around them, and the teachers of the law were arguing with them.

15As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were amazed and ran to greet Him.

16Jesus asked: What are you arguing about with them?

17A man in the crowd answered: Teacher, I brought my son to You. He has an evil spirit that keeps him from talking.

18Whenever the spirit takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.

19Jesus said: You people have no faith! How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.

20So they brought the boy. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth.

21Jesus asked the boy's father: How long has this been happening to him? The father answered: Since he was a child.

22The spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if You can do anything, please feel sorry for us and help us.

23Jesus said: If you can? Everything is possible for the one who believes.

24At once the boy's father cried out: I do believe! Help me with my unbelief!

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running up, He ordered the evil spirit: You spirit that makes this boy unable to hear or speak, I command you, come out of him and never go into him again!

26The spirit screamed, shook the boy hard, and came out. The boy looked like a dead body, so that many said: He is dead.

27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and the boy stood up.

28Later, when Jesus was inside the house, His disciples asked Him in private: Why couldn't we drive out the spirit?

29Jesus answered: This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.

30They left there and went through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,

31because He was teaching His disciples. He told them: The Son of Man will be handed over to men. They will kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.

32But they did not understand what He meant, and they were afraid to ask Him.

33They came to Capernaum. When they were in the house, Jesus asked them: What were you arguing about on the road?

34But they said nothing, because on the road they had argued about which of them was the greatest.

35Jesus sat down and called the twelve to him. He said: If anyone wants to be first, that person must be the very last, and the servant of everyone.

36Then He took a little child and stood the child among them. He took the child in His arms and said to them:

37Anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me does not welcome only me, but also the One who sent me.

38John said to Him: Teacher, we saw a man driving out demons in Your name, and we told him to stop, because he is not one of us.

39But Jesus said: Do not stop him. No one who does a miracle in my name can soon afterward say anything bad about me.

40Anyone who is not against us is for us.

41I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will surely be rewarded.

42If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a huge millstone tied around their neck.

43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter life without a hand than to have two hands and go to hell, where the fire never goes out.

44There the worm does not die, and the fire is never put out.

45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell, where the fire never goes out.

46There the worm does not die, and the fire is never put out.

47And if your eye causes you to sin, take it out. It is better to enter God's kingdom with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

48where the worm does not die and the fire is never put out.

49Everyone will be made pure by fire, the way a sacrifice is made pure by salt.

50Salt is good. But if it loses its taste, how can you make it salty again? Keep salt in yourselves, and live in peace with one another.