Mark 9
1 He also said to [his disciples], “Listen carefully! Some of you who are here now will see God ruling powerfully in [many ways]. You will see it before you die!”
And He said to them, “I tell you assuredly: there are some standing here who will certainly not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God present with power.”
2 A week later Jesus took Peter, James and [James’ younger brother] John and led them up a high mountain. [While they were] alone up there, he appeared very different to them.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up on a high mountain alone by themselves. Then He was transfigured in front of them;
3 His clothes became dazzling white. They were whiter than anyone on earth could make them by bleaching them.
His clothing became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth is able to whiten.
4 [Two prophets who had lived long ago], Moses and Elijah, appeared to them. Then the two of them began talking with Jesus.
And Elijah appeared to them, along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.
5 [After a short time], Peter [interrupted by] exclaiming, “Teacher, it is wonderful to be here! So allow us to make three shelters. One [will be] for you, one [will be] for Moses, and one [will be] for Elijah!”
Well Peter reacted by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three shelters: one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
6 [He said this] because [he wanted to say something, but] he did not know what to say, because he and the other [two disciples] were very awestruck.
(Because they were terrified, he didn't know what to say.)
7 Then a [shining] cloud appeared that covered them. [God] [EUP] spoke to them from the cloud saying, “This is my Son. I love him. [Therefore], listen to him!”
With that a cloud was covering them and a Voice came out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the beloved. Listen to Him!”
8 When [the three disciples] looked around, they saw that suddenly Jesus was alone with them, and that there was no longer anyone [else] there.
And then, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 While they were coming down the mountain, Jesus told them that they should not tell anyone [yet] what had just happened to him. He said, “You may tell them after I, the one who came from heaven, (rise from the dead/become alive again) after I die.”
Now as they were coming down from the mountain, He ordered them not to recount to any one the things they had seen until the Son of the Man had risen from the dead.
10 So they did not tell others about it [for a long time]. But they discussed among themselves what it meant when he said that he would (rise from the dead/become alive again) after he died.
So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the ‘rising from the dead’ meant.
11 [The three disciples had just seen Elijah, but Elijah had not done anything to prepare people to accept Jesus. So] they asked Jesus, “The men who teach the [Jewish] laws say that Elijah must come back to the earth before [the Messiah comes to earth. But you have been here a long time and Elijah came just today. So is what they are teaching wrong?]”
And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 [Jesus wanted them to know that John the Baptizer was the one who represented Elijah. So] he answered them, “It is true that [God promised to send Elijah to come] first [so that people would be ready when I came]. Elijah’s representative has already come, and our leaders treated him very badly, just like they wanted to do, just like it was prophesied {[the prophets] prophesied} long ago. But, (I also want you to consider what is written {what [the prophets] wrote} in the Scriptures about me, the one who came from heaven./why have you not thought about what is written {what [the prophets] wrote} about me, the one who came from heaven?) [RHQ] It is written {They wrote} that I would suffer much and that I would be rejected {that [many people] would reject me}.”
So in answer He said to them: “Elijah indeed does come first, and restores all things; also how it is written concerning the Son of the Man that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt.
Still, I say to you that ‘Elijah’ has also come, and they did to him as they wished, as it is written about him.”
14 [Jesus and those three disciples] returned to where the [other] disciples were. They saw a large crowd around the other disciples and [some] men who taught the [Jewish] laws arguing with them.
Upon coming to the disciples, He saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.
15 As soon as the crowd saw Jesus, they were very surprised [to see him come]. So they ran to him and greeted him.
Well as soon as the crowd saw Him they were excited and ran to greet Him.
16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about?”
He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son [here in order that] you [would heal him]. There is an evil spirit in him [that makes him] unable to talk.
In answer a man in the crowd said: “Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a mute spirit.
18 Whenever the spirit attacks him, it throws him down. He foams at the mouth, he grinds his teeth together, and he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to expel the spirit, but they were not able to do it.”
And wherever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth and gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. Indeed, I spoke to your disciples, that they might cast it out, but they could not.”
19 Jesus replied by saying to those people, “(I am very disappointed that [although you] have observed how I help people, you do not believe [that you are able to do anything]!/Why is it that [although you] have observed how I help people, you do not believe [that you are able to do anything]?) [RHQ] (I have been with you a long time, [and you still cannot do what I do]!/How long do I have to be with you [before you can do what I do]?) [RHQ] Bring the boy to me!”
But He answered him by saying: “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me!”
20 So they brought the boy to Jesus. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it shook the boy severely, and [the boy] fell on the ground. He rolled around, and he foamed at the mouth.
So they brought him to Him. Upon seeing Him the spirit convulsed him, and falling to the ground he started wallowing, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” He replied, “[This started to happen] when he was a child.
Then He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said: “From childhood.
22 [The spirit does not only do this], but he also often throws him into the fire or into the water in order to kill him. But, pity us and help us, if you can!”
Really, it has often thrown him both into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus exclaimed to him, “[Do not say] [RHQ] ‘If you can’, for [God/I] can do anything for people who believe [in him/me]!”
Jesus said to him, “It's ‘if you can believe’; all things are possible to the one who believes.”
24 Immediately the child’s father shouted, “I believe [that you can help me, but I do not believe strongly]. Help me to believe more strongly!”
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 Because [Jesus wanted to heal the boy before] the crowd got bigger, he rebuked the evil spirit, saying, “You evil spirit, you who are [causing this boy to be] deaf and unable to talk! I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!”
When Jesus saw that the crowd was running up, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I am commanding you, get out of him and never enter him again!”
26 The evil spirit shouted, it shook the boy violently, and then it left the boy. The boy did not move. He seemed like a dead body. So many of the people there said, “He is dead!”
Then it yelled, convulsed him violently, and came out. Well he looked to be dead; so much so that many said, “He's dead.”
27 However, Jesus took him by the hand and helped him get up. Then the boy stood up. [He was healed]!
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he stayed on his feet.
28 Later, when Jesus and his disciples were alone in a house, one of them asked him, “Why were we not able to expel [the evil spirit]?”
Well upon His entering a house His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn't we cast it out?”
29 He said to them, “You can expel this kind [of evil spirit] only by your praying [that God will give you the power to do it]. There is no other way that you can expel them.”
He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing except prayer and fasting.”
30 After [Jesus and his disciples] left that [district], they traveled through Galilee [district]. Jesus did not want anyone [else] to know [that he was in their area]; he did not want
Having gone out from there they were passing through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know;
31 [anyone to interrupt him] as he taught his disciples. He was telling them, “[Some day my enemies] [SYN] will seize [MTY] me, the one who came from heaven, and I will be handed over [to other] men. Those men will kill me. But on the third day after I am killed {after they kill me}, I will become alive again!”
because He was teaching His disciples and saying to them, “The Son of the Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and once killed he will rise on the third day.”
32 But they did not understand what he was telling them. Also, they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.
But they were not understanding this information, yet were afraid to ask Him.
33 Jesus and his disciples returned to Capernaum [town]. When they were in the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing [while we were traveling] on the road?”
Then He came to Capernaum; and once in the house He asked them, “What were you debating among yourselves on the road?”
34 But they did not reply. [They were ashamed to reply] because, [while they were traveling], they had been arguing with each other about which one of them [would be] the most important [when Jesus became king].
But they kept silent, because on the road they had debated among themselves who was greater.
35 He sat down, he summoned the twelve disciples [to come close to him], and then he said to them, “If anyone wants [God to consider him] to be the most important person of all, he must [consider himself] to be the least important person of all, and he must serve everyone [else].”
So He sat down, called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
36 Then he took a child and placed him among them. He took the child in his arms and then he said to them,
Then He took a child and stood him in their midst, and embracing him said to them,
37 “Those who, [because they love] me, welcome a child like this one, [God considers that] they are welcoming me. So [it is as though] they are also welcoming [God], who sent me.”
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not only me, but the One who sent me.”
38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone who was expelling demons, ([claiming he had] authority from you [to do that/while telling people] that you [have told him to do it]). So we told him to stop doing it because he was not one of us [disciples].”
So John answered Him saying, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, one who doesn't follow us; and we forbade him, because he doesn't follow us.”
39 Jesus said, “Do not tell him [not to do that]! For no one will speak evilly about me just after he performs a miracle while saying that I [have told him to do it].
But Jesus said: “Do not forbid him, because no one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterward speak evil of me.
40 Furthermore, those who are not opposing us are trying to [achieve the same goals that] we are.
For he who is not against you is for you.
41 Also think about this: Those [who belong to me who help you in any way, even] if they [just] give you a cup of water to drink because you follow [me], the Messiah, will certainly be rewarded [by God]!”
Further, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, I tell you with certainty, he will by no means lose his reward.
42 [Jesus also said], “But if you cause someone who believes in me to sin, [God will severely punish you], even if that person is [socially unimportant like] this little child. If someone tied a heavy stone around your neck and you were thrown {and threw you} into the sea, [you would consider that was a severe punishment. But God will punish you more severely] than that [if you cause a person who believes in me to sin].
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe into me to fall, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43 [So], if you are [wanting to use one of] [MTY, PRS] [your hands to sin, stop using your hand! Even if you have to] cut your hand off and throw it away [to avoid sinning, do it] [HYP]! It is good that you not sin and that you live eternally, [even though you lack one of] your hands [while you are here on earth]. But it is not good that you sin and as a result God throws your whole body into hell. There the fires never go out! (Geenna g1067)
Further, if your hand is causing you to fall, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into the Life maimed than having both hands to go away into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire— (Geenna g1067)
where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
45 If you are [wanting to use] one of [PRS] your feet to sin, [stop using your foot! Even if you have to] cut off your foot [to avoid sinning, do it] [HYP]! It is good that you not sin and live eternally, [even though] you lack one of your feet [while you are here on earth]. But it is not good that you sin and go to hell. (Geenna g1067)
And if your foot is causing you to fall, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into the Life lame than having both feet to be thrown into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire— (Geenna g1067)
where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
47 If because of what you see [MTY, PRS] you are tempted to sin, [stop looking at those things]! Even if you have to gouge out your eye and throw it away [HYP] [to avoid sinning, do it! It is good that you not sin and live eternally, even though you lack one of] your eyes [while you are here on earth]. But it is not good that you sin and, as a result, God puts your whole body in hell. (Geenna g1067)
And if your eye is causing you to fall, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than having both eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire— (Geenna g1067)
48 In that place people suffer forever and the fires are never put out {never go out}.”
where ‘the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
49 “[You must endure difficulties in order that God will be pleased with you. Your difficulties are like] a fire [that makes things pure] [MET]. [Your enduring is also like] [MET] salt being put [on] {people putting salt on their} [sacrifices to make them pure].
“Further, everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.
50 Salt is useful [to put on food], but you cannot [RHQ] make salt to taste salty again if it becomes flavorless [MET]. Similarly, you must remain useful to God, [because no one can make you useful to God again if you become useless]. You must also live peacefully with each other.”
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
