1 He said to them, “Most assuredly I tell you, there are some
standing here who will in no way taste death until they see the Kingdom of
God come with power.”
2 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought
them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into
another form in front of them. 3 His clothing became glistening,
exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.
4 Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter answered Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make
three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he
didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.
7 A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
8 Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except
Jesus only.
9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them that they
should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had
risen from the dead. 10 They kept this saying to themselves, questioning
what the “rising from the dead” meant.
11 They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come
first?”
12 He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all
things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many
things and be despised? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they
have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about
him.”
14 Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and
scribes questioning them. 15 Immediately all the multitude, when they saw
him, were greatly amazed, and running to him greeted him. 16 He asked the
scribes, “What are you asking them?”
17 One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who
has a mute spirit; 18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and
he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your
disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.”
19 He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with
you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
20 They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit
convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the
mouth.
21 He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to
him?”
He said, “From childhood. 22 Often it has cast him both into the fire and
into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion
on us, and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to
him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe.
Help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the
unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you,
come out of him, and never enter him again!”
26 Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy
became like one dead; so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But
Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.
28 When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately,
“Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29 He said to them, “This kind can come
out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”
30 They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want
anyone to know it. 31 For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them,
“The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will
kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”
32 But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them,
“What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”
34 But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way
about who was the greatest.
35 He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any
man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
36 He took a little child, and set him in the midst of them. Taking him in
his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such little child
in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him
who sent me.”
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us
casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t
follow us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do
a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. 40 For
whoever is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever will give you a
cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most
assuredly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward. 42 Whoever will
cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be
better for him if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his
neck. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for
you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into
Gehenna,*1 into the unquenchable fire,
44 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 45 If
your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter
into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna,
into the fire that will never be quenched — 46 ‘where their worm doesn’t
die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 47 If your eye causes you to stumble,
cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one
eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire,
48 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For
everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with
salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what
will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one
another.”
1 Gehenna is a word for Hell that originated as the name for a
place where live babies were thrown crying into the fire under the arms of
the idol, Moloch, to die. This place was so despised by the people after the
righteous King Josiah abolished this hideous practice, that not only was it
made into a garbage heap, but dead bodies of diseased animals and executed
criminals were thrown there and burned.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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