Mark 8–9

1In those days the crowd once again became very large, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples to Him and said,

2“I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

3If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.”

4His disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?”

5“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied.

6And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd.

7They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well.

8The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

9And about four thousand men were present. And when Jesus had dismissed the crowd,

10He immediately got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

11Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.

12Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

13And He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side.

14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.

15“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

16So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

17Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts?

18‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember?

19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered.

20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said.

21Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?”

22When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.

24The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”

25Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.

26Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”

27Then Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say I am?”

28They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

29“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

30And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.

31Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.

32He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

33But Jesus, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

34Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.

36What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

38If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

1Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”

2After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.

3His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them.

4And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus.

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

6For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.

7Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!”

8Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus.

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

10So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead.

11And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected?

13But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.”

14When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.

15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with awe and ran to greet Him.

16“What are you disputing with them?” He asked.

17Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.

18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”

19“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

20So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said.

22“It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”

24Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

25When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

26After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”

27But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”

30Going on from there, they passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know,

31because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.”

32But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

33Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

34But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”

36Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,

37“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”

38John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

39“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me.

40For whoever is not against us is for us.

41Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.

42But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.

45If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck 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,

48where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’

49For everyone will be salted with fire.

50Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”