Mark 9-11

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.”

1Then Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea, beyond the Jordan. Again the crowds came to Him and He taught them, as was His custom.

2Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.

3“What did Moses command you?” He replied.

4They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

5But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.

6However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

7‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

8and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

10When they were back inside the house, the disciples asked Jesus about this matter.

11So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.

12And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

13Now people were bringing the little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, and the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

14But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

15Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

16And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.

17As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone.

19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

20“Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.”

21Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

22But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

25It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

28Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”

29“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel

30will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

32As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him:

33“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles,

34who will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise again.”

35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

36“What do you want Me to do for you?” He inquired.

37They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.”

38“You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?”

39“We can,” the brothers answered. “You will drink the cup that I drink,” Jesus said, “and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo.

40But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.

42So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.

43But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

44and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.

45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

46Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road.

47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man. “Take courage!” they said. “Get up! He is calling for you.”

50Throwing off his cloak, Bartimaeus jumped up and came to Jesus.

51“What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “Rabboni,” said the blind man, “let me see again.”

52“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two of His disciples

2and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

3If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it shortly.’”

4So they went and found the colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. They untied it,

5and some who were standing there asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”

6The disciples answered as Jesus had instructed them, and the people gave them permission.

7Then they led the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and He sat on it.

8Many in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the fields.

9The ones who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

10“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

11Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

12The next day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus was hungry.

13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs.

14Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.

15When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.

16And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.

17Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

18When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

19And when evening came, Jesus and His disciples went out of the city.

20As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots.

21Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.”

22“Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them.

23“Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him.

24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

25And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”

27After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.

28“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”

29“I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

30John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”

31They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

32But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet.

33So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”