Luke 9

 

1 Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

 

2 And He sent them to preach the (good news of the) kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

 

3 And He said to them, Take nothing for your journey, not a staff, nor purse, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.

 

4 And whatever house you enter into, (greet it and) there stay, and there depart.

 

5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them (breaking communion with them as if they were heathens).

 

6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

 

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Jesus: and He was perplexed, because it was said of some, that John (the Baptist) was risen from the dead;

 

8 And of some, that Elijah had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

 

9 And Herod said, John I have beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see Him.

 

10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. And He took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

 

11 And the people, when they knew it, followed Him: and He received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that needed healing.

 

12 And when the day began to wind down, then came the twelve, and said to Him, Send the crowds away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get food: for we are here in a desert place.

 

13 But He said to them, You give them (something) to eat. And they said, We have no more than five loaves (of bread) and two fishes; unless we would go and buy meat for all these people.

 

14 For there were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a group.

 

15 And they did so and made them all sit down.

 

16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.

 

17 And they did eat and were all satisfied (as the Lord's provision always superabounds): and there was taken up from leftover pieces to them twelve baskets (full).

 

18 And it came to pass, as He was alone praying, His disciples were with him: and He asked them, saying, Whom do the people say that I am?

 

19 They answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

 

20 He said to them, But whom do you say that I am? Peter answered, The Christ of God (the Messiah, who is the Son of God, both truly God divine and truly man).

 

21 And He straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

 

22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

 

23 And He said to them all, If any man desires to come after (the endless life they behold in) Me, let him deny (the life he can serve) himself, and take up his cross daily (being crucified to any other life but the life I can serve him), and follow Me (to the only life that satisfies).

 

24 For whoever desires to preserve his (own) life (in the world) shall perish in it: but whoever desires to lose the life (the world can offer, seeing it cannot ever satisfy the life their heart truly desires) for the sake of (the life they see in) Me, the same shall save it (from perishing).

 

25 For what profit is it to a man, if he gains the whole world, and he himself perish (along with the world), or casts away (forfeiting his own self)?

 

26 For whoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words (before men), him shall the Son of man put to shame (for when he beholds Him in deified flesh his heart will feel the weight of having believed the lie contained in the confidence he placed in himself), when He (the Son of man) shall come in His own glory, and in His Father's, and with the holy angels.

 

27 But I tell you truthfully, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

 

28 And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings; He took Peter and John and James and went up into the mountain to pray.

 

29 And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and (exceedingly) radiant.

 

30 And, behold, there He spoke with two men, who were Moses and Elijah:

 

31 Who appeared in glory and spoke of His departure (from the world), which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

 

32 But Peter and those that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw His glory, and the two men that stood with Him.

 

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from Him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not understanding (the implications of) what he said.

 

34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

 

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him (He alone has the words of eternal life).

 

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close (to themselves) and told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen.

 

37 And it came to pass that on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, many people met Him.

 

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech you, look on my son: for he is my only child.

 

39 And, see, a spirit takes him (captive), and he suddenly cries out; and it throws him so that he convulses again (and again), and with difficulty it departs from him, bruising him.

 

40 And I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.

 

41 And Jesus answered and said, O unbelieving and perverse generation, how much longer shall I be with you, and endure with you? Bring your son here.

 

42 And as He was yet a coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

 

43 And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while everyone wondered at all things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples,

 

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men (and put to death).

 

45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them (until after He had risen), so that they did not perceive it: and they were afraid to ask Him about that saying.

 

46 Then there arose a question among them about who might be the greatest.

 

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by Him,

 

48 And He said to them, Whoever shall receive this child in My (family) name receives Me: and whoever shall receive Me receives Him (the Father) who sent Me: for he that is least among you all (lowly, meek, and a servant), the same shall be great.

 

49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he does not follow us.

 

50 And Jesus said to him, Do not forbid him: for he that is not against us is for us.

 

51 And it came to pass, when the (fullness of) time had come that He should be received up (and delivered into the hands of men), He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

 

52 And sent messengers before His face: and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans (whom some Jews looked on as worse than heathen), to make ready for Him.

 

53 And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to (rival) Jerusalem.

 

54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, Do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?

 

55 But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, You do not know what manner of Spirit you belong to (for He is the giver of life, not the taker)!

 

56 For the Son of man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them (from destruction). And they went to another village.

 

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said to Him, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.

 

58 And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has no place to rest His head.

 

59 And He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.

 

60 Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury their dead: but you go and declare the kingdom of God.

 

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow you; but let me first go and bid farewell to them who are at home at my house.

 

62 And Jesus said to him, No man, having laid his hand to the plough (as in one saying I will follow you), and looking back (as did Lot's wife to the former life that is fading away), is fit for the kingdom of God.