Mark 9

 

1 And He said to them, Truly I say to you, There are some that stand here, who shall not taste death, till they have seen the kingdom of God (has) come with power (in Me, the incarnate Son, revealing My divinity in the flesh).

 

2 And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter, and James, and John, and led them up into a high mountain alone by themselves: and He was transfigured (and His appearance was changed) before them.

 

3 And His raiment became shining (glistening), exceedingly white as snow; as no laundry soap on earth could whiten them.

 

4 And there appeared to them Elijah (the prophet) with Moses (through whom came the law, standing with Christ, seeing as they both foreshadowed and spoke with the preincarnate Christ on the same mount in their days on the earth): and they were talking with Jesus (about His coming departure).

 

5 And Peter answered and 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.

 

6 For he knew not what to say; because they were greatly afraid.

 

7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him.

 

8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man anymore, except Jesus only with themselves (for He is the fulfillment of all the law and the prophets).

 

9 And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should not tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man was risen from the dead.

 

10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

 

11 And they asked Him, saying, Why do the scribes say that Elijah must first come?

 

12 And He answered and told them, Elijah truly comes first and restores all things; and (yet) how it is written of the Son of man, that He must suffer many things, and be (despised, rejected of men and) set at nothing.

 

13 But I say to you, That Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they desired, as it is written of him.

 

14 And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great crowd around them, and the scribes questioned them.

 

15 And straightaway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him.

 

16 And He asked the scribes, What do you question with them (about)?

 

17 And one in the crowd answered and said, Master, I have brought to you my son, which has a mute spirit;

 

18 And wherever the mute spirit takes him, he tears him: and he foams (at the mouth), and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away: and I spoke to your disciples that they would cast him out; and they could not.

 

19 He answered him, and said, O faithless (and unbelieving) generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you (until you believe)? bring him to Me.

 

20 And they brought him to Him: and when he saw Him, straightaway the spirit cast him (into a convulsion); and he fell on the ground and rolled around foaming (at the mouth).

 

21 And He asked his father, How long of a time (it had been) since this came to him? And he said, from childhood.

 

22 And often has it cast him into the fire, and into the waters, (with the intent) 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 (I am the Christ, the Son of the living God, without beginning of days or end of life), all things are possible to him that believes (that the strength that is in My hands is greater than the death and corruption in the world).

 

24 And straightaway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help (send away) my unbelief.

 

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the foul spirit, saying to him, You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more.

 

26 And the spirit cried, and cast him into many convulsions, and came out of him: and he appeared as one dead; so that many said, He is dead.

 

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up; and he arose. 28 And when he had come into the house, His disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast him out?

 

29 And He said to them, This kind can come out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (which is when your eyes are fixed on the work of God alone, considering the strength that is in My hands, where you rest from making the works of your own hands, your food for life).

 

30 And they departed there and passed through Galilee; and He did not desire that any man should know it.

 

31 For He taught His disciples, and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of (sinful) men, and they shall kill Him; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day.

 

32 But they did not understand that saying and were afraid to ask Him (remembering it after He had risen from the dead).

 

33 And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house He asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves along the way?

 

34 But they remained silent: because along the way they had disputed among themselves, which (of them) was the greatest.

 

35 And He sat down, and called the twelve, and said to them, If any man desires to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

 

36 And He took a child, and set him in the middle of them: and when He had taken him in his arms, He said to them,

 

37 Whoever shall receive one of these little children in My name, receives Me: and whoever shall receive Me, does not receive Me, but (receives) Him (the Father) that sent Me.

 

38 And John answered Him, saying, Master, we saw someone casting out devils in your name, and he does not follow us: and we stopped him, because he does not follow us.

 

39 But Jesus said, Do not forbid him: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can quickly (or easily) speak evil of Me.

 

40 For he that is not against us is for us.

 

41 For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My (Father’s) name, because you belong to Christ (His Son), truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

 

42 But whoever shall offend (causing) one of these little ones who (are simple or weaker in the faith that) believe in Me (to stumble at the truth), it is better for him that a millstone (the heaviest of stones) were hung around his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

 

43 And if your hand causes you to stumble (at the only truth that can preserve your life eternal, causing you to look to the works of your own hand), cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands (apart from the testimony of My life which has already been tried by fire) going into Gehenna (hell fire unto destruction), the unquenchable fire (that consumes every testimony contrary to My life):

 

44 (In the grave) where the worm (that eats the flesh of dead carcasses of those who trespassed the way unto life) never dies, and the fire is not quenched (consuming all corruption and death).

 

45 And if your foot causes you to stumble (walking outside of the way unto life), cut it off: it is better for you to enter lame into life, than having two feet (like a branch that withers apart from the vine is) cast (unto destruction) into Gehenna (fire), into the fire that never shall be quenched (consuming every way that is contrary to life):

 

46 (In the grave) where the worm (that eats the flesh of dead carcasses of those who trespassed the way unto life) never dies, and the fire is not quenched (consuming all corruption and death).

 

47 And if your eye causes you to stumble (by looking to your own hand or your foot to lead you to life), pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye (solely on Christ), than having two eyes cast (unto destruction) into hell fire:

 

48 (In the grave) where the worm (that eats the flesh of dead carcasses of those who trespassed the way unto life) never dies, and the fire is not quenched (consuming all corruption and death).

 

49 For everyone shall be salted (proved) with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted (tested) with salt (to prove what sort it was; corruptible or incorruptible).

 

50 Salt is good (and to be desired): but if the salt has lost His saltiness (His divinity), with what will you season it (so that you might share in His incorruptible life)? Have (His) salt in yourselves, and (you shall) have peace with one another.