Mark 9:34-43

34 But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way [about] who [was] greatest.
35 And he sat down [and] called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all."
36 And he took a young child [and] had him stand {among them}. And taking him in his arms, he said to them,
37 "Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me."

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us

38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us."
39 But Jesus said, "Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
40 For whoever is not against us is for us.
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in [my] name because you are Christ's, truly I say to you that he will never lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

42 "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it is better for him if instead {a large millstone} is placed around his neck and he is thrown into the sea.
43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better [for] you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go into hell--into the unquenchable fire!

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("sat down") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [b]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("took") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [c]. Literally "in the midst of them"
  • [d]. Literally "a millstone of a donkey"
  • [e]. Most later Greek manuscripts add v. 44 after v. 43, "where their worm does not die and the fire is not extinguished" (identical to v. 48)
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.