Mark 9

Listen to Mark 9
1 And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not 1taste death 2until they see the kingdom of God after it has come 3with power."

The Transfiguration

2 4And after six days Jesus took with him 5Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was 6transfigured before them,
3 and 7his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one[a] on earth could bleach them.
4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 And Peter said to Jesus, 8"Rabbi,[b] it is good that we are here. Let us make three 9tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."
6 For 10he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
7 And 11a cloud overshadowed them, and 12a voice came out of the cloud, 13"This is my beloved Son;[c]14listen to him."
8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9 15And as they were coming down the mountain, 16he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, 17until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 18So they kept the matter to themselves, 19questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.
11 And they asked him, "Why do the scribes say 20that first Elijah must come?"
12 And he said to them, "Elijah does come first 21to restore all things. And 22how is it written of the Son of Man that he should 23suffer many things and 24be treated with contempt?
13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and 25they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

14 26And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.
15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, 27were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.
16 And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"
17 And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has 28a spirit that makes him mute.
18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and 29they were not able."
19 And he answered them, "O 30faithless generation, 31how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."
20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it 32convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.
21 And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But 33if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
23 And Jesus said to him, 34"'If you can'! 35All things are possible for one who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out[d] and said, "I believe; 36help my unbelief!"
25 And when Jesus saw that 37a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, 38"You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26 And after crying out and 39convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead."
27 But Jesus 40took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when he had 41entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."[e]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

30 42They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know,
31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, 43after three days he will rise."
32 44But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Who Is the Greatest?

33 And 45they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house 46he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?"
34 But they kept silent, for on the way 47they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, 48"If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."
36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and 49taking him in his arms, he said to them,
37 50"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and 51whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

38 52John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone 53casting out demons in your name,[f] and 54we tried to stop him, because he was not following us."
39 But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.
40 55For the one who is not against us is for us.
41 For truly, I say to you, 56whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

42 57"Whoever causes one of 58these little ones who believe in me to sin,[g]59it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43 60And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to 61hell,[h] to 62the unquenchable fire.[i]
45 63And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into 64hell.
47 65And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into 66hell,
48 'where 67their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.[j]
50 68Salt is good, 69but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? 70Have salt in yourselves, and 71be at peace with one another."

Images for Mark 9

Cross References 71

  • 1. John 8:52; Hebrews 2:9
  • 2. [Mark 13:30; Matthew 10:23; Matthew 23:36; Matthew 24:34]
  • 3. Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62; [Matthew 25:31]
  • 4. For ver. 2-8, see Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36
  • 5. Mark 5:37; Mark 14:33
  • 6. [2 Corinthians 3:18(Gk.)]
  • 7. Daniel 7:9; [Psalms 104:2; Matthew 28:3]
  • 8. See John 1:38
  • 9. [Nehemiah 8:15]
  • 10. [Mark 14:40; Luke 9:33]
  • 11. 2 Peter 1:17; [Exodus 24:15, 16]
  • 12. 2 Peter 1:17; [Exodus 24:15, 16]
  • 13. Mark 12:6; See Matthew 3:17
  • 14. Acts 3:22
  • 15. For ver. 9-13, see Matthew 17:9-13
  • 16. Mark 5:43; See Matthew 8:4
  • 17. Mark 8:31
  • 18. Luke 9:36
  • 19. [John 16:17]
  • 20. See Matthew 11:14
  • 21. Malachi 4:6; Luke 1:16, 17; [Acts 1:6; Acts 3:21]
  • 22. Psalms 22:6, 7; Isaiah 53:2, 3; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 13:7; [Philippians 2:7]; See Matthew 26:24
  • 23. See Mark 8:31
  • 24. Luke 23:11; Acts 4:11
  • 25. Mark 6:17, 27
  • 26. For ver. 14-28, see Matthew 17:14-19; Luke 9:37-42
  • 27. [Mark 10:32]
  • 28. ver. 25; Luke 11:14
  • 29. [Mark 6:7; Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:17]
  • 30. [John 14:9; John 20:27]
  • 31. [John 14:9; John 20:27]
  • 32. Mark 1:26
  • 33. [Mark 1:40; Matthew 9:28]
  • 34. [See ver. 22 above]
  • 35. [Mark 6:5, 6; Matthew 17:20]
  • 36. [Luke 17:5]
  • 37. ver. 15
  • 38. ver. 17
  • 39. [See ver. 20 above]
  • 40. See Mark 1:31
  • 41. Mark 7:17
  • 42. For ver. 30-32, see Matthew 17:22, 23; Luke 9:43-45; [Mark 8:31; Mark 10:32-34]
  • 43. See Mark 8:31
  • 44. Mark 6:52; Luke 2:50; Luke 18:34; Luke 24:25; John 10:6; John 12:16; John 16:17-19; [ver. 10]
  • 45. Matthew 17:24
  • 46. For ver. 33-37, see Matthew 18:1-5; Luke 9:46-48; [Mark 10:35-45]
  • 47. Luke 22:24; [ver. 50]
  • 48. Mark 10:43, 44; Matthew 20:26, 27; Matthew 23:11, 12; Luke 22:26
  • 49. Mark 10:16
  • 50. [Matthew 10:40, 42]
  • 51. [Matthew 10:40, 42]
  • 52. For ver. 38-40, see Luke 9:49, 50
  • 53. Mark 16:17; Matthew 7:22; Luke 10:17; Acts 19:13; [Matthew 12:27]
  • 54. [Numbers 11:28]
  • 55. [Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23]
  • 56. See Matthew 10:42
  • 57. Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:2; [1 Corinthians 8:12]
  • 58. [Zechariah 13:7]
  • 59. [Mark 14:21]
  • 60. Matthew 5:30; Matthew 18:8
  • 61. See Matthew 5:22, 29
  • 62. ver. 48; Matthew 3:12; See Matthew 25:41
  • 63. Matthew 18:8
  • 64. [See ver. 43 above]
  • 65. Matthew 5:29; Matthew 18:9
  • 66. See Matthew 5:22, 29
  • 67. Isaiah 66:24
  • 68. Luke 14:34
  • 69. Matthew 5:13
  • 70. Ezekiel 43:24; Colossians 4:6; [Ephesians 4:29]
  • 71. Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:13; [ver. 34]; See Romans 14:19

Footnotes 10

  • [a]. Greek no cloth refiner
  • [b]. Rabbi means my teacher, or my master
  • [c]. Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
  • [d]. Some manuscripts add with tears
  • [e]. Some manuscripts add and fasting
  • [f]. Some manuscripts add who does not follow us
  • [g]. Greek to stumble; also verses 43, 45, 47
  • [h]. Greek Gehenna; also verse 47
  • [i]. Some manuscripts add verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48)
  • [j]. Some manuscripts add and every sacrifice will be salted with salt

Mark 9 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.