Mark 8; Mark 9

Mark 8

1 About that time there was once again a large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them,

2 "I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat.

3 If I send them home before they've eaten, they will become exhausted on the road. Some of them have come a long distance."

4 His disciples asked him, "Where could anyone get enough bread to feed these people in this place where no one lives?"

5 Jesus asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They answered, "Seven."

6 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to serve to the people.

7 They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said that the fish should also be served to the people.

8 The people ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets.

9 About four thousand people were there. Then he sent the people on their way.

10 After that, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and went into the region of Dalmanutha.

11 The Pharisees went to Jesus and began to argue with him. They tested him by demanding that he perform a miraculous sign from heaven.

12 With a deep sigh he asked, "Why do these people demand a sign? I can guarantee this truth: If these people are given a sign, it will be far different than what they want!"

13 Then he left them there. He got into a boat again and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

14 The disciples had forgotten to take any bread along and had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 Jesus warned them, "Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!"

16 They had been discussing with one another that they didn't have any bread.

17 Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you don't have any bread? Don't you understand yet? Don't you catch on? Are your minds closed?

18 Are you blind and deaf? Don't you remember?

19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?" They told him, "Twelve."

20 "When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many large baskets did you fill with leftover pieces?" They answered him, "Seven."

21 He asked them, "Don't you catch on yet?"

22 As they came to Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him.

23 Jesus took the blind man's hand and led him out of the village. He spit into the man's eyes and placed his hands on him. Jesus asked him, "Can you see anything?"

24 The man looked up and said, "I see people. They look like trees walking around."

25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes a second time, and the man saw clearly. His sight was normal again. He could see everything clearly even at a distance.

26 Jesus told him when he sent him home, "Don't go into the village."

27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say I am?"

28 They answered him, "Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets."

29 He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah!"

30 He ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the scribes. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life.

32 He told them very clearly what he meant. Peter took him aside and objected to this.

33 Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and objected to what Peter said. Jesus said, "Get out of my way, Satan! You aren't thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think."

34 Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples. He said to them, "Those who want to follow me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me.

35 Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me and for the Good News will save them.

36 What good does it do for people to win the whole world yet lose their lives?

37 Or what should a person give in exchange for life?

38 If people are ashamed of me and what I say in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of those people when he comes with the holy angels in his Father's glory."

Mark 9

1 He said to them, "I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power."

2 After six days Jesus took only Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone. Jesus' appearance changed in front of them.

3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them.

4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it's good that we're here. Let's put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

6 (Peter didn't know how to respond. He and the others were terrified.)

7 Then a cloud overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

8 Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus.

9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. They were to wait until the Son of Man had come back to life.

10 They kept in mind what he said but argued among themselves what he meant by "come back to life."

11 So they asked him, "Don't the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

12 Jesus said to them, "Elijah is coming first and will put everything in order again. But in what sense was it written that the Son of Man must suffer a lot and be treated shamefully?

13 Indeed, I can guarantee that Elijah has come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased, as Scripture says about him."

14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. Some scribes were arguing with them.

15 All the people were very surprised to see Jesus and ran to welcome him.

16 Jesus asked the scribes, "What are you arguing about with them?"

17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son. He is possessed by a spirit that won't let him talk.

18 Whenever the spirit brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes exhausted. I asked your disciples to force the spirit out, but they didn't have the power to do it."

19 Jesus said to them, "You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!"

20 They brought the boy to him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell on the ground, rolled around, and foamed at the mouth.

21 Jesus asked his father, "How long has he been like this?" The father replied, "He has been this way since he was a child.

22 The demon has often thrown him into fire or into water to destroy him. If it's possible for you, put yourself in our place, and help us!"

23 Jesus said to him, "As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes."

24 The child's father cried out at once, "I believe! Help my lack of faith."

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he gave an order to the evil spirit. He said, "You spirit that won't let him talk, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again."

26 The evil spirit screamed, shook the child violently, and came out. The boy looked as if he were dead, and everyone said, "He's dead!"

27 Jesus took his hand and helped him to stand up.

28 When Jesus went into a house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we force the spirit out of the boy?"

29 He told them, "This kind of spirit can be forced out only by prayer."

30 They left that place and were passing through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was

31 because he was teaching his disciples. He taught them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people. They will kill him, but on the third day he will come back to life."

32 The disciples didn't understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him.

33 Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?"

34 They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.

35 He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, "Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else."

36 Then he took a little child and had him stand among them. He put his arms around the child and said to them,

37 "Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

38 John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us."

39 Jesus said, "Don't stop him! No one who works a miracle in my name can turn around and speak evil of me.

40 Whoever isn't against us is for us.

41 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."

42 "These little ones believe in me. It would be best for the person who causes one of them to lose faith to be thrown into the sea with a large stone hung around his neck.

43 "So if your hand causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life disabled than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out.

44

45 If your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

46

47 If your eye causes you to lose your faith, tear 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.

48 In hell worms that eat the body never die, and the fire is never put out.

49 Everyone will be salted with fire.

50 Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor? Have salt within you, and live in peace with one another."