Mark 9:36-45

36 Then he took a child and had him stand in front of them. He put his arms around him and said to them,

37 "Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not only me but also the one who sent me." ¹

38 John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man who was driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our group."

39 "Do not try to stop him," Jesus told them, "because no one who performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say evil things about me.

40 For whoever is not against us is for us. ²

41 I assure you that anyone who gives you a drink of water because you belong to me will certainly receive a reward. ³

42 "If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around the neck and be thrown into the sea.

43 So if your hand makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than to keep both hands and go off to hell, to the fire that never goes out. ⁴

45 And if your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than to keep both feet and be thrown into hell.

Cross References

• 1. 9.37Matthew 10.40;Luke 10.16;John 13.20.
• 2. 9.40Matthew 12.30;Luke 11.23.
• 3. 9.41Matthew 10.42.
• 4. 9.43Matthew 5.30.

Footnotes

• [a]. [Some manuscripts add verse 44:] There "the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out' [(see verse 48).]
• [b]. [Some manuscripts add verse 46:] There "the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out' [(see verse 48).]