9:1 After 1 Jesus 2 called 3 the twelve 4 together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure 5 diseases, 9:2 and he sent 6 them out to proclaim 7 the kingdom of God 8 and to heal the sick. 9 9:3 He 10 said to them, “Take nothing for your 11 journey – no staff, 12 no bag, 13 no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. 14 9:4 Whatever 15 house you enter, stay there 16 until you leave the area. 17 9:5 Wherever 18 they do not receive you, 19 as you leave that town, 20 shake the dust off 21 your feet as a testimony against them.” 9:6 Then 22 they departed and went throughout 23 the villages, proclaiming the good news 24 and healing people everywhere.
9:7 Now Herod 25 the tetrarch 26 heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, 27 because some people were saying that John 28 had been raised from the dead, 9:8 while others were saying that Elijah 29 had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. 30 9:9 Herod said, “I had John 31 beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus. 32
9:10 When 33 the apostles returned, 34 they told Jesus 35 everything they had done. Then 36 he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town 37 called Bethsaida. 38 9:11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He 39 welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, 40 and cured those who needed healing. 41 9:12 Now the day began to draw to a close, 42 so 43 the twelve came and said to Jesus, 44 “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging 45 and food, because we are in an isolated place.” 46 9:13 But he said to them, “You 47 give them something to eat.” They 48 replied, 49 “We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless 50 we go 51 and buy food 52 for all these people.” 9:14 (Now about five thousand men 53 were there.) 54 Then 55 he said to his disciples, “Have 56 them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 9:15 So they did as Jesus directed, 57 and the people 58 all sat down.
9:16 Then 59 he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks 60 and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 9:17 They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left over 61 was picked up – twelve baskets of broken pieces.
9:18 Once 62 when Jesus 63 was praying 64 by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, 65 “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 66 9:19 They 67 answered, 68 “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; 69 and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.” 70 9:20 Then 71 he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter 72 answered, 73 “The Christ 74 of God.” 9:21 But he forcefully commanded 75 them not to tell this to anyone, 76 9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer 77 many things and be rejected by the elders, 78 chief priests, and experts in the law, 79 and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” 80
9:23 Then 81 he said to them all, 82 “If anyone wants to become my follower, 83 he must deny 84 himself, take up his cross daily, 85 and follow me. 9:24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, 86 but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 9:25 For what does it benefit a person 87 if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? 9:26 For whoever is ashamed 88 of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person 89 when he comes in his glory and in the glory 90 of the Father and of the holy angels. 9:27 But I tell you most certainly, 91 there are some standing here who will not 92 experience 93 death before they see the kingdom of God.” 94
9:28 Now 95 about eight days 96 after these sayings, Jesus 97 took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray. 9:29 As 98 he was praying, 99 the appearance of his face was transformed, 100 and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white. 101 9:30 Then 102 two men, Moses and Elijah, 103 began talking with him. 104 9:31 They appeared in glorious splendor and spoke about his departure 105 that he was about to carry out 106 at Jerusalem. 107 9:32 Now Peter and those with him were quite sleepy, 108 but as they became fully awake, 109 they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 9:33 Then 110 as the men 111 were starting to leave, 112 Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, 113 one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah” – not knowing what he was saying. 9:34 As 114 he was saying this, a cloud 115 came 116 and overshadowed 117 them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 9:35 Then 118 a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. 119 Listen to him!” 120 9:36 After 121 the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. So 122 they kept silent and told no one 123 at that time 124 anything of what they had seen.
9:37 Now on 125 the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 9:38 Then 126 a man from the crowd cried out, 127 “Teacher, I beg you to look at 128 my son – he is my only child! 9:39 A 129 spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams; 130 it throws him into convulsions 131 and causes him to foam at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him alone, torturing 132 him severely. 9:40 I 133 begged 134 your disciples to cast it out, but 135 they could not do so.” 136 9:41 Jesus answered, 137 “You 138 unbelieving 139 and perverse generation! How much longer 140 must I be with you and endure 141 you? 142 Bring your son here.” 9:42 As 143 the boy 144 was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground 145 and shook him with convulsions. 146 But Jesus rebuked 147 the unclean 148 spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 9:43 Then 149 they were all astonished at the mighty power 150 of God.
But while the entire crowd 151 was amazed at everything Jesus 152 was doing, he said to his disciples, 9:44 “Take these words to heart, 153 for the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 154 9:45 But they did not understand this statement; its meaning 155 had been concealed 156 from them, so that they could not grasp it. Yet 157 they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
9:46 Now an argument started among the disciples 158 as to which of them might be 159 the greatest. 9:47 But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, 160 he took a child, had him stand by 161 his side, 9:48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes 162 this child 163 in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, for the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.” 164
9:49 John answered, 165 “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop 166 him because he is not a disciple 167 along with us.” 9:50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
9:51 Now when 168 the days drew near 169 for him to be taken up, 170 Jesus 171 set out resolutely 172 to go to Jerusalem. 173 9:52 He 174 sent messengers on ahead of him. 175 As they went along, 176 they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance 177 for him, 9:53 but the villagers 178 refused to welcome 179 him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 180 9:54 Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume 181 them?” 182 9:55 But Jesus 183 turned and rebuked them, 184 9:56 and they went on to another village.
9:57 As 185 they were walking 186 along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 187