1Jesus498 said to them, “Amen, I tell you that there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God499 come with power.”
2After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up to a high mountain in private, by themselves. [There], he was transfigured500 in front of them. 3His clothing became radiant, extremely white like snow, such as no launderer on earth could whiten them. 4Elias and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.
5Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three tents:501 one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.” 6He did not know what to say, for they were very afraid.
7A cloud came which overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son! Listen to him.”
8Suddenly, looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only.
Question about Elijah’s coming
9As they were coming down from the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10They kept this saying to themselves, wondering what “rising from the dead” meant.
11They asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elias must come first?”
12Jesus answered, “Indeed, Elias comes first and restores all things. Why then is it written about the Son of Man that he must suffer many things and be despised? 13But I tell you that Elias has [already] come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”
The healing of a possessed boy
14Returning to the [other] disciples, Jesus502 saw a great crowd around them, and scribes were questioning them. 15At once, when all the people saw him, they were greatly amazed and rushed to greet him. 16Jesus asked the scribes, “What are you asking them about?”
17Someone in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son who has a mute spirit. 18Wherever [the spirit] seizes him, it throws him to the ground and my son503 foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able.”
19Jesus answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me.”
20They brought the son to him, and when he saw Jesus, the spirit immediately convulsed the boy who fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22”Often, it has thrown him both into the fire and into water, in order to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us!”
23Jesus said to the man, “If you are able! All things are possible to the one who believes!”
24Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe! Help my unbelief!”
25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”
26The spirit cried out, convulsed greatly, and came out of the boy. He became as dead, so much that many said, “He is dead!” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up; and the boy stood up.
28When Jesus entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29He answered, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”504
The Lord’s passion announced again—The greatest in the Kingdom
30They left that place and passed through Galilee, [and] Jesus did not want anyone to know it. 31He was teaching his disciples and told them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and when he is killed, he will rise again on the third day.”
32But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him.
33Jesus arrived in Capernaum, and when he was in the house, he asked his disciples, “What were you arguing about among yourselves on the way?”
34However, they remained silent because on the way, they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
35He sat down, called the Twelve, and told them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and the servant of all.” 36He took a little child and set him in their midst. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37”Whoever receives such a little child in my Name, receives me; and whoever receives me, does not receive me, but the one who sent me.”
The exorcist who used Jesus’ Name
38Now John answered him, “Teacher, we have seen someone who does not follow us505 casting out demons in your Name; and we forbade him, because he does not follow us!”
39But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who does a mighty work in my Name will be able to quickly speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is on our side! 41Amen, I tell you that whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my Name, because you belong to Christ, will not lose his reward. 42But if someone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for such a person to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around the neck.”
Radical measures against causes of sin
43”If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than have your two hands and go into Gehenna,506 the unquenchable fire 44<‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’>507 45If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna,508 the fire that will never be quenched, 46<‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’>509 47If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out! It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than with two eyes to go into the Gehenna510 of fire, 48<‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’>511
About salt
49Indeed, everyone will be salted with fire, <and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.>512 50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
About marriage and divorce
- Greek “he”
- This may be a reference to the Transfiguration (verse 2-8) or to a coming judgment on unbelievers: “In conventional readings of Mark 9:1, the meaning of the ‘kingdom of God coming with power’ determines the identity of the bystanders who will supposedly experience (‘see’) it. Since the prediction of the kingdom is usually regarded as a blessing, it is assumed that the bystanders are protagonists. In contrast to this conventional approach, the reading proposed in this essay begins with the group(s) which will experience (‘see’) ‘the kingdom of God coming with power’, first in 9:1 and then in 13:26 and 14:62. When prior attention is given to these groups in the context of the narrative, Jesus’ prediction in Mark 9:1 emerges not as a blessing promised to the protagonists, but as a threat of judgment aimed at antagonists.” (Thomas Hatina in Biblica 86 (2005) 20-34)
- Greek metemorfw,qh (metamorphosis, “changed into another form”)
- Or “three tabernacles, booths, shelters,” perhaps a reference to the Jewish feast of the tabernacles.
- Greek “he”
- Greek “he”
- CT omits “and fasting” which is found in Byzantine manuscripts including PT
- CT omits “who does not follow us”
- Or “hell”
- CT omits this verse
- Or “hell”
- CT omits this verse
- Or “hell”
- Isaias 66:24
- CT omits “and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
