Mark 9 (NMV)
1 Then He said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power."
2 After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transformed before them,
3 and His clothes became dazzling, exceedingly white, whiter than any launderer on earth could make them.
4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it's good for us to be here. Let's set up three shelters: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah",
6 because he didn't know what to say, since they were terrified.
7 A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!"
8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, He ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 They kept this word to themselves, questioning what "rising from the dead" meant.
11 Then they asked Him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
12 "Elijah does come first and restores all things," He replied. "And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt?
13 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did whatever they pleased to him, just as it is written about him."
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
15 When the whole crowd saw Jesus, they were amazed and ran to greet Him.
16 He asked them, "What are you arguing with them about?"
17 Someone from the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought You my son. He has a spirit that makes him mute.
18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn't."
19 He answered them, "You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I bear with you? Bring him to Me."
20 So they brought the boy to Him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 "How long has this been happening to him?" Jesus asked his father. "From childhood," he said.
22 "And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
23 Jesus said to him, "'If You can'? Everything is possible for the one who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, "I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, He spoke with authority to the unclean spirit: "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again!"
26 It screamed, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him up, and he stood.
28 After He had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He told them, "This kind can only come out by prayer [some manuscripts add: and fasting]."
30 Then they left that place and passed through Galilee, but Jesus did not want anyone to know,
31 for He was teaching His disciples: "The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after He is killed, He will rise on the third day."
32 But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask Him.
33 They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"
34 But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, He called the Twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."
36 He took a little child, had him stand among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,
37 "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. And whoever receives Me receives not only Me, but the One who sent Me."
38 John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us."
39 "Don't stop him," said Jesus, "because no one who performs a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.
40 For whoever is not against us is for us.
41 And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to the Christ, I assure you, he will never lose his reward.
42 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go into Gehenna, the place of unquenchable fire.
44 "where their maggot does not die, and the fire is not quenched." [This verse is omitted in some manuscripts.]
45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into Gehenna.
46 "where their maggot does not die, and the fire is not quenched." [This verse is omitted in some manuscripts.]
47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, 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 Gehenna,
48 where "their maggot does not die, and the fire is not quenched."
49 For everyone will be salted with fire. [In the Old Testament, all sacrifices were offered with salt; here, fire and salt together symbolize purification and dedication to God.]
50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another.