¹And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” ²Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them.⁴Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵So Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶(For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.) ⁷Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. Listen to him!” ⁸Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus. ⁹As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰They kept this statement to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant. ¹¹Then they asked him, “Why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?” ¹²He said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised? ¹³But I tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.” ¹⁴When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in the law arguing with them. ¹⁵When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran at once and greeted him. ¹⁶He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do so.”¹⁹He answered them, “You unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. ²¹Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²²It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.” ²⁴Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” ²⁵Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”²⁶It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” ²⁷But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up. ²⁸Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” ²⁹He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” ³⁰They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, ³¹for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” ³²But they did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him. ³³Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵After he sat 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.” ³⁶He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” ³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” ³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not stop him because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me. ⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For I tell you the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s name will never lose his reward. ⁴²“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. ⁴⁹Everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”