Chapter 9

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John, and led them up a high mountain off by themselves, and was transfigured before them.

And his garments became shining, exceedingly white as snow, as no fuller on earth can whiten.

And there appeared to them Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

And Peter addressed Jesus, saying, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. And let us set up three tents, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."

For he did not know what to say, for they were struck with fear.

And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son; hear him."

And suddenly looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but only Jesus. On the Coming of Elias

And as they were coming down from the mountain, he cautioned them to tell no one what they had seen, except when the Son of Man should have risen from the dead.

And they kept what he said to themselves, discussing with one another what the words, "When he shall have risen from the dead," might mean.

And they asked him, saying, "Why then do the Pharisees and Scribes say that Elias must come first? "

But he answered and said to them, "Elias is to come first and will restore all things. But how then is it written of the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?

But I say to you that Elias has come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him." Boy Possessed by a Devil

And on coming to his disciples, he saw a great crowd around them, and the Scribes arguing with them.

And immediately all the crowd, on seeing him, were amazed and struck with fear, and running up, began to greet him.

And he asked them, "What are you arguing about among yourselves? "

And one of the crowd answering, said, "Master, I have brought to thee my son, who has a dumb spirit;

and wherever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth; and he is wasting away. And I told thy disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

And he answered and said to them, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me."

And they brought him to him; and the spirit, when it saw Jesus, immediately threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell down on the ground, and rolled about foaming at the mouth.

So he asked his father, "How long is it since this has come upon him?" And he said, "From his infancy.

Oftentimes it has thrown him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

But Jesus said to him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

At once the father of the boy cried out, and said with tears, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him and enter him no more."

And crying out and violently convulsing him, it went out of him, and he became like one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."

But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him and he stood up.

And when he came into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could not we cast it out? "

And he said to them, "This kind can be cast out in no way except by prayer and fasting." Another Prediction of the Passion

And leaving that place, they were passing through Galilee, and he did not wish anyone to know it.

For he was teaching his disciples, and saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and having been killed, he will rise again on the third day."

But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. Against Ambition and Envy

And they came to Capharnaum. When he was at home, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way? "

But they kept silence, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

And sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, "If any man wishes to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."

And he took a little child, and set him in their midst, and taking him into his arms, he said to them,

"Whoever receives one such little child for my sake, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me."

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man who was not one of our followers casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him."

But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, because there is no one who shall work a miracle in my name, and forthwith be able to speak ill of me.

For he who is not against you is for you.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. Avoiding Scandal

"And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it were better for him if a great millstone were hung about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

If thy hand is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off! It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than, having two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

'Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. '

And if thy foot is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off! It is better for thee to enter into life everlasting lame, than having two feet, to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire,

'Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. '

And if thy eye is an occasion of sin to thee, pluck it out! It is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hellfire,

'Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. '

For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every victim shall be salted.

Salt is good; but if the salt becomes insipid, what shall you season it with? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."