Chapter 17

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves,

and was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun, and his garments became white as snow.

And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking together with him.

Then Peter addressed Jesus, saying, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us set up three tents here, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias."

As he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him."

And on hearing it the disciples fell on their faces and were exceedingly afraid.

And Jesus came near and touched them, and said to them, "Arise, and do not be afraid."

But lifting up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. On the Coming of Elias

And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus cautioned them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one, till the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

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

But he answered and said, "Elias indeed is to come and will restore all things.

But I say to you that Elias has come already, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also shall the Son of Man suffer at their hands."

Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist. A Boy Possessed by a Devil

And when he had come to the crowd, a man approached him and threw himself on his knees before him, saying, "Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffers severely; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.

And I brought him to thy disciples, but they could not cure him."

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

And Jesus rebuked him, and the devil went out of him; and from that moment the boy was cured.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could not we cast it out? "

He said to them, "Because of your little faith; for amen I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Remove from here'; and it will remove. And nothing will be impossible to you.

But this kind can be cast out only by prayer and fasting."

Now while they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of men,

and they will kill him; and on the third day he will rise again." And they were exceedingly sorry. Paying the Temple Tax

And when they had come to Capharnaum, those who were collecting the didrachma came to Peter, and said, "Does your Master not pay the didrachma? "

He said, "Yes." But when he had entered the house, Jesus spoke first, saying, "What dost thou think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive tribute or customs; from their own sons, or from others? "

And he said, "From others." Jesus said to him, "The sons then are exempt.

But that we may not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And opening its mouth thou wilt find a stater; take that and give it to them for me and for thee."