Mark 9

King James Version

Full text for Mark Chapter 9

1¶ And he said unto them, ‹Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.›

2And after six days Jesus taketh [with him] Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

3And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

4And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

5And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

6For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

7And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

8And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

9And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

10And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

11And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

12And he answered and told them, ‹Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.›

13‹But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.›

14¶ And when he came to [his] disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

15And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to [him] saluted him.

16And he asked the scribes, ‹What question ye with them?›

17And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19He answereth him, and saith, ‹O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.›

20And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21And he asked his father, ‹How long is it ago since this came unto him?› And he said, Of a child.

22And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23Jesus said unto him, ‹If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.›

24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, ‹[Thou] dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.›

26And [the spirit] cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29And he said unto them, ‹This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.›

30¶ And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know [it].

31For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, ‹The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.›

32But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, ‹What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?›

34But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who [should be] the greatest.

35And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, ‹If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all, and servant of all.›

36And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

37‹Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.›

38And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

39But Jesus said, ‹Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.›

40‹For he that is not against us is on our part.›

41¶ ‹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.›

42‹And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.›

43‹And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:›

44‹Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.›

45‹And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:›

46‹Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.›

47‹And if thine eye offend 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 hell fire:›

48‹Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.›

49‹For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.›

50‹Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John, revealing His glory alongside Moses and Elias, with a voice from heaven declaring Him God's beloved Son. Descending, Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy whom His disciples could not help, emphasizing the need for faith and prayer. He then teaches His disciples about His impending suffering and resurrection, and the importance of humility, service, and avoiding causing others to stumble.

Medium Summary

Mark 9 opens with Jesus' transfiguration on a high mountain, where His raiment became shining white, and Moses and Elias appeared, conversing with Him. A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from heaven proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son: hear him." Upon descending, Jesus cast out a dumb and deaf spirit from a boy, a task His disciples had failed, prompting Him to teach that "this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." Jesus then privately foretold His suffering, death, and resurrection, though His disciples did not comprehend. Later, He rebuked their dispute over who was greatest, teaching them to be last and servant of all, using a child as an example. The chapter concludes with stern warnings against causing "little ones" to stumble and the necessity of radical self-denial to avoid the unquenchable fire of hell, emphasizing the importance of having "salt in yourselves" and peace.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with Jesus' declaration that some standing with Him would see the kingdom of God come with power. Six days later, He took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain, where He was transfigured, His raiment becoming exceedingly white, and Moses and Elias appeared, conversing with Him. Peter, overwhelmed, suggested building three tabernacles, but a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud declared, "This is my beloved Son: hear him." As they descended, Jesus charged them to keep the vision secret until after His resurrection, leading to a discussion about Elias' coming, which Jesus identified with John the Baptist. Upon rejoining the other disciples, Jesus found them struggling to cast out a demon from a boy, whose father pleaded for help. Jesus rebuked the "faithless generation" and, after the spirit violently convulsed the boy, commanded it to depart, healing the child. When asked why they failed, Jesus explained that "this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." Journeying through Galilee, Jesus again privately predicted His betrayal, death, and resurrection, a saying His disciples did not understand and feared to question. In Capernaum, He addressed their dispute over who was greatest, teaching that true greatness lies in being last and servant of all, illustrating this with a child. He also affirmed those who perform miracles in His name, even if not directly following them, stating, "he that is not against us is on our part." The chapter concludes with severe warnings against causing "little ones" to stumble, likening such an offense to being cast into the sea with a millstone. Jesus then powerfully urged radical self-denial, advising to cut off offending hands or feet and pluck out offending eyes to avoid the unquenchable fire of hell, where "their worm dieth not." He concluded by speaking of being "salted with fire" and the importance of having "salt in yourselves" and peace with one another.

Core Concepts

  • The TransfigurationJesus was supernaturally glorified before Peter, James, and John, appearing with Moses and Elias, while a voice from a cloud proclaimed Him God's beloved Son, confirming His divine identity.
  • Faith and HealingJesus healed a demon-possessed boy after His disciples failed, emphasizing that "all things are possible to him that believeth" and that certain spirits require "prayer and fasting" to be cast out.
  • Humility and ServiceJesus taught His disciples, who disputed about greatness, that the desire to be first requires one to be "last of all, and servant of all," using a child as an example of those to be received in His name.
  • The Son of Man's SufferingJesus twice predicted His betrayal, death, and resurrection, though His disciples struggled to comprehend this prophecy, indicating the necessity of His suffering.
  • Warnings Against StumblingJesus issued stern warnings against causing "little ones" who believe in Him to stumble, stating it would be better for such an offender to be drowned with a millstone.
  • Radical Self-DenialTo avoid the unquenchable fire of hell, Jesus taught the necessity of extreme measures, such as cutting off an offending hand or foot, or plucking out an offending eye.
  • The Importance of SaltJesus used the metaphor of salt to speak of being "salted with fire" and the need for believers to "have salt in yourselves" and maintain peace with one another.