9 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “there are some standing here who will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arriving with power.”[276] 2 Six days after saying this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and brought them up a high mountain by themselves. His appearance was transformed before them. 3 His clothes shone brilliantly, brighter white than anyone on earth could wash them. 4 Then Elijah and Moses appeared to them too, talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters — one each for you, Moses, and Elijah.” 6 He really did not know what to say as they became so terrified. 7 Then a cloud formed and spread over them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My Son, the one I love. Listen to him!” 8 All of a sudden they looked around and saw nobody with them except Jesus.
    9 As they were coming down the mountain Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen[277] until after the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 They kept this to themselves, but they did discuss with each other what rising from the dead meant.  11 “Why do the religious teachers say that Elijah has to come first?” they asked him.  12 “It is true that Elijah comes first and restores all things,” he explained. “So then why is it written that the Son of Man has to suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  13 But I am telling you that Elijah has indeed come, and people did to him as they wished, just as it is written about him.”
    14 When they got back to the other disciples, they saw some religious teachers arguing with them, surrounded by a large crowd. 15 As soon as the whole crowd saw Jesus they were amazed, and ran to greet him.  16 “What are you discussing?” Jesus asked them.  17 One of the people in the crowd said, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has an evil spirit which makes him mute.  18 Whenever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do it.” 19 Jesus responded, “You unbelieving society! How long will I be with you? How long will I put up with you? Bring him here to me!” 20 So they brought him to Jesus. When the evil spirit saw[278] Jesus, it immediately sent the boy into a convulsion and he fell on the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth.  21 “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. “Since he was a little child,” the father replied. 22 “Frequently it has thrown him into the fire, or tried to drown him in water. But if you can do anything, please take pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus replied, “‘If you can’? All things are possible for the one who believes!” 24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” 25 Jesus, seeing that the crowd was getting bigger, reprimanded the evil spirit, “You spirit causing muteness and deafness, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 After screaming and throwing the boy into violent convulsions, the evil spirit came out. The boy looked so dead that many of the people said, “He is dead!” 27 But Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him up, and he stood up. 28 When Jesus came indoors, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not cast the evil spirit out?”  29 Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out except by prayer.”
    30 They left there and went through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where he was 31 because he was teaching his disciples: “The Son of Man is to be betrayed to human authorities. They will kill him, but he will rise three days later.”  32 They did not understand what he was saying and they were afraid to ask him about it.
    33 They arrived at Capernaum, and when they were indoors Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept quiet because they had been discussing who was the most important.  35 Jesus sat down and called the twelve disciples together. “If anyone wants to be first, he has to be last of all, and the servant of all,” he said. 36 He took a small child and set him in front of them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the One who sent me.”
    38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not one of us.” 39 Jesus replied, “Do not stop him. No one who does miracles in my name can quickly change and speak evil of me.  40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear the name of Messiah, I am telling you the truth: they will not lose their reward.
    42 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them if they had a large millstone tied around their neck and were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand leads you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter Life[279] as a cripple than to have both hands and go into Gehenna fire, the fire which cannot be put out. [280] 45 If your foot leads you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter Life lame than to be thrown with two feet into Gehenna fire.[281] 47 If your eye leads you to sin, throw it out. It is better to enter the Kingdom of God with just one eye than with both eyes to be thrown into Gehenna fire, 48 where the worm does not die and the fire is not put out.
    49 “Everybody will be ‘salted’ by fire. 50 Salt is good, but if it is not salty any more, how could you make it salty? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”