9:1 After 1 Jesus 2 called 3 the twelve 4 together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure 5 diseases, 9:2 and he sent 6 them out to proclaim 7 the kingdom of God 8 and to heal the sick. 9 9:3 He 10 said to them, “Take nothing for your 11 journey – no staff, 12 no bag, 13 no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. 14 9:4 Whatever 15 house you enter, stay there 16 until you leave the area. 17 9:5 Wherever 18 they do not receive you, 19 as you leave that town, 20 shake the dust off 21 your feet as a testimony against them.” 9:6 Then 22 they departed and went throughout 23 the villages, proclaiming the good news 24 and healing people everywhere.
9:7 Now Herod 25 the tetrarch 26 heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, 27 because some people were saying that John 28 had been raised from the dead, 9:8 while others were saying that Elijah 29 had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. 30 9:9 Herod said, “I had John 31 beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus. 32
9:10 When 33 the apostles returned, 34 they told Jesus 35 everything they had done. Then 36 he took them with him and they withdrew privately to a town 37 called Bethsaida. 38 9:11 But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He 39 welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, 40 and cured those who needed healing. 41 9:12 Now the day began to draw to a close, 42 so 43 the twelve came and said to Jesus, 44 “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging 45 and food, because we are in an isolated place.” 46 9:13 But he said to them, “You 47 give them something to eat.” They 48 replied, 49 “We have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless 50 we go 51 and buy food 52 for all these people.” 9:14 (Now about five thousand men 53 were there.) 54 Then 55 he said to his disciples, “Have 56 them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 9:15 So they did as Jesus directed, 57 and the people 58 all sat down.
9:16 Then 59 he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks 60 and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 9:17 They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left over 61 was picked up – twelve baskets of broken pieces.
9:18 Once 62 when Jesus 63 was praying 64 by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, 65 “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 66 9:19 They 67 answered, 68 “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; 69 and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.” 70 9:20 Then 71 he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter 72 answered, 73 “The Christ 74 of God.” 9:21 But he forcefully commanded 75 them not to tell this to anyone, 76 9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer 77 many things and be rejected by the elders, 78 chief priests, and experts in the law, 79 and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” 80
9:23 Then 81 he said to them all, 82 “If anyone wants to become my follower, 83 he must deny 84 himself, take up his cross daily, 85 and follow me. 9:24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, 86 but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 9:25 For what does it benefit a person 87 if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? 9:26 For whoever is ashamed 88 of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person 89 when he comes in his glory and in the glory 90 of the Father and of the holy angels. 9:27 But I tell you most certainly, 91 there are some standing here who will not 92 experience 93 death before they see the kingdom of God.” 94
9:28 Now 95 about eight days 96 after these sayings, Jesus 97 took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray. 9:29 As 98 he was praying, 99 the appearance of his face was transformed, 100 and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white. 101 9:30 Then 102 two men, Moses and Elijah, 103 began talking with him. 104 9:31 They appeared in glorious splendor and spoke about his departure 105 that he was about to carry out 106 at Jerusalem. 107 9:32 Now Peter and those with him were quite sleepy, 108 but as they became fully awake, 109 they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 9:33 Then 110 as the men 111 were starting to leave, 112 Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, 113 one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah” – not knowing what he was saying. 9:34 As 114 he was saying this, a cloud 115 came 116 and overshadowed 117 them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 9:35 Then 118 a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. 119 Listen to him!” 120 9:36 After 121 the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. So 122 they kept silent and told no one 123 at that time 124 anything of what they had seen.
9:37 Now on 125 the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 9:38 Then 126 a man from the crowd cried out, 127 “Teacher, I beg you to look at 128 my son – he is my only child!