Mark 9:14–28

THE POWER OF FAITH OVER A DEMON

¹⁴When^cc they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes disputing^cd with them. ¹⁵When the whole crowd saw him, they were amazed and ran to greet him. ¹⁶He asked them, “What are you arguing with them about?”

¹⁷Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher,^ce I brought my son to you. He has a spirit^cf that makes him unable to speak.^{cg 18}Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

¹⁹He replied to them, “You unbelieving^ch generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. ²¹“How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.

“From childhood,” he said. ²²“And many times it has thrown him into fire or water to destroy^a him. But if you can do anything, have compassion^b on us and help us.”

²³Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’?^A Everything is possible^c for the one who believes.”^d

²⁴Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked^e the unclean^f spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf^g spirit, I command you: Come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶Then it came out, shrieking and throwing him^B into terrible convulsions.^h The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him,ⁱ and he stood up.

²⁸After he had gone into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”