17 Out of the crowd, one man answered Him, “Teacher, x I brought my son to You. He has a spirit y that makes him unable to speak. z 18 Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.”

19 He replied to them, “You unbelieving a generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 So they brought him to Him. When the spirit saw Him, it immediately convulsed the boy. 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 b him. But if You can do anything, have compassion c on us and help us.”

23 Then Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can’? d e Everything is possible f to the one who believes.” g

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

25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly coming together, He rebuked h the * unclean i spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf j spirit, k I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!”

26 Then it came out, shrieking and convulsing l him m violently. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus, taking him by the hand, raised him, n and he stood up.

28 After He went into a house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

29 And He told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer o [and fasting].” p q