Mark 8–9

The Feeding of Four Thousand

8In those days there was^* again a large crowd, and they did not have^* anything they could eat. Summoning the disciples, he said to them, ²“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have remained with me three days already and do not have anything to eat. ³And if I send them away hungry to their homes they will give out on the way, and some of them have come from far away.” ⁴And his disciples answered him, “Where is anyone able to feed these people with bread here in the desert?” ⁵And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” So they said, “Seven.” ⁶And he commanded the crowd to recline for a meal on the ground, and taking the seven loaves, after he^* had given thanks he broke them^* and began giving^a them^* to his disciples so that they could set them^* before them.^* And they set them^* before the crowd. ⁷And they had a few small fish, and after^* giving thanks for them, he said to set these before them also. ⁸And they ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces that were left, seven baskets full. ⁹Now there were about four thousand. And he sent them away. ¹⁰And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and^* went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Pharisees Demand a Sign

¹¹And the Pharisees came and began to argue with him, demanding from him a sign from heaven in order to^* test him. ¹²And sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation!” ¹³And he left them, got into the boat^* again, and^* went to the other side.

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

¹⁴And they had forgotten to take bread, and except for one loaf, they did not have any^* with them in the boat. ¹⁵And he ordered them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod!” ¹⁶And they began to discuss with one another that they had no bread. ¹⁷And knowing this,^* he said to them, “Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? ¹⁸Although you^* have eyes, do you not see? And although you^* have ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” ²⁰“When I also^b broke^* the seven loaves^* for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” ²¹And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida

²²And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought to him a blind man and implored him that he would touch him. ²³And he took hold of the blind man’s hand and^* led him outside the village, and after^* spitting in his eyes, he placed his hands on him and^* asked him, “Do you see anything?” ²⁴And looking up he said, “I see people, for I see them^* like trees walking around.” ²⁵Then he placed his^c hands on his eyes again, and he opened his eyes and was cured, and could see everything clearly. ²⁶And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”

Peter’s Confession at Caesarea Philippi

²⁷And Jesus and his disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they told him, saying, “John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and others that you are one of the prophets.” ²⁹And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and^* said to him, “You are the Christ!” ³⁰And he warned them that they should tell no one about him.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

³¹And he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and after three days to rise. ³²And he was speaking openly about the subject, and Peter took him aside and^* began to rebuke him. ³³But turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan, because you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but the things of people!”

Taking Up One’s Cross to Follow Jesus

³⁴And summoning the crowd together with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to come^d after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life on account of me and of the gospel will save it. ³⁶For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? ³⁷For what can a person give in exchange for his life? ³⁸For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

9And he said to them, “Truly I say to you, that there are some of those standing here who will never experience death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power.”

The Transfiguration

²And after six days, Jesus took along Peter and James and John, and led them to a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them, ³and his clothing became radiant—extremely white, like no cloth refiner on earth can make so white.^{a 4}And Elijah appeared to them together with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵And Peter answered and^* said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! And let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶(For he did not know what he should answer, because they were terrified.) ⁷And a cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” ⁸And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus alone.

⁹And as^* they were coming down from the mountain, he ordered them that they should tell no one the things that they had seen, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant.^{b 11}And they asked him, saying, “Why do^c the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹²And he said to them, “Elijah indeed does come first and^* restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? ¹³But I tell you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it is written about him.”

A Demon-possessed Boy Healed

¹⁴And when they^* came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵And immediately the whole crowd, when they^* saw him, were amazed, and ran up to him^* and^* greeted him. ¹⁶And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷And one individual from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought to you my son who has a spirit that makes him mute.^{d 18}And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down and he foams at the mouth and grinds his^e teeth and becomes paralyzed. And I told your disciples that they should expel it, and they were not able to do so.^{* 19}And he answered them and^* said, “O unbelieving generation! How long^f will I be with you? How long^g must I put up with you? Bring him to me!” ²⁰And they brought him to him. And when he^* saw him, the spirit immediately convulsed him, and falling on the ground, he began to roll around, foaming at the mouth. ²¹And he asked his father how long it was since this had been happening to him. And he said, “From childhood. ²²And often it has thrown him both into fire and into water, in order that it could destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and^* help us!” ²³But Jesus said to him, “If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!” ²⁴Immediately the father of the child cried out and^* said, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” ²⁵Now when^* Jesus saw that a crowd was running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter into him no more!” ²⁶And it came out, screaming and convulsing him^* greatly, and he became as if he were dead, so that most of them said, “He has died!” ²⁷But Jesus took hold of his hand and^* raised him up, and he stood up. ²⁸And after^* he had entered into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why were we not able to expel it?” ²⁹And he said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer.”^h

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Second Time

³⁰And from there they went out and^* passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, ³¹for he was teaching his disciples and was telling them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he^* is killed, after three days he will rise.” ³²But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to ask him.

The Question About Who Is Greatest

³³And they came to Capernaum. And after he^* was in the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent, because they had argued with one another on the way about who was greatest. ³⁵And he sat down and^* called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶And he took a young child and^* had him stand among them.ⁱ And taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one of the young children such as these in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me.”

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us

³⁸John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” ³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not prevent him, because there is no one who does a miracle in my name and will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you are…