Mark 9:33–50

^33aThey came to Capernaum; and when He ¹was in ^bthe house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

³⁴But they kept silent, for on the way ^athey had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

³⁵Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “^aIf anyone wants to be first, ¹he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

³⁶Taking a child, He set him ¹before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,

³⁷“^aWhoever receives ¹one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Dire Warnings

^38aJohn said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and ^bwe tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”

³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.

⁴⁰“^aFor he who is not against us is ¹for us.

⁴¹“For ^awhoever gives you a cup of water to drink ¹because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

⁴²“^aWhoever causes one of these ¹little ones who believe to stumble, it ²would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he ³had been cast into the sea.

⁴³“^aIf your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into ^1bhell, into the ^cunquenchable fire,

⁴⁴¹where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

⁴⁵“If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into ^1ahell,

⁴⁶¹where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

⁴⁷“^aIf your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into ^1bhell,

^48awhere their worm does not die, and ^bthe fire is not quenched.

⁴⁹“For everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰“Salt is good; but ^aif the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you ¹make it salty again? ^bHave salt in yourselves, and ^cbe at peace with one another.”