Luke 9

¹He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. ²He sent them out to preach God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick. ³He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money. Don’t have two coats each. ⁴Into whatever house you enter, stay there, and depart from there. ⁵As many as don’t receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them.”

⁶They departed and went throughout the villages, preaching the Good News and healing everywhere. ⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. ⁹Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him. ¹⁰The apostles, when they had returned, told him what things they had done.

He took them and withdrew apart to a desert region of a city called Bethsaida. ¹¹But the multitudes, perceiving it, followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them of God’s Kingdom, and he cured those who needed healing. ¹²The day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and farms, and lodge, and get food, for we are here in a deserted place.”

¹³But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴For they were about five thousand men.

He said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵They did so, and made them all sit down. ¹⁶He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to the sky, he blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. ¹⁷They ate and were all filled. They gathered up twelve baskets of broken pieces that were left over.

¹⁸As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”

¹⁹They answered, “ ‘John the Baptizer,’ but others say, ‘Elijah,’ and others, that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

²⁰He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

²¹But he warned them, and commanded them to tell this to no one, ²²saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.”

²³He said to all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, will save it. ²⁵For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self? ²⁶For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. ²⁷But I tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here who will in no way taste of death until they see God’s Kingdom.”

²⁸About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray. ²⁹As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling. ³⁰Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, ³¹who appeared in glory, and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

³²Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him. ³³As they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said.

³⁴While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. ³⁵A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” ³⁶When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

³⁷On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him. ³⁸Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely. ⁴⁰I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.”

⁴¹Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

⁴²While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. ⁴³They were all astonished at the majesty of God.

But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴“Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” ⁴⁵But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

⁴⁶An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, ⁴⁸and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”

⁴⁹John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow with us.”

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.”

⁵¹It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he intently set his face to go to Jerusalem ⁵²and sent messengers before his face. They went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, so as to prepare for him. ⁵³They didn’t receive him, because he was traveling with his face set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”

⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are. ⁵⁶For the Son of Man didn’t come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

They went to another village. ⁵⁷As they went on the way, a certain man said to him, “I want to follow you wherever you go, Lord.”

⁵⁸Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹He said to another, “Follow me!”

But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but you go and announce God’s Kingdom.”

⁶¹Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”

⁶²But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”