Mark 4:1-9:36

New International Reader's Version

The Story of the Farmer

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was very large. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it out on the lake. All the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things using stories. In his teaching he said, ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. ⁴ He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. ⁶ When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. So the plants did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It grew up and produced a crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears should listen.”

¹⁰ Later Jesus was alone. The 12 disciples asked him about the stories. So did the others around him. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you. But to outsiders everything is told using stories. ¹² In that way,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this story? Then how will you understand any stories of this kind? ¹⁴ The seed the farmer plants is God’s message. ¹⁵ What is seed scattered on a path like? The message is planted. The people hear the message. Then Satan comes. He takes away the message that was planted in them. ¹⁶ And what is seed scattered on rocky places like? The people hear the message. At once they receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But they have no roots. So they last only a short time. They quickly fall away from the faith when trouble or suffering comes because of the message. ¹⁸ And what is seed scattered among thorns like? The people hear the message. ¹⁹ But then the worries of this life come to them. Wealth comes with its false promises. The people also long for other things. All of these are the kinds of things that crowd out the message. They keep it from producing fruit. ²⁰ And what is seed scattered on good soil like? The people hear the message. They accept it. They produce a good crop 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”

A Lamp on a Stand

²¹ Jesus said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a large bowl or a bed? Don’t you put it on its stand? ²² What is hidden is meant to be seen. And what is put out of sight is meant to be brought out into the open. ²³ Whoever has ears should listen.”

²⁴ “Think carefully about what you hear,” he said. “As you give, so you will receive. In fact, you will receive even more. ²⁵ Whoever has something will be given more. Whoever has nothing, even what they have will be taken away from them.”

The Story of the Growing Seed

²⁶ Jesus also said, “Here is what God’s kingdom is like. A farmer scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ Night and day the seed comes up and grows. It happens whether the farmer sleeps or gets up. He doesn’t know how it happens. ²⁸ All by itself the soil produces grain. First the stalk comes up. Then the head appears. Finally, the full grain appears in the head. ²⁹ Before long the grain ripens. So the farmer cuts it down, because the harvest is ready.”

The Story of the Mustard Seed

³⁰ Again Jesus said, “What can we say God’s kingdom is like? What story can we use to explain it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² But when you plant the seed, it grows. It becomes the largest of all garden plants. Its branches are so big that birds can rest in its shade.”

³³ Using many stories like these, Jesus spoke the word to them. He told them as much as they could understand. ³⁴ He did not say anything to them without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵ When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ They left the crowd behind. And they took him along in a boat, just as he was. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. ³⁸ Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?”

⁴¹ They were terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Jesus Heals a Man Controlled by Demons

5 They went across the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes. ² Jesus got out of the boat. A man controlled by an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³ The man lived in the tombs. No one could keep him tied up anymore. Not even a chain could hold him. ⁴ His hands and feet had often been chained. But he tore the chains apart. And he broke the iron cuffs on his ankles. No one was strong enough to control him. ⁵ Night and day he screamed among the tombs and in the hills. He cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran to him. He fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me? Swear to God that you won’t hurt me!” ⁸ This was because Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

⁹ Then Jesus asked the demon, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied. “There are many of us.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs. Let us go into them.” ¹³ Jesus allowed it. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. There were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned.

¹⁴ Those who were tending the pigs ran off. They told the people in the town and countryside what had happened. The people went out to see for themselves. ¹⁵ Then they came to Jesus. They saw the man who had been controlled by many demons. He was sitting there. He was now dressed and thinking clearly. All this made the people afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man. They told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.

¹⁸ Jesus was getting into the boat. The man who had been controlled by demons begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him. He said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you. Tell them how kind he has been to you.” ²⁰ So the man went away. In the area known as the Ten Cities, he began to tell how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus Heals a Dead Girl and a Suffering Woman

²¹ Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee in a boat. It landed at the other side. There a large crowd gathered around him. ²² Then a man named Jairus came. He was a synagogue leader. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. ²³ He begged Jesus, “Please come. My little daughter is dying. Place your hands on her to heal her. Then she will live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him.

A large group of people followed. They crowded around him. ²⁵ A woman was there who had a sickness that made her bleed. It had lasted for 12 years. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal, even though she had gone to many doctors. She had spent all the money she had. But she was getting worse, not better. ²⁷ Then she heard about Jesus. She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. ²⁸ She thought, “I just need to touch his clothes. Then I will be healed.” ²⁹ Right away her bleeding stopped. She felt in her body that her suffering was over.

³⁰ At once Jesus knew that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd. He asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹ “You see the people,” his disciples answered. “They are crowding against you. And you still ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³² But Jesus kept looking around. He wanted to see who had touched him. ³³ Then the woman came and fell at his feet. She knew what had happened to her. She was shaking with fear. But she told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Dear woman, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. You are free from your suffering.”

³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus. He was the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

³⁶ Jesus heard what they were saying. He told the synagogue leader, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.”

³⁷ He let only Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, follow him. ³⁸ They came to the home of the synagogue leader. There Jesus saw a lot of confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly. ³⁹ He went inside. Then he said to them, “Why all this confusion and sobbing? The child is not dead. She is only sleeping.” ⁴⁰ But they laughed at him.

He made them all go outside. He took only the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him. And he went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand. Then he said to her, “Talitha koum!” This means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” ⁴² The girl was 12 years old. Right away she stood up and began to walk around. They were totally amazed at this. ⁴³ Jesus gave strict orders not to let anyone know what had happened. And he told them to give her something to eat.

A Prophet Without Honor

6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown of Nazareth. His disciples went with him. ² When the Sabbath day came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these remarkable miracles he is doing? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son? Isn’t this the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were not pleased with him at all.

⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town. He doesn’t receive any honor among his relatives or in his own home.” ⁵ Jesus placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. But he could not do any other miracles there. ⁶ He was amazed because they had no faith.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples

Jesus went around teaching from village to village. ⁷ He called the 12 disciples to him. Then he began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits.

⁸ Here is what he told them to do. “Take only a walking stick for your trip. Do not take bread or a bag. Take no money in your belts. ⁹ Wear sandals. But do not take extra clothes. ¹⁰ When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. ¹¹ Some places may not welcome you or listen to you. If they don’t, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a witness against the people living there.”

¹² They went out. And they preached that people should turn away from their sins. ¹³ They drove out many demons. They poured olive oil on many sick people and healed them.

John the Baptist’s Head Is Cut Off

¹⁴ King Herod heard about this. Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That is why he has the power to do miracles.”

¹⁵ Others said, “He is Elijah.”

Still others claimed, “He is a prophet. He is like one of the prophets of long ago.”

¹⁶ But when Herod heard this, he said, “I had John’s head cut off. And now he has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷ In fact, it was Herod himself who had given orders to arrest John. He had him tied up and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. But now Herod was married to her. ¹⁸ John had been saying to Herod, “It is against the Law for you to be married to your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ Herodias couldn’t forgive John for saying that. She wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰ because Herod was afraid of John. So he kept John safe. Herod knew John was a holy man who did what was right. When Herod heard him, he was very puzzled. But he liked to listen to John.

²¹ Finally the right time came. Herod gave a banquet on his birthday. He invited his high officials and military leaders. He also invited the most important men in Galilee. ²² Then the daughter of Herodias came in and danced. She pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want. I’ll give it to you.” ²³ And he gave her his promise. He said to her, “Anything you ask for I will give you. I’ll give you up to half my kingdom.”

²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

²⁵ At once the girl hurried to ask the king. She said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate right now.”

²⁶ The king was very upset. But he thought about his promise and his dinner guests. So he did not want to say no to the girl. ²⁷ He sent a man right away to bring John’s head. The man went to the prison and cut off John’s head. ²⁸ He brought it back on a big plate. He gave it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ²⁹ John’s disciples heard about this. So they came and took his body. Then they placed it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus. They told him all they had done and taught. ³¹ But many people were coming and going. So they did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said to his apostles, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest.”

³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a quiet place. ³³ But many people who saw them leaving recognized them. They ran from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵ By that time it was late in the day. His disciples came to him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “It’s already very late. ³⁶ Send the people away. Then they can go to the nearby countryside and villages to buy something to eat.”

³⁷ But Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s pay! Should we go and spend that much on bread? Are we supposed to feed them?”

³⁸ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five loaves and two fish.”

³⁹ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of 100s and 50s. ⁴¹ Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to his disciples to pass around to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² All of them ate and were satisfied. ⁴³ The disciples picked up 12 baskets of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ The number of men who had eaten was 5,000.

Jesus Walks on the Water

⁴⁵ Right away Jesus made his disciples get into the boat. He had them go on ahead of him to Bethsaida. Then he sent the crowd away. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

⁴⁷ Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was alone on land. ⁴⁸ He saw the disciples pulling hard on the oars. The wind was blowing against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them. He walked on the lake. When he was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹ they saw him walking on the lake. They thought he was a ghost, so they cried out. ⁵⁰ They all saw him and were terrified.

Right away Jesus said to them, “Be brave! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ⁵¹ Then he climbed into the boat with them. The wind died down. And they were completely amazed. ⁵² They had not understood about the loaves. They were stubborn.

⁵³ They went across the lake and landed at Gennesaret. There they tied up the boat. ⁵⁴ As soon as Jesus and his disciples got out, people recognized him. ⁵⁵ They ran through that whole area to bring to him those who were sick. They carried them on mats to where they heard he was. ⁵⁶ He went into the villages, the towns and the countryside. Everywhere he went, the people brought the sick to the market areas. Those who were sick begged him to let them touch just the edge of his clothes. And all who touched his clothes were healed.

What Makes People “Unclean”?

7 The Pharisees gathered around Jesus. So did some of the teachers of the law. All of them had come from Jerusalem. ² They saw some of his disciples eating food with “unclean” hands. That means they were not washed. ³ The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands to make them “clean.” That’s what the elders teach. ⁴ When they come from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And they follow many other teachings. For example, they wash cups, pitchers, and kettles in a special way.

⁵ So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioned Jesus. “Why don’t your disciples live by what the elders teach?” they asked. “Why do they eat their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

⁶ He replied, “Isaiah was right. He prophesied about you people who pretend to be good. He said,

⁸ You have let go of God’s commands. And you are holding on to teachings that people have made up.”

⁹ Jesus continued speaking, “You have a fine way of setting aside God’s commands! You do this so you can follow your own teachings. ¹⁰ Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother.’ (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) He also said, ‘Anyone who asks for bad things to happen to their father or mother must be put to death.’ (Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9) ¹¹ But you allow people to say that what might have been used to help their parents is Corban. Corban means A Gift Set Apart for God. ¹² So you no longer let them do anything for their parents. ¹³ You make the word of God useless by putting your own teachings in its place. And you do many things like this.”

¹⁴ Again Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, “Listen to me, everyone. Understand this. ^15-16 Nothing outside of a person can make them ‘unclean’ by going into them. It is what comes out of them that makes them ‘unclean.’ ”

¹⁷ Then he left the crowd and entered the house. His disciples asked him about this teaching. ¹⁸ “Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked. “Don’t you see? Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’ ¹⁹ It doesn’t go into their heart. It goes into their stomach. Then it goes out of the body.” In saying this, Jesus was calling all foods “clean.”

²⁰ He went on to say, “What comes out of a person is what makes them ‘unclean.’ ²¹ Evil thoughts come from the inside, from a person’s heart. So do sexual sins, stealing and murder. ²² Adultery, greed, hate and cheating come from a person’s heart too. So do desires that are not pure, and wanting what belongs to others. And so do telling lies about others and being proud and being foolish. ²³ All these evil things come from inside a person and make them ‘unclean.’ ”

Jesus Honors a Greek Woman’s Faith

²⁴ Jesus went from there to a place near Tyre. He entered a house. He did not want anyone to know where he was. But he could not keep it a secret. ²⁵ Soon a woman heard about him. An evil spirit controlled her little daughter. The woman came to Jesus and fell at his feet. ²⁶ She was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁸ “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ Then he told her, “That was a good reply. You may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰ So she went home and found her child lying on the bed. And the demon was gone.

Jesus Heals a Man Who Could Not Hear or Speak

³¹ Then Jesus left the area of Tyre and went through Sidon. He went down to the Sea of Galilee and into the area known as the Ten Cities. ³² There some people brought a man to Jesus. The man was deaf and could hardly speak. They begged Jesus to place his hand on the man.

³³ Jesus took the man to one side, away from the crowd. He put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ Jesus looked up to heaven. With a deep sigh, he said to the man, “Ephphatha!” That means “Be opened!” ³⁵ The man’s ears were opened. His tongue was freed up, and he began to speak clearly.

³⁶ Jesus ordered the people not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ³⁷ People were really amazed. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes deaf people able to hear. And he makes those who can’t speak able to talk.”

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

8 During those days another large crowd gathered. They had nothing to eat. So Jesus called for his disciples to come to him. He said, ² “I feel deep concern for these people. They have already been with me three days. They don’t have anything to eat. ³ If I send them away hungry, they will become too weak on their way home. Some of them have come from far away.”

⁴ His disciples answered him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “Where can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

⁵ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

⁶ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Then he broke them and gave them to his disciples. They passed the pieces of bread around to the people. ⁷ The disciples also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for them too. He told the disciples to pass them around. ⁸ The people ate and were satisfied. After that, the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftover pieces. ⁹ About 4,000 people were there. After Jesus sent them away, ¹⁰ he got into a boat with his disciples. He went to the area of Dalmanutha.

¹¹ The Pharisees came and began to ask Jesus questions. They wanted to test him. So they asked him for a sign from heaven. ¹² He sighed deeply. He said, “Why do you people ask for a sign? What I’m about to tell you is true. No sign will be given to you.” ¹³ Then he left them. He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

¹⁴ The disciples had forgotten to bring bread. They had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees. And watch out for the yeast of Herod.”

¹⁶ They talked about this with each other. They said, “He must be saying this because we don’t have any bread.”

¹⁷ Jesus knew what they were saying. So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Why can’t you see or understand? Are you stubborn? ¹⁸ Do you have eyes and still don’t see? Do you have ears and still don’t hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹ Earlier I broke five loaves for the 5,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

²⁰ “Later I broke seven loaves for the 4,000. How many baskets of pieces did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they answered.

²¹ He said to them, “Can’t you understand yet?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²² Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him. They begged Jesus to touch him. ²³ He took the blind man by the hand. Then he led him outside the village. He spit on the man’s eyes and placed his hands on him. “Do you see anything?” Jesus asked.

²⁴ The man looked up. He said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.”

²⁵ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened so that he could see again. He saw everything clearly. ²⁶ Jesus sent him home. He told him, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Peter Says That Jesus Is the Messiah

²⁷ Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say one of the prophets.”

²⁹ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

³⁰ Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Tells About His Coming Death

³¹ Jesus then began to teach his disciples. He taught them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught them that the elders would not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law would not accept him either. He must be killed and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke clearly about this. Peter took Jesus to one side and began to scold him.

³³ Jesus turned and looked at his disciples. He scolded Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You are not thinking about the things God cares about. Instead, you are thinking only about the things humans care about.”

You Must Pick Up Your Cross

³⁴ Jesus called the crowd to him along with his disciples. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me and for the good news will save it. ³⁶ What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone trade for their soul? ³⁸ Suppose anyone is ashamed of me and my words among these adulterous and sinful people. Then the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 Jesus said to them, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see that God’s kingdom has come with power.”

Jesus’ Appearance Is Changed

² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He led them up a high mountain. They were all alone. There in front of them his appearance was changed. ³ His clothes became so white they shone. They were whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ Elijah and Moses appeared in front of Jesus and his disciples. The two of them were talking with Jesus.

⁵ Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁶ Peter didn’t really know what to say, because they were so afraid.

⁷ Then a cloud appeared and covered them. A voice came from the cloud. It said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to him!”

⁸ They looked around. Suddenly they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹ They came down the mountain. On the way down, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen. He told them to wait until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰ So they kept the matter to themselves. But they asked each other what “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹ Then they asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah has to come first?”

¹² Jesus replied, “That’s right. Elijah does come first. He makes all things new again. So why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and not be accepted? ¹³ I tell you, Elijah has come. They have done to him everything they wanted to do. They did it just as it is written about him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy Who Is Controlled by an Evil Spirit

¹⁴ When Jesus and those who were with him came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them. The teachers of the law were arguing with them. ¹⁵ When all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with wonder. And they ran to greet him.

¹⁶ “What are you arguing with them about?” Jesus asked.

¹⁷ A man in the crowd answered. “Teacher,” he said, “I brought you my son. He is controlled by an evil spirit. Because of this, my son can’t speak anymore. ¹⁸ When the spirit takes hold of him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth. He grinds his teeth. And his body becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit. But they couldn’t do it.”

¹⁹ “You unbelieving people!” Jesus replied. “How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰ So they brought him. As soon as the spirit saw Jesus, it threw the boy into a fit. He fell to the ground. He rolled around and foamed at the mouth.

²¹ Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“Since he was a child,” he answered. ²² “The spirit has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us. Please help us.”

²³ “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”

²⁴ Right away the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe! Help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵ Jesus saw that a crowd was running over to see what was happening. Then he ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. “You spirit that makes him unable to hear and speak!” he said. “I command you, come out of him. Never enter him again.”

²⁶ The spirit screamed. It shook the boy wildly. Then it came out of him. The boy looked so lifeless that many people said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand. He lifted the boy to his feet, and the boy stood up.

²⁸ Jesus went indoors. Then his disciples asked him in private, “Why couldn’t we drive out the evil spirit?”

²⁹ He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Jesus Speaks a Second Time About His Coming Death

³⁰ They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were. ³¹ That was because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men. They will kill him. After three days he will rise from the dead.” ³² But they didn’t understand what he meant. And they were afraid to ask him about it.

Who Is the Most Important Person?

³³ Jesus and his disciples came to a house in Capernaum. There he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ But they kept quiet. On the way, they had argued about which one of them was the most important person.

³⁵ Jesus sat down and called for the 12 disciples to come to him. Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last. They must be the servant of everyone.”

³⁶ Jesus took a little child and had the child stand among them. Then he took the child in his arms. He said to them,