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Luke 9

New International Reader’s Version



1 Jesus called together the 12 disciples. He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to heal diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to announce God’s kingdom and to heal those who were ill. 3 He told them, ‘Don’t take anything for the journey. Do not take a walking stick or a bag. Do not take any bread, money or extra clothes. 4 When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. 5 Some people may not welcome you. If they don’t, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet. This will be a witness against the people living there.’ 6 So the 12 disciples left. They went from village to village. They announced the good news and healed people everywhere. 7 Now Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything that was going on. He was bewildered, because some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. 8 Others were saying that Elijah had appeared. Still others were saying that a prophet of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, ‘I had John’s head cut off. So who is it that I hear such things about?’ And he tried to see Jesus. 



10 The disciples returned. They told Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him. They went off by themselves to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds learned about it and followed Jesus. He welcomed them and spoke to them about God’s kingdom. He also healed those who needed to be healed. 12 Late in the afternoon the 12 disciples came to him. They said, ‘Send the crowd away. They can go to the nearby villages and countryside. There they can find food and a place to stay. There is nothing here.’ 13 Jesus replied, ‘You give them something to eat.’ The disciples answered, ‘We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. We would have to go and buy food for all this crowd.’ 14 About 5,000 men were there. But Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about 50 each.’ 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke them into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples to give to the people. 17 All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces. 



18 One day Jesus was praying alone. Only his disciples were with him. He asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ 19 They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.’ 20 ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘God’s Messiah.’ 



21 Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead.’ 23 Then he said to all of them, ‘Whoever wants to follow me must say no to themselves. They must pick up their cross every day and follow me. 24 Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up their very self? 26 Suppose someone is ashamed of me and my words. The Son of Man will come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Then he will be ashamed of that person. 27 ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God’s kingdom.’ 



28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he went up on a mountain to pray. He took Peter, John and James with him. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in shining glory. Jesus and the two of them talked together. 31 They talked about how he would be leaving them soon. This was going to happen in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions had been very sleepy. But then they became completely awake. They saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter spoke up. ‘Master’, he said to him, ‘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.’ Peter didn’t really know what he was saying. 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them. The disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud. It said, ‘This is my Son, and I have chosen him. Listen to him.’ 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept quiet about this. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen. 



37 The next day Jesus and those who were with him came down from the mountain. A large crowd met Jesus. 38 A man in the crowd called out. ‘Teacher’, he said, ‘I beg you to look at my son. He is my only child. 39 A spirit takes hold of him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him into fits so that he foams at the mouth. It hardly ever leaves him. It is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out. But they couldn’t do it.’ 41 ‘You unbelieving and evil people!’ Jesus replied. ‘How long do I have to stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you?’ Then he said to the man, ‘Bring your son here.’ 42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him into a fit. The boy fell to the ground. But Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave the boy. Then Jesus healed him and gave him back to his father. 



43 They were all amazed at God’s greatness. Everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did. Then Jesus said to his disciples, 44 ‘Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men.’ 45 But they didn’t understand what this meant. That was because it was hidden from them. And they were afraid to ask Jesus about it. 



46 The disciples began to argue about which one of them would be the most important person. 47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and stood the child beside him. 48 Then he spoke to them. ‘Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me,’ he said. ‘And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one considered least important among all of you is really the most important.’ 49 ‘Master’, said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.’ 50 ‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘Anyone who is not against you is for you.’ 



51 The time grew near for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. So he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers on ahead. They went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. 53 But the people there did not welcome Jesus. That was because he was heading for Jerusalem. 54 The disciples James and John saw this. They asked, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?’ 55 But Jesus turned and commanded them not to do it. 56 Then Jesus and his disciples went on to another village. 



57 Once Jesus and those who were with him were walking along the road. A man said to Jesus, ‘I will follow you no matter where you go.’ 58 Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens. Birds have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ 59 He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 60 Jesus said to him, ‘Let dead people bury their own dead. You go and tell others about God’s kingdom.’ 61 Still another person said, ‘I will follow you, Lord. But first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ 62 Jesus replied, ‘Suppose someone starts to plough and then looks back. That person is not fit for service in God’s kingdom.’ 

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Luke 9

English Standard Version



1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, (Mt 10:1; Mr 3:13; Mr 6:7) 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. (Mt 10:5; Mt 10:7; Lu 4:43; Lu 9:11; Lu 9:60; Lu 10:1; Lu 10:9) 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.[1] (Mt 10:9; Mr 6:8; Lu 10:4; Lu 22:35) 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” (Ne 5:13; Mr 1:44; Ac 13:51; Ac 18:6; Jas 5:3) 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. (Mr 6:12) 



7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, (Mt 14:1; Mr 6:14; Lu 3:1; Lu 3:19; Lu 9:19; Ac 13:1) 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. (Lu 9:7) 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him. (Lu 23:8) 



10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. (Mt 14:13; Mt 15:32; Mr 6:30; Mr 6:32; Mr 8:2; Joh 6:1) 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. (Lu 8:40; Lu 9:2) 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” (Jer 6:4; Mt 15:23; Lu 24:29) 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” (2Ki 4:42; Mt 16:9; Mr 8:19) 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. (1Sa 9:13; Mt 26:26; Mr 7:34; Mr 8:7; Mr 14:22; Lu 24:30; Joh 11:41; Joh 17:1; 1Co 14:16) 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. 



18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Mt 16:13; Mr 8:27) 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” (Mt 14:2; Mt 17:10; Mr 6:14; Mr 6:15; Mr 9:11; Lu 9:7; Lu 9:8; Joh 1:21) 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” (Mt 1:17; Lu 23:35; Ac 3:18; Re 12:10) 



21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, (Mt 12:16; Mt 16:20; Mr 8:30) 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Mt 16:21; Mt 17:12; Mt 17:22; Mt 27:63; Mr 8:31; Mr 9:30; Lu 13:33; Lu 17:25; Lu 18:31; Lu 18:33; Lu 20:17; Lu 24:7; Lu 24:46; Joh 2:19; 1Pe 2:4) 



23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Mt 10:38; 1Co 15:31; 2Ti 2:12) 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Lu 9:23) 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? (Lu 12:20) 26 For whoever is 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. (De 33:2; Da 7:10; Da 7:13; Zec 14:5; Mt 10:33; Mt 13:41; Mt 16:27; Mt 19:28; Mt 24:30; Mt 25:31; Mt 26:64; Mr 10:37; Joh 1:51; Joh 17:24; Ac 1:11; Ac 10:22; Ro 1:16; 1Th 1:10; 1Th 4:16; 2Ti 1:8; 2Ti 1:12; 2Ti 1:16; Heb 11:16; 1Jo 2:28; Jud 1:14; Re 1:7; Re 14:10) 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” (Mt 10:23; Mt 23:36; Mt 24:34; Mr 13:30; Lu 21:31; Joh 8:52; Heb 2:9) 



28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. (Mt 14:23; Mt 17:1; Mr 9:2; Mr 14:33; Lu 8:51) 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. (Ps 104:2; Da 7:9; Mt 28:3; Mr 16:12) 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[2] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. (Da 8:18; Mt 26:43; Joh 1:14) 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. (Ne 8:15; Mr 9:6; Mr 14:40) 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. (Ex 24:15; 2Pe 1:17) 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One;[3] listen to him!” (Ps 89:3; Isa 42:1; Isa 49:7; Lu 9:34; Lu 23:35; Ac 3:22) 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. (Mt 17:9; Mr 9:9) 



37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. (Mt 17:14; Mr 9:14) 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. (Lu 7:12) 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” (Mt 10:1; Mr 6:7; Lu 9:1; Lu 10:17) 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” (Joh 14:9; Joh 20:27; Php 2:15) 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. (Zec 3:2; Mt 8:26; Mr 1:25; Lu 4:35; Lu 4:39; Lu 7:15; Jud 1:9) 



43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus[4] said to his disciples, (Mt 17:22; Mr 9:30; Lu 9:22; 2Pe 1:16) 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” (Lu 9:43) 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. (Mt 17:13; Mr 6:52; Mr 9:10; Lu 2:50; Lu 18:34; Lu 24:16; Joh 10:6; Joh 12:16; Joh 16:17) 



46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. (Mt 18:1; Mt 20:20; Mr 9:33; Mr 10:35) 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.” (Mt 10:40; Mt 10:42; Lu 22:26) 



49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” (Nu 11:28; Mt 7:22; Mt 12:27; Mr 9:38; Mr 16:17; Lu 10:17; Ac 19:13) 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.” (Mt 12:30; Lu 11:23) 



51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (2Ki 12:17; Isa 50:7; Jer 42:15; Mr 16:19; Lu 13:22; Lu 17:11; Lu 18:31; Lu 19:11; Lu 19:28) 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. (Mt 10:5; Lu 10:1) 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. (Lu 10:33; Joh 4:9; Joh 4:20) 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”[5] (Re 13:13) 55 But he turned and rebuked them.[6] 56 And they went on to another village. 



57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” (Mt 8:19; Lu 9:51) 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus[7] said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Lu 9:2; Joh 5:25) 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” (1Ki 19:20) 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Php 3:13) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.