Luke 9

Goodspeed(i) 1 Then he called the Twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to cure the sick. 3 He said to them, "Do not take anything for your journey, no staff nor bag nor bread nor money, nor an extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you go to stay in, remain there, and start on again from it. 5 And where they will not welcome you, leave that town and shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them." 6 And they set forth and went from village to village, telling the good news and curing people everywhere. 7 Herod the governor heard of all that was happening, and he was perplexed because some people said that John had risen from the dead, 8 and some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who can this be about whom I hear such reports?" And he endeavored to see him. 10 Then the apostles came back and told Jesus what they had done. And he took them and quietly retired to a town called Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds learned of it and followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and he cured those who needed to be cured. 12 When the day began to decline, the Twelve came up and said to him, "Send the crowd away to the villages and farms around to find food and shelter, for we are in a lonely place here." 13 But he said to them, "Give them food yourselves!" And they said, "We have only five loaves and two fish, unless we go ourselves and buy food for all these people." 14 For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish and looked up to heaven and blessed them, and he broke them in pieces and gave them to the disciples to pass to the people. 17 And they all ate and had enough, and the pieces left over that were gathered up filled twelve baskets. 18 Once when he was praying by himself, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?" 19 They answered, "John the Baptist, though others say Elijah, and others that one of the old prophets has come back to life." 20 And he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God!" 21 But he warned them particularly not to tell this to anyone, 22 and said, "The Son of Man must endure great suffering and be refused by the elders, the high priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and be raised to life on the third day." 23 And he said to everyone, "If anyone wants to go with me, he must disregard himself, and take his cross day after day and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to preserve his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will preserve it. 25 What good does it do a man to gain the whole world and lose or forfeit himself? 26 For if anyone is ashamed of me and my teaching the Son of Man will be ashamed of him, when he comes with all the glory of his Father and of the holy angels. 27 I tell you, some of you who stand here will certainly live to see the Kingdom of God!" 28 It was about eight days after Jesus said this that he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the look of his face changed and his clothes turned dazzling white. 30 And two men were talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah, 31 and they appeared in glory and spoke of his departure which he was to go through with at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but waking up they saw his glorious appearance and the two men standing by him. 33 Just as they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, how good it is that we are here! Let us put up three huts, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah!" For he did not know what he was saying. 34 But as he said it, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were frightened as they passed under the cloud. 35 And from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen! Listen to him!" 36 At the sound of the voice, they saw that Jesus was alone. And they kept silence, and said nothing about it to anyone at that time. 37 The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, it happened that a great crowd met him. 38 And a man in the crowd shouted, "Master, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child, 39 and all at once a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him until he foams at the mouth, and it leaves him, after a struggle, badly bruised. 40 And I begged your disciples to drive it out, and they could not." 41 Jesus answered, "O you unbelieving, obstinate people! How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!" 42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him, but Jesus reproved the foul spirit and cured the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the power of God. While everybody was full of wonder at all that he was doing, he said to his disciples, 44 "You must store up these teachings in your minds, for the Son of Man is going to be handed over to men." 45 But they did not understand what he meant, indeed it was concealed from them, in order that they might not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. 46 A discussion arose among them as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew the question that was in their minds and he took a child and made him stand by his side, 48 and said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child on my account is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes him who has sent me. For it is the lowliest among you all who is really great." 49 John answered, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons with your name, and we told him not to do so, for he does not go with us." 50 Jesus said to him, "Do not try to stop him, for the man who is not against you is for you." 51 As the time approached when he was to be taken up to heaven, he set his face toward Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before him. They started out and went into a Samaritan village, to make preparations for him. 53 And the people there would not receive him, because he was going to Jerusalem. 54 When the disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, "Master, will you have us order fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he turned and reproved them. 56 And they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and wild birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head!" 59 He said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Let me first go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; you must go and spread the news of the Kingdom of God!" 61 Yet another man said to him, "Master, I am going to follow you, but let me first say goodbye to my people at home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plough, and then looks back, is fitted for the Kingdom of God."