The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–13; Luke 9:28–36; 2 Peter 1:16–21)
1 UDB He also said to his disciples, "Listen carefully! Some of you who are here now will see God show himself with great power as king. You will see him do this before you die!" BSB BSB: Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
2 UDB Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and James's brother John and led them up a high mountain. While they were alone up there, he appeared very different to them. BSB BSB: After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.
3 UDB His clothes became dazzling white. They were whiter than anyone on earth could make them by bleaching them. BSB BSB: His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them.
4 UDB Two prophets who had lived long ago, Moses and Elijah, appeared to them. Then the two of them began talking with Jesus. BSB BSB: And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus.
5 UDB After a short time, Peter said, "Teacher, it is wonderful to be here! So allow us to make three shelters. One will be for you, one will be for Moses, and one will be for Elijah!" BSB BSB: Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
6 UDB He said this because he wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say. He and the other two disciples were terrified. BSB BSB: For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.
7 UDB Then a shining cloud appeared that covered them. God spoke to them from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son. He is the one whom I love. Therefore, listen to him!" BSB BSB: Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!”
8 UDB When the three disciples looked around, they saw that suddenly Jesus was alone with them, and that there was no longer anyone else there. BSB BSB: Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus.
9 UDB While they were coming down the mountain, Jesus told them that they should not tell anyone yet what had just happened to him. He said, "You may tell them after I, the Son of Man, rise from the dead after I die." BSB BSB: As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
10 UDB So they did not tell others about it for a long time. But they discussed among themselves what it meant when he said that he would rise from the dead. BSB BSB: So they kept this matter to themselves, discussing what it meant to rise from the dead.
11 UDB They asked Jesus, "Why do the men who teach our laws say that Elijah must come back before the Christ comes?" BSB BSB: And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 UDB Jesus answered them, "It is true that God promised to send Elijah to come first to put everything as it should be. But Elijah has already come, and our leaders treated him very badly, just like they wanted to do, as prophets long ago had said they would. But there is much written in the scriptures about me, the Son of Man. The scriptures say that I will suffer much and that people will reject me." BSB BSB: He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected?
The Boy with an Evil Spirit (Matthew 17:14–18; Luke 9:37–42)
14 UDB Then Jesus and those three disciples arrived where the other disciples were. They saw a large crowd around the other disciples and some men who taught the Jewish laws arguing with them. BSB BSB: When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.
15 UDB The crowd was very surprised to see him come. So they ran to him and greeted him. BSB BSB: As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with awe and ran to greet Him.
16 UDB He asked them, "What are you arguing about?" BSB BSB: “What are you disputing with them?” He asked.
18 UDB Whenever the spirit begins to control him, it throws him down. He foams at the mouth, he grinds his teeth together, and he becomes stiff. I asked your disciples to expel the spirit, but they were not able to do it." BSB BSB: Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”
19 UDB Jesus replied by saying to those people, "You faithless people! You test my patience! Bring the boy to me." BSB BSB: “O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
20 UDB So they brought the boy to Jesus. As soon as the evil spirit saw Jesus, it shook the boy severely, and the boy fell on the ground. He rolled around and foamed at the mouth. BSB BSB: So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
22 UDB The spirit does not only do this, but he also often throws him into the fire or into the water in order to kill him. Pity us and help us, if you can!" BSB BSB: “It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 UDB Jesus exclaimed to him, "Of course I can! God can do anything for people who believe in him!" BSB BSB: “If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”
25 UDB Jesus saw that the crowd was growing. He rebuked the evil spirit: "You evil spirit, you who are causing this boy to be deaf and unable to talk! I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!" BSB BSB: When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”
26 UDB The evil spirit shouted and shook the boy violently; then it left the boy. The boy did not move. He seemed like a dead body. So most of the people there said, "He is dead!" BSB BSB: After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”
27 UDB However, Jesus took him by the hand and helped him get up. Then the boy stood up. BSB BSB: But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 UDB Later, when Jesus and his disciples were alone in a house, they asked him, "Why were we not able to force the evil spirit out?" BSB BSB: After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 UDB He said to them, "You can force this kind of evil spirit out only by prayer. There is no other way." BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”
The Second Prediction of the Passion (Matthew 17:22–23; Luke 9:43–45)
30 UDB After Jesus and his disciples left that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone else to know where he was. BSB BSB: Going on from there, they passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know,
31 UDB He wanted to have time to teach his disciples. He was telling them, "My enemies will arrest me, the Son of Man, and I will be put into the hands of other men. Those men will kill me. But on the third day after I die, I will become alive again!" BSB BSB: because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.”
32 UDB They did not understand what he was telling them, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. BSB BSB: But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
The Greatest in the Kingdom (Matthew 18:1–5; Luke 9:46–50)
33 UDB Then Jesus and his disciples returned to Capernaum. When they were in the house, he asked them, "What were you talking about while we were traveling on the road?" BSB BSB: Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
34 UDB But they did not reply. They had been arguing with each other about which one of them was the most important. BSB BSB: But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.
35 UDB He sat down, he called the twelve disciples to come close to him, and then he said to them, "If anyone wants God to consider him to be the most important person of all, he must consider himself to be the least important person of all, and he must serve everyone else." BSB BSB: Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”
36 UDB Then he took a child and placed him among them. He took the child in his arms and then he said to them, BSB BSB: Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,
37 UDB "Those who welcome a child like this one because they love me, God considers that they are welcoming me. It is also true that they are welcoming God, who sent me." BSB BSB: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”
38 UDB John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone who was forcing evil spirits out of people. He claimed that he had authority from you to do that. So we told him to stop doing it because he was not one of the disciples." BSB BSB: John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
39 UDB Jesus said, "Do not tell him to stop doing that. For no one will say bad things about me soon after performing a mighty deed with my authority. BSB BSB: “Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me.
40 UDB Those who are not opposing us are trying to achieve the same goals that we are. BSB BSB: For whoever is not against us is for us.
41 UDB God will certainly reward those who help you in any way, even if they simply give you a cup of water to drink because you follow me, the Christ." BSB BSB: Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.
Temptations and Trespasses (Matthew 18:6–9; Luke 17:1–4)
42 UDB Jesus also said, "But if you cause someone who believes in me to sin, God will severely punish you, even if that person is socially unimportant like this little child. If someone tied a heavy stone around your neck and threw you into the sea, it would be better for you than if God punished you for causing a person who believes in me to sin. BSB BSB: But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.
45 UDB If you are wanting to use one of your feet to sin, do not use it! Even if you have to cut off your foot to avoid sinning, do it! It is good if you live eternally even though you lack one of your feet while you are here on earth. But it is not good if you sin and as a result God throws your whole body into hell. BSB BSB: If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
47 UDB If because of what you see you are tempted to sin, stop looking at those things! Even if you have to gouge out your eye and throw it away to avoid sinning, do it! It is better to have only one eye and be one of God's people than for him to throw you with two eyes into hell. BSB BSB: And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48 UDB In that place the worms that eat their decaying bodies never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out. BSB BSB: where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’
Good Salt (Matthew 5:13–16; Luke 14:34–35)
49 UDB "For God will put fire on everyone, just like people put salt on their food. BSB BSB: For everyone will be salted with fire.
50 UDB Salt is useful to put on food, but you cannot make it taste salty again if it becomes flavorless. We are to be like salt that adds flavor to food. And live in peace with one another." BSB BSB: Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
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