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Luke 9

1He called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. 2He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal the sick. 3He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey: no staff, no bag, no bread, no silver, and do not have two tunics each. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5Wherever people do not welcome you, as you leave that town shake the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6They went out and traveled through the villages, bringing good news and healing everywhere.

7Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening and was perplexed, because some said John had been raised from the dead, 8others that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen. 9Herod said, “John I beheaded. But who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he tried to see him.

10When the apostles returned, they told him everything they had done. He took them and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. 11But the crowds learned of it and followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. 12The day began to decline, and the Twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and food, because we are here in a deserted place.” 13He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” 14For there were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, “Have them recline in groups of about fifty each.” 15They did so and had them all recline. 16He took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17They all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of leftover pieces were taken up.

18While he was praying alone, his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19They answered, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others that one of the ancient prophets has risen.” 20He said to them, “But you—who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God's Messiah.” 21He sternly warned them and ordered them to tell this to no one, 22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised on the third day.”

23He said to everyone, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. 25For what does a person gain by gaining the whole world but losing or forfeiting himself? 26Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels. 27But truly I tell you, some standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

28About eight days after these words, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. 29As he prayed, the appearance of his face became different, and his clothing became white, flashing like lightning. 30And look: two men were speaking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. 32Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep, but when fully awake they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33As the men were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he was saying. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him!” 36When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38And look: a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he is my only child. 39Look: a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he screams. It convulses him with foaming and hardly leaves him, bruising him. 40I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” 41Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long will I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42Even as he approached, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43Everyone was astonished at God's majesty.

While they all marveled at everything he was doing, he said to his disciples, 44“Put these words into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be handed over into human hands.” 45But they did not understand this saying. It was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

46An argument arose among them over which of them was greatest. 47Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, took a child and stood the child beside him. 48He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.” 49John answered, “Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow with us.” 50Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”

51As the days for his being taken up were approaching their fulfillment, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52He sent messengers ahead of him, and they went and entered a village of Samaritans to prepare for him. 53But they did not welcome him, because his face was turned toward Jerusalem. 54When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56And they went to another village.

57As they traveled on the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59He said to another, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60He said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Another also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to those at my house.” 62Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Translation notes 10

9:3–5 — Mission instructions. Luke forbids taking a staff; Mark allows one. The accounts are not harmonized. “Silver” means money. Leaving from the same house keeps the instruction's wording without adding a detailed rule about accommodations.

9:10, 14 — Bethsaida and the crowd. The Greek base names a town, Bethsaida, although verse 12 describes their location as deserted. Some witnesses expand the location in verse 10. Verse 14 specifically counts men; no total for women or children is supplied.

9:18 — Praying alone. Luke also says the disciples were with him. “Alone” can describe withdrawal from the wider crowd; the wording is retained without deleting either detail.

9:23–27 — Cross, life, and the kingdom. The cross carries an execution image; “daily” is present in the base. “Life” translates psychē, also traditionally “soul”; verse 25 speaks of losing oneself. Verse 27 does not specify which manifestation of the kingdom its hearers will see.

9:31–35 — Departure, sleep, and the voice. “Departure” translates exodos, which can evoke the exodus, especially with Moses present; Jesus will fulfill it in Jerusalem. The wording does not limit the departure to one stage of his death, resurrection, and return to God. “When fully awake” may also be understood as “having stayed awake.” The base's “Chosen One” differs from the “beloved” reading in many witnesses.

9:44–45 — Ears, hands, and concealment. “Put these words into your ears” means listen carefully and take them in. “Human hands” retains the contrast with “Son of Man.” Luke does not identify the agent who concealed the saying from the disciples.

9:49–50 — For you. “Not against you is for you” follows the base's plural “you.” Another reading has “us.” The wording is not changed to match another Gospel or Luke 11:23.

9:51–53 — Taken up and his face. “Being taken up” points toward Jesus' departure to God; Jerusalem is the destination ahead. “Set his face” expresses resolve, and the face language recurs when the Samaritan village refuses him.

9:54–56 — Longer readings. Some witnesses add “as Elijah also did” after the request for fire. Others add to Jesus' rebuke: “You do not know what sort of spirit you belong to, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy human lives, but to save them.” These additions are absent from the Greek base and are translated here rather than silently incorporated into the reading text.

9:59–62 — Burial and following. “The dead” are left in both halves of the saying. The first use is figurative, but the text does not say whether the father has just died, awaits a later burial rite, or is still alive. The sharp demand to follow is retained without inserting a reconstruction of the man's circumstances.