Luke 9 - English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

9 ^(A)And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ^{2 (B)}and he sent them out to ^(C)proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. ^{3 (D)}And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, ^(E)no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.^{[a] 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 ^(F)shake off the dust from your feet ^(G)as a testimony ^(H)against them.” ^{6 (I)}And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus

^{7 (J)}Now ^(K)Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that ^(L)John had been raised from the dead, ^{8 (M)}by some that Elijah had appeared, and ^(N)by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹ Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And ^(O)he sought to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¹⁰ On their return ^(P)the apostles told him all that they had done. ^(Q)And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. ¹¹ When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he ^(R)welcomed them and ^(S)spoke to them of the kingdom of God and ^(T)cured those who had need of healing. ¹² Now ^(U)the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, ^(V)“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.” ¹³ But he said to them, ^(W)“You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than ^(X)five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 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, ^(Y)he looked up to heaven and ^(Z)said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

^{18 (AA)}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?” ¹⁹ And they answered, ^(AB)“John the Baptist. But others say, ^(AC)Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” ²⁰ Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, ^(AD)“The Christ of God.”

Jesus Foretells His Death

^{21 (AE)}And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, ^{22 (AF)}saying, ^(AG)“The Son of Man must ^(AH)suffer many things and ^(AI)be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on ^(AJ)the third day be raised.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

²³ And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^(AK)deny himself and ^(AL)take up his cross ^(AM)daily and follow me. ²⁴ For ^(AN)whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. ^{25 (AO)}For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? ²⁶ For ^(AP)whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed ^(AQ)when he comes in ^(AR)his glory and the glory of the Father and of ^(AS)the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not ^(AT)taste death ^(AU)until they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

^{28 (AV)}Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him ^(AW)Peter and John and James and ^(AX)went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was ^(AY)altered, and ^(AZ)his clothing became dazzling white. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,^[b] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and those who were with him ^(BA)were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake ^(BB)they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 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 ^(BC)tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—^(BD)not knowing what he said. ³⁴ As he was saying these things, ^(BE)a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And ^(BF)a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, ^(BG)my Chosen One;^{[c] (BH)}listen to him!” ³⁶ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. ^(BI)And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

^{37 (BJ)}On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. ³⁸ And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for ^(BK)he is my only child. 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 ^(BL)they could not.” ⁴¹ Jesus answered, “O ^(BM)faithless and twisted generation, ^(BN)how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴² While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus ^(BO)rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and ^(BP)gave him back to his father. ⁴³ And all were astonished at ^(BQ)the majesty of God.

Jesus Again Foretells His Death

^(BR)But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus^[d] said ^(BS)to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “Let these words sink into your ears: ^(BT)The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” ^{45 (BU)}But they did not understand this saying, and ^(BV)it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Who Is the Greatest?

^{46 (BW)}An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side ⁴⁸ and said to them, ^(BX)“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and ^(BY)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For ^(BZ)he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is For Us

^{49 (CA)}John answered, “Master, we saw someone ^(CB)casting out demons in your name, and ^(CC)we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, ^(CD)for the one who is not against you is for you.”

A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus

⁵¹ When the days drew near for ^(CE)him to be taken up, ^(CF)he set his face ^(CG)to go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And ^(CH)he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of ^(CI)the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ⁵³ But ^(CJ)the people did not receive him, because ^(CK)his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell ^(CL)fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”^{[e] 55} But he turned and rebuked them.^{[f] 56} And they went on to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

⁵⁷ As they were going ^(CM)along the road, ^(CN)someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 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^[g] said to him, “Leave ^(CO)the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and ^(CP)proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, ^(CQ)but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶² Jesus said to him, ^(CR)“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Footnotes

1. Luke 9:3 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
2. Luke 9:31 Greek exodus
3. Luke 9:35 Some manuscripts my Beloved
4. Luke 9:43 Greek he
5. Luke 9:54 Some manuscripts add as Elijah did
6. Luke 9:55 Some manuscripts add And he said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; ⁵⁶for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them”
7. Luke 9:60 Greek he

Cross references

1. Luke 9:1 : Matt. 10:1; Mark 3:13-15; 6:7
2. Luke 9:2 : Matt. 10:5, 7, 8; [ver. 11; ch. 10:1, 9]
3. Luke 9:2 : ver. 11, 60; See ch. 4:43
4. Luke 9:3 : For ver. 3-5, see Matt. 10:9-14; Mark 6:8-11; [ch. 10:4-11; 22:35]
5. Luke 9:3 : [Mark 6:8]
6. Luke 9:5 : Acts 13:51; [Neh. 5:13; Acts 18:6]
7. Luke 9:5 : See Mark 1:44
8. Luke 9:5 : James 5:3
9. Luke 9:6 : Mark 6:12
10. Luke 9:7 : For ver. 7-9, see Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29
11. Luke 9:7 : ch. 3:1, 19; Acts 13:1
12. Luke 9:7 : ver. 19
13. Luke 9:8 : [See ver. 7 above]; ver. 19
14. Luke 9:8 : [See ver. 7 above]; ver. 19
15. Luke 9:9 : ch. 23:8
16. Luke 9:10 : Mark 6:30
17. Luke 9:10 : For ver. 10-17, see Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; John 6:1-13; [Matt. 15:32-38; Mark 8:2-9]
18. Luke 9:11 : ch. 8:40
19. Luke 9:11 : ver. 2
20. Luke 9:11 : ver. 2
21. Luke 9:12 : ch. 24:29 (Gk.); Jer. 6:4
22. Luke 9:12 : [Matt. 15:23]
23. Luke 9:13 : [2 Kgs. 4:42-44]
24. Luke 9:13 : Matt. 16:9; Mark 8:19
25. Luke 9:16 : Mark 7:34; John 11:41; 17:1
26. Luke 9:16 : ch. 24:30; 1 Sam. 9:13; Matt. 26:26; Mark 8:7; 14:22; [1 Cor. 14:16]
27. Luke 9:18 : For ver. 18-20, see Matt. 16:13-16; Mark 8:27-29
28. Luke 9:19 : ver. 7; Matt. 14:2; Mark 6:14
29. Luke 9:19 : ver. 8; Mark 6:15; [Matt. 17:10; Mark 9:11; John 1:21]
30. Luke 9:20 : ch. 23:35; Acts 3:18; Rev. 12:10; See Matt. 1:17
31. Luke 9:21 : Matt. 16:20; Mark 8:30; See Matt. 12:16
32. Luke 9:22 : For ver. 22-27, see Matt. 16:21-28; Mark 8:31–9:1
33. Luke 9:22 : ch. 18:31; [ch. 13:33]
34. Luke 9:22 : ch. 24:7; Matt. 17:12, 22, 23; Mark 9:30, 31
35. Luke 9:22 : ch. 17:25; 1 Pet. 2:4; [ch. 20:17]
36. Luke 9:22 : ch. 18:33; 24:7, 46; See Matt. 27:63; John 2:19
37. Luke 9:23 : [2 Tim. 2:12, 13]
38. Luke 9:23 : See Matt. 10:38, 39
39. Luke 9:23 : 1 Cor. 15:31
40. Luke 9:24 : [See ver. 23 above]; See Matt. 10:38, 39
41. Luke 9:25 : [ch. 12:20]
42. Luke 9:26 : Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:8, 12, 16; Heb. 11:16; 1 John 2:28; [Matt. 10:33]
43. Luke 9:26 : Dan. 7:10, 13; Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:30; 25:31; 26:64; John 1:51; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:16; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; [Deut. 33:2]
44. Luke 9:26 : Matt. 19:28; 25:31; Mark 10:37; John 17:24
45. Luke 9:26 : Acts 10:22; Rev. 14:10; [Matt. 13:41; 16:27]
46. Luke 9:27 : John 8:52; Heb. 2:9
47. Luke 9:27 : [ch. 21:31, 32; Matt. 10:23; 23:36; 24:34; Mark 13:30]
48. Luke 9:28 : For ver. 28-36, see Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8
49. Luke 9:28 : ch. 8:51; Mark 14:33
50. Luke 9:28 : See Matt. 14:23
51. Luke 9:29 : Mark 16:12 (Gk.)
52. Luke 9:29 : Dan. 7:9; [Ps. 104:2; Matt. 28:3]
53. Luke 9:32 : Dan. 8:18; Matt. 26:43
54. Luke 9:32 : See John 1:14
55. Luke 9:33 : [Neh. 8:15]
56. Luke 9:33 : [Mark 9:6; 14:40]
57. Luke 9:34 : 2 Pet. 1:17; [Ex. 24:15, 16]
58. Luke 9:35 : [See ver. 34 above]; 2 Pet. 1:17; [Ex. 24:15, 16]
59. Luke 9:35 : ch. 23:35; Isa. 42:1; [Ps. 89:3; Isa. 49:7]
60. Luke 9:35 : Acts 3:22
61. Luke 9:36 : Matt. 17:9; Mark 9:9, 10
62. Luke 9:37 : For ver. 37-42, see Matt. 17:14-19; Mark 9:14-28
63. Luke 9:38 : See ch. 7:12
64. Luke 9:40 : [ver. 1; ch. 10:17; Matt. 10:1; Mark 6:7]
65. Luke 9:41 : Phil. 2:15; [John 20:27]
66. Luke 9:41 : [John 14:9]
67. Luke 9:42 : ch. 4:35, 39; Zech. 3:2; Matt. 8:26; Mark 1:25; Jude 9
68. Luke 9:42 : See ch. 7:15
69. Luke 9:43 : 2 Pet. 1:16
70. Luke 9:43 : For ver. 43-45, see Matt. 17:22, 23; Mark 9:30-32
71. Luke 9:43 : ver. 22
72. Luke 9:44 : [See ver. 43 above]; ver. 22
73. Luke 9:45 : ch. 2:50; 18:34; Mark 6:52; John 10:6; 12:16; 16:17-19; [Matt. 17:13; Mark 9:10]
74. Luke 9:45 : ch. 18:34; [ch. 24:16]
75. Luke 9:46 : For ver. 46-48, see Matt. 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-37; [Matt. 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45]
76. Luke 9:48 : [Matt. 10:40, 42]
77. Luke 9:48 : [Matt. 10:40, 42]
78. Luke 9:48 : ch. 22:26
79. Luke 9:49 : For ver. 49, 50, see Mark 9:38-40
80. Luke 9:49 : ch. 10:17; Matt. 7:22; Mark 16:17; Acts 19:13; [Matt. 12:27]
81. Luke 9:49 : [Num. 11:28]
82. Luke 9:50 : [ch. 11:23; Matt. 12:30]
83. Luke 9:51 : See Mark 16:19
84. Luke 9:51 : 2 Kgs. 12:17; Isa. 50:7; Jer. 42:15
85. Luke 9:51 : ch. 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28
86. Luke 9:52 : [ch. 10:1]
87. Luke 9:52 : See Matt. 10:5
88. Luke 9:53 : John 4:9; [ch. 10:33]
89. Luke 9:53 : John 4:20
90. Luke 9:54 : See Rev. 13:13
91. Luke 9:57 : ver. 51
92. Luke 9:57 : For ver. 57-60, see Matt. 8:19-22
93. Luke 9:60 : [John 5:25]
94. Luke 9:60 : ver. 2
95. Luke 9:61 : [1 Kgs. 19:20]
96. Luke 9:62 : [Phil. 3:13]