1Then Jesus called his twelve disciples together. He gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
2He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
3He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey. Take no staff, no bag, no bread, no money. Do not take two coats each."
4"Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there."
5"If anyone will not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that city. It will be a witness against them."
6So they set out and went through the towns. They preached the gospel and healed people everywhere.
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything Jesus did, and he did not know what to think. Some people were saying that John had risen from the dead.
8Some said that Elias had appeared. Others said that one of the old prophets had risen again.
9Herod said, "I cut off John's head. So who is this man I hear such things about?" And he wanted to see him.
10When the apostles came back, they told Jesus all they had done. Then he took them with him and went away privately to a lonely place near the city called Bethsaida.
11When the people found out, they followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed healing.
12When the day began to fade, the twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away. Then they can go into the towns and the country around here, and find somewhere to stay and get food. We are in a lonely place here."
13But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." They said, "We have only five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."
14There were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."
15They did so, and made them all sit down.
16Then he took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven, blessed them, and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
17They all ate and were filled. The pieces left over were gathered up: twelve baskets of them.
18Once, while he was praying alone, his disciples were with him. He asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?"
19They answered, "John the Baptist. But some say Elias, and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."
20He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
21He warned them firmly, and ordered them to tell no one that.
22He said, "The Son of man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes. He will be killed, and be raised on the third day."
23And he said to them all, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
24"Whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."
25"What good is it to anyone if he gains the whole world, and loses himself, or is thrown away?"
26"If anyone is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his own glory, and in his Father's glory, and in the glory of the holy angels."
27"But I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
28About eight days after he said these things, he took Peter and John and James, and went up a mountain to pray.
29As he prayed, the look of his face was changed, and his clothing became white and shining.
30Look, two men were talking with him. They were Moses and Elias.
31They appeared in glory, and spoke of his death, which he was to bring about at Jerusalem.
32But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep. When they were 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 shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias." He did not know what he was saying.
34While he was speaking, a cloud came and covered them. They were afraid as they went into the cloud.
35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
36When the voice had finished, Jesus was found alone. They kept quiet about it, and in those days they told no one any of the things they had seen.
37The next day, when they had come down from the hill, a large crowd met him.
38Look, a man in the crowd cried out, "Master, I beg you, look at my son. He is my only child."
39"A spirit takes hold of him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him about so that he foams at the mouth. It hurts him badly, and will hardly leave him."
40"I begged your disciples to drive it out, and they could not."
41Jesus answered, "You faithless and twisted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."
42Even as the boy was coming, the demon threw him down and shook him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
43They were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while everyone was wondering at all the things Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44"Let these words sink into your ears. The Son of man is going to be handed over into the hands of men."
45But they did not understand this saying. Its meaning was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
46Then an argument started among them about which of them would be the greatest.
47Jesus knew the thoughts of their hearts. He took a child and set him beside himself.
48He said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For the one who is least among you all, that one will be great."
49John answered, "Master, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he does not follow with us."
50Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him. For anyone who is not against us is for us."
51When the time came for him to be taken up, he set his face firmly to go to Jerusalem.
52He sent messengers ahead of him. They went and entered a village of the Samaritans to get things ready for him.
53But the people there would not welcome him, because he was set on going to Jerusalem.
54When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and burn them up, as Elias did?"
55But he turned and rebuked them. He said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of."
56"For the Son of man did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them." And they went to another village.
57As they went along the road, a certain man said to him, "Lord, I will follow you wherever you go."
58Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests. But the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head."
59He said to another, "Follow me." But the man said, "Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father."
60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you go and preach the kingdom of God."
61Another also said, "Lord, I will follow you. But first let me go and say goodbye to those at my home."
62Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."