THEN six days after, Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them into an exceeding high mountain apart. 2And he was transformed before them; and his face shone as the sun, and his garments were white as the light. 3And behold, there appeared to them, Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then Peter addressing him, said to Jesus, Lord, It is well that we are here; if it please thee, we will make here three tents; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5And while he was yet speaking, behold, a luminous cloud overshadowed them; and lo! a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom is my delight; hear him! 6And the disciples hearing it, fell on their face, and were exceedingly affrighted. 7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, be not affrighted. 8Then lifting up their eyes, they saw no person, but Jesus only. 9And when they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell no man the vision, until the Son of man is risen from the dead. 10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then do the scribes affirm, that Elias must come first? 11Then Jesus answering said unto them, Elias indeed cometh first, and will reform all things. 12But I say unto you, That Elias is already come, and they knew him not, but have done by him whatsoever they chose: even so also must the Son of man suffer by them. 13Then understood the disciples that he spake to them of John the Baptist.
14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15Lord, have compassion on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffers grievously; for oftentimes he falleth into the fire, and often into the water. 16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they have not been able to cure him. 17Then Jesus answering, said, O generation, faithless, and perverse! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. 18And Jesus rebuked him, and the devil came out of him; and the child was cured from that hour. 19Then the disciples of Jesus coming privately, said, Why could not we cast it out? 20Then said Jesus unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove from hence, thither, and it will remove; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21But this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
22And as they were returning into Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of men: 23and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again. And they were grieved exceedingly.
24And when they came to Capernaum, they who receive the tax of two drachmas came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? 25He saith, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth receive customs and tax? from their own children, or from aliens? 26Peter saith to him, From aliens. Jesus saith unto him, In that case then the children are free. 27But that we give them no offence, go unto the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish which cometh up; and on opening his mouth, thou wilt find a stater, that take and give them for me and thee.
[CHAP. XVIII.]
AT that time came the disciples to Jesus, saying, Who is indeed the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2And Jesus calling a little boy, set him in the midst of them, 3and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be changed and be as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself, as this little child, he shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. 6And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones, who believe in me, to stumble, it were better for him that a millstone was hung at his neck, and that he was sunk in the depth of the sea.
7Wo to the world because of offences! for there is a necessity that offences come: nevertheless, wo to that man by whom the offence cometh! 8If then thy hand, or thy foot, lead thee to offend, cut them off, and cast them from thee: for it were better for thee to enter into life, halting or maimed, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the fire, which is eternal. 9And if thine eye lead thee to offend, pluck it out and cast it from thee, for it were better for thee to enter into life with one eye only, than having two eyes to be cast into hell-fire.
10See that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say unto you, That their angels in heaven continually behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
12What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them stray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and go and seek that which had strayed? 13And if he happen to find it, verily I say unto you, that he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which never went astray. 14Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones perish.
15Now if thy brother sin against thee, go and reprove him between thyself and him alone; if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed. 17But if he disregard them, inform the church: and if he disregard the church, let him be to thee as a heathen, or a publican. 18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever things ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever things ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19Again I say unto you, That if two of you are concurring upon earth, respecting any matter, which ye shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.