17 One of the people in the crowd answered, "Rabbi, I brought my son to you. He has an evil spirit that prevents him speaking. 18 Whenever he has a seizure it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and he becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out of him, but they couldn’t do it."

19 "You unbelieving people!" Jesus responded. "How long must I remain here with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring him over here to me!"

20 So they brought him to Jesus. When the evil spirit saw Jesus it immediately sent the boy into convulsions and threw him on the ground, where he rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21 "How long has he had this?" Jesus asked the boy’s father.

"Since he was small," the father replied. 22 "Often it throws him into the fire to burn him to death, or throws him into water to drown him. Please have mercy on us and help, if you can."

23 "Why do you say,*9:23. Implied. Jesus was asking why the man said to him, "if you can," which suggested doubt as to what Jesus could do. ‘if you can?’" replied Jesus. "Whoever trusts has every power!"

24 "I do trust in you," the man shouted out right away. "Help me not to distrust you."

25 Jesus, seeing that the crowd was closing in,*9:25. Or "running together." This word is only used once in the New Testament. commanded the evil spirit, "Spirit that causes deafness and dumbness, I order you to come out of him and never return."

26 The spirit screamed and threw the boy into severe convulsions. Then the spirit came out of the boy and left him for dead—to the extent that many of the people said, "He’s dead."

27 But Jesus took the boy by the hand and helped him up, and he got to his feet.