1 JESUS called together the twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.

2 Then he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.

3 He said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no stick, no bag, no bread, no money, nor have so much as two tunics.

4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.

5 Whoever do not receive you \'97 as you go out from that city, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

6 Going forth, they began telling the good news from village to village and performing cures everywhere.

7 Herod the Prince heard of all that was going on, and he was at a loss because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,

8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that some one of the old prophets had arisen.

9 Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he made efforts to see him.

10 The apostles returned and told Jesus all that they had done. Taking them with him, he went away privately to a city called Bethsaida.

11 The crowds found it out and followed him. He welcomed them and talked to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing.

12 When the day began to decline, the twelve came and said to him, "Dismiss the crowd, so that they may go to the villages and farms around and put up for the night and find food, for here we are in the wild lands."

13 He said to them, "Give them something to eat yourselves." They replied, "We have not more than five loaves and two fishes. We cannot go and buy food for all this crowd, can we?"

14 There were about five thousand men. He said to his disciples, "Have them recline in rows of fifty."

15 They did so, and made all recline.

16 Taking the five loaves and the fishes, he looked up to heaven and blessed them and broke them and gave to the disciples to distribute to the crowd.

17 They all ate and had abundance, and what was left over was picked up \'97 twelve baskets of fragments.

18 Once when he was praying alone, his disciples joined him, and he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

19 They answered, "John the Baptist; others say Elijah; others that some one of the old prophets has arisen."

20 He said to them, "But you, who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

21 But he rebuked him, and charged them not to say this to any one,

22 telling them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and high priests and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

23 He said to all: "If any one chooses to come after me, let him disown himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.

24 He who chooses to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

25 For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world if he has lost or forfeited himself?

26 Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and that of his Father and of the holy angels.

27 I tell you truly there are some of those standing here who will not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God."

28 About eight days after this conversation, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray.

29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothing became radiant white.

30 Suddenly two men were talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah,

31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his passing which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

32 Peter and his companions had been weighed down with sleep, but becoming fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who were standing with him.

33 As they were departing from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is fine 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.

34 While he was saying it there came a cloud and over-shadowed them. They were frightened as they entered the cloud.

35 Then a voice came from the cloud saying, "This is my Son, the Chosen, listen to him."

36 When the voice came, Jesus was there alone. They kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

37 On the next day, as they were coming down from the mountain, a great crowd met him,

38 and suddenly a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I pray you look at my son, for he is my only one,

39 and see, a spirit seizes him and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him till he foams and it hardly leaves off tormenting him.

40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

41 Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverted generation, how long must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here."

42 Even while he was coming, the demon dashed him down and convulsed him. Jesus rebuked the impure spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

43 They were amazed at the greatness of God. While they were all wondering at all the things that he did, he said to his disciples,

44 "Receive these words into your ears. The Son of Man will soon be betrayed into the hands of men."

45 But they did not understand this remark, and it was hidden from them so that they did not take it in, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

46 A dispute started among them as to which of them was greatest.

47 Jesus knew the question that was in their minds, and he took a little child and stood him beside himself.

48 Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. For he who is least among you all, he is great."

49 John answered, "Master, we saw one casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he is not following along with us."

50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him, for he who is not against you is for you."

51 As the days before his being taken up to heaven were passing, he set his face to go to Jerusalem

52 and sent on messengers in advance. In journeying they came to a village of Samaritans to make arrangements for him.

53 The Samaritans did not receive him because his face was toward Jerusalem.

54 On seeing this, his disciples James and John said, "Sir, do you want us to bid fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

55 But he turned and rebuked them. So they journeyed to another village.

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57 As they were traveling on the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

58 Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have coverts, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head."

59 He said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Let me first go and bury my father."

60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and announce far and wide the kingdom of God."

61 Another said, "I will follow you, Sir, but first let me say good-bye to those at my home."

62 Jesus said to him, "No one who has put his hand to the plow and is looking backward is fit for the kingdom of God."