‘ISA1 said to them, “Most assuredly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see the Kingdom of God come with power.”
2After six days ‘ISA took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them. 3His clothing became glistening, very white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4Ilyas2 and Musa3 appeared to them, and they were talking with ‘ISA.
5Peter answered ‘ISA, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Musa, and one for Ilyas.” 6For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.
7A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved SON4. Listen to him.”
8Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except ‘ISA only.
9As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the SON OF MAN5 had risen from the dead. 10They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant.
11They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Ilyas must come first?”
12He said to them, “Ilyas indeed comes first, and restores all things. Yet how is it written about the SON OF MAN, that he should suffer many things and be despised? 13But I tell you that Ilyas has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”
14Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. 15Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him greeted him. 16He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”
17One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit; 18and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.”
19He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
20They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.
21He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?”
He said, “From childhood. 22Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”
23‘ISA said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”
25When ‘ISA saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”
26Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But ‘ISA took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.
28When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 29He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”
30They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it. 31For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The SON OF MAN is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”
32But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”
34But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.
35He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.” 36He took a little child, and set him in the midst of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, does not receive me, but him who sent me.”
38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he does not follow us.”
39But ‘ISA said, “Do not forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. 40For whoever is not against us is on our side. 41For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are AL-MASIH’s6, most assuredly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward. 42Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck. 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Jahannam,7 into the unquenchable fire,
44‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
45If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Jahannam, into the fire that will never be quenched—
46‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
47If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the fire of Jahannam,
48‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 8
49For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
- 9:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 9:4 Ilyas, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Elijah, which means “YAHWEH is My God”. (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 9:4 Musa, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Moses meaning “to pull out” or “draw out” (of water); referring to the event in the Taurat where the baby Musa was rescued from the Nile River by Firaun’s daughter. ↩︎
- 9:7 SON, a title of the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, revealed through Prophet Dawud in the Zabur 2:7-9, where it says: I will tell of the decree. YAHWEH said to me, “You are my SON. Today I have become your FATHER. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, The ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” ↩︎
- 9:9 SON OF MAN, a title for the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, derived from the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like a SON OF MAN coming with the clouds of the sky, and he came to the ANCIENT OF DAYS, and they brought him near before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” The title SON OF MAN was Prophet ‘ISA Ibn Maryam’s most common way of referring to himself. ↩︎
- 9:41 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 9:43 Jahannam, this Arabic word is derived from Gehenna (Greek), which signifies a place of eternal punishment. The name came from the Valley of Hinnom (Ge-Hinnom) outside the walls of Jerusalem. In ancient Israel, live babies were thrown crying into the fire under the arms of the idol, Moloch, to die. This place was so despised by the people after the righteous King Josiah abolished this hideous practice, that not only was it made into a garbage heap, but dead bodies of diseased animals and executed criminals were thrown there and burned. ↩︎
- 9:44,46,48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched, Quoted from the Taurat, Shaya 66:24 which says, “They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be abhorrent to all mankind.” ↩︎