Mark 9:19-33

¹⁹Then Jesus said to his men, “You truly have not believed in God. How is it? You are still unbelievers. How long shall I be with you? Shall I teach you for a long time? After that will you believe in God? Bring the child to me.”

²⁰They brought him to him. As soon as he saw Jesus the spirit grabbed that child, it made him thrash around. At that time the child fell on the ground, trembling he was rolling from side to side. Saliva was coming from his mouth.

²¹Jesus asked his father, “When did he become like this?” He said to him, “When he was a child.

²²Many times the spirit has thrown him in the fire or in the water, it has been trying to kill him. Have pity on us. Perhaps you will make him well.”

²³Jesus replied, “Yes, I know how to heal him. Why did you say that word to me, 'Perhaps you will make him well.'? You must believe in God. Then you can ask God for anything. For that particular thing he knows how to do it. It is not a puzzle for God.” Right then the man called out loudly, “I believe in God. Teach me to believe properly!”

²⁵Jesus saw many people gathering together. Therefore he said sternly to the evil spirit, “You bad spirit, you made this child deaf, you made him unable to speak. Leave. Go away. Do not again control him.”

²⁶The spirit called out, it was making the child thrash around, it was very bad. Then it left, it went away permanently. That child was like a corpse. Many were saying, “He is truly dead.”

²⁷Jesus raised him up by the hand. After that the child stood up. He was well.

²⁸After Jesus entered the house his men asked him, “Why couldn't we expel that spirit?” In vain we tried to send it away.”

²⁹Jesus replied, “Only after praying to God will you expel a demon like that.”

³⁰Jesus and his men left that place, they were going around the country of Galilee. He wanted the people of the area not to recognise him. He was wanting to teach his men about himself, others would kill him. He was telling them, “You know about me, God sent me to people. Some people have been saying God did not send me. They want to kill me. Truly they will grab me, they will take me to other people. Those others will truly kill me. After that, after two nights, truly I will become alive again.” In that way Jesus talked to his men.

³²His men were very ignorant about that talk. They did not want to ask him in response, they were shy.

³³They went to that town Capernaum. After his men had entered the house Jesus asked them, “As we were coming why were you arguing with each other?”