Mark 9:33-50

English Standard Version

Who Is the Greatest?

³³And ^(A)they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house ^(B)he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they kept silent, for on the way ^(C)they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ^(D)“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and ^(E)taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷^(F)“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and ^(G)whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

³⁸^(H)John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone ^(I)casting out demons in your name,^[a] and ^(J)we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ⁴⁰^(K)For the one who is not against us is for us. ⁴¹For truly, I say to you, ^(L)whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

⁴²^(M)“Whoever causes one of ^(N)these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[b] ^(O)it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ⁴³^(P)And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to ^(Q)hell,^[c] to ^(R)the unquenchable fire.^[d] ⁴⁵^(S)And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into ^(T)hell. ⁴⁷^(U)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into ^(V)hell, ⁴⁸‘where ^(W)their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ ⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire.^[e] ⁵⁰^(X)Salt is good, ^(Y)but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? ^(Z)Have salt in yourselves, and ^(AA)be at peace with one another.”

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Footnotes

Mark 9:38 Some manuscripts add who does not follow us
Mark 9:42 Greek to stumble; also verses 43, 45, 47
Mark 9:43 Greek Gehenna; also verse 47
Mark 9:43 Some manuscripts add verses 44 and 46 (which are identical with verse 48)
Mark 9:49 Some manuscripts add and every sacrifice will be salted with salt

Psalm 95

English Standard Version

Let Us Sing Songs of Praise

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us ^(A)make a joyful noise to ^(B)the rock of our salvation!
²Let us ^(C)come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us ^(D)make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³For the Lord is ^(E)a great God,
    and a great King ^(F)above all gods.
⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵The sea is his, for ^(G)he made it,
    and his hands formed ^(H)the dry land.

⁶Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us ^(I)kneel before the Lord, our ^(J)Maker!
⁷For he is our ^(K)God,
    and we are the people of his ^(L)pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
^(M)Today, if you ^(N)hear his voice,
⁸    ^(O)do not harden your hearts, as at ^(P)Meribah,
    as on the day at ^(Q)Massah in the wilderness,
⁹when your fathers put me to the ^(R)test
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my ^(S)work.
¹⁰^(T)For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known ^(U)my ways.”
¹¹Therefore I ^(V)swore in my wrath,
    “They shall not enter ^(W)my rest.”