BWE - Matthew - 17

17:1  Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John with him. He led them up a hill by themselves.

17:2  Jesus was changed in front of them. His face was bright like the sun. His clothes were white, like light.

17:3  Then they saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.

17:4  Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, this is a good place for us. If you want, we will make three places here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’

17:5  While he was saying this, a bright cloud came over them. A voice in the cloud said, ‘This is my dear Son. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him.’

17:6  When the disciples heard it, they bowed their faces to the ground. They were very much afraid.

17:7  But Jesus came and touched them. He said, ‘Get up. Do not fear.’

17:8  When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus.

17:9  When they came down the hill, Jesus said to them, ‘Do not tell anyone what you saw. Do not tell it until after the Son of Man has been raised from death.’

17:10  The disciples asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’

17:11  Jesus answered, ‘Elijah does come. He will get everything ready.

17:12  I tell you that Elijah has come already. The people did not know him. And they did to him just what they wanted to do. So also the Son of Man will be troubled by them.’

17:13  Then the disciples knew that he was talking about John the Baptizer.

17:14  They came to the people. A man came and kneeled in front of Jesus.

17:15  He said, ‘Sir, help my son. A bad spirit is in him and he has much trouble. Often he falls into the fire, and often he falls into the water.

17:16  I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’

17:17  Jesus said, ‘You people today do not believe. You have turned away from God. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’

17:18  Jesus talked to the bad spirit and he came out of the boy. The boy was healed.

17:19  Then the disciples came to Jesus alone. They asked him, ‘Why could we not drive the bad spirit out?’

17:20  Jesus said to them, ‘Because you do not believe enough. I tell you the truth. If your strength to believe were as much as a little mustard seed, you could say to this hill, “Go, move over to that place!” And it would move. Nothing is too hard for you to do.

17:21  But this kind of bad spirit does not come out of a person unless people ask God and fast.’

17:22  They were travelling in Galilee. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The Son of Man will be given over to men.

17:23  They will kill him. But he will be raised on the third day.’ This troubled the disciples very much.

17:24  They came to Capernaum. There the men who were collecting the tax for the temple came to Peter. They asked him, ‘Does not your teacher pay the tax for the temple?’

17:25  Peter said, ‘Yes, he does.’ When he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him about it first. He said, ‘Simon, what do you think? From whom do kings on earth take taxes? Do they take them from their own people or from other people?’

17:26  Peter said, ‘From other people.’ Jesus said, ‘Then the sons do not pay a tax.

17:27  But we must not make them think something wrong about us. So go to the sea. Throw a fish-hook into the water. Take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth and you will see a piece of money. Take it and pay them the tax for you and me.’