17Verse 1Now after six days Jesus takes Peter, James and his brother John and leads them up on a high mountain, in private.Verse 2And He was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun, while His clothes became as white as the light.Verse 3When wow, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Him.Verse 4Then Peter reacted and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us+make three booths: one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”+Verse 5While he was still speaking a brilliant cloud overshadowed them, and then, a Voice+came out of the cloud saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am always well pleased. Hear Him!”Verse 6As the disciples heard it they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.Verse 7Then Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, don't be afraid.”Verse 8So lifting up their eyes they saw no one but Jesus only.
Elijah and ‘Elijah’
Verse 9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, “Tell no one the vision until the Son of the Man is risen from the dead.”Verse 10So His disciples questioned Him saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”Verse 11In answer Jesus said to them: “Elijah is indeed coming first, and he will restore all things.Verse 12But I say to you that ‘Elijah’ has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. Thus also the Son of the Man is about to suffer at their hands.”Verse 13Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptizer.+
A tough kind of demon
Verse 14As they came to the crowd a man approached Him and kneeling to Him said:Verse 15“Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is moonstruck and suffers badly! For he often falls into the fire and often into the water.Verse 16So I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”Verse 17Then in answer Jesus said: “O faithless and perverse generation,+how long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.”Verse 18And Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that very hour.Verse 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why were we not able to cast it out?”Verse 20So Jesus said to them: “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed has, you (ye) will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.+Verse 21However, this class does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”+Verse 22While they were staying+in Galilee Jesus said to them, “The Son of the Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men,Verse 23and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised.” And they were seriously grieved.
Money from a fish
Verse 24When they entered Capernaum those who collected the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”Verse 25He says, “Yes.” So when they entered the house Jesus anticipated him saying: “Simon, what do you think? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or poll tax, from their sons or from strangers?”Verse 26Peter says to Him, “From the strangers.” Jesus said to him: “Well then, the sons are free.Verse 27But, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And opening its mouth you will find a ‘stater’ [a coin]; take that and give it to them for me and you.”+