Mark 9:33–50

³³Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”

³⁶Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes not only Me, but the One who sent Me.”

³⁸John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”

³⁹“Do not stop him,” Jesus replied. “For no one who performs a miracle in My name can turn around and speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰For whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.

⁴²But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.

⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell,^e into the unquenchable fire.^{f 45}If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^{g 47}And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’^h

⁴⁹For everyone will be salted with fire.ⁱ

⁵⁰Salt is good, but if the salt loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”