Matthew

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

1Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and James's brother John up a high mountain, just the four of them.

2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

2There his appearance changed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes turned as white as light.

3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

3Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, and the two of them were talking with Jesus.

4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, I will put up three shelters: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

5While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them. A voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!"

6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

6When the disciples heard the voice, they fell face down on the ground, terrified.

7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

7Jesus came over and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid."

8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

8When they looked up, they saw no one there except Jesus alone.

9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

9As they walked down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone what you saw until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

10The disciples asked him, "Then why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

11Jesus answered, "It is true that Elijah comes first, and he will put everything back in order.

12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

12But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and people did not recognize him. They did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands."

13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

13Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

14When they came back to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt down in front of him.

15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

15He said, "Lord, please help my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.

NoteThe KJV word "lunatick" comes from an old idea that the moon caused this illness. The word describes a boy who has seizures, not someone who is insane.

16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

17Jesus answered, "You people have no faith, and you have gone wrong. How long must I stay with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."

18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

18Jesus gave a sharp command to the demon, and it came out of the boy. The child was well from that moment on.

19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

19Later the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

20He said to them, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth: if your faith is even as small as a mustard seed, you can tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

21But this kind does not come out except by prayer and going without food."

ManuscriptsMost modern translations leave this verse out. It is in the Greek text the King James translators worked from, but not in the older manuscripts found since, so scholars generally take it as a copyist’s addition rather than part of the original.

22And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

22While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men.

23And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." This made the disciples very sad.

24And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

24When they arrived in Capernaum, the men who collected the temple tax came to Peter. They asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"

NoteThis was the yearly tax every Jewish man paid to support the temple in Jerusalem. It was not a Roman tax. "Tribute" in the KJV simply means tax.

25He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

25"Yes, he does," Peter said. When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke first. "What do you think, Simon? Who pays taxes to the kings of the earth: their own sons, or other people?"

Note"Prevented" in 1611 English meant to go first or speak first, not to stop someone. Jesus brought the subject up before Peter could.

26Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

26"Other people," Peter answered. Jesus said to him, "Then the sons don't have to pay.

27Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

27But we don't want to upset them. So go to the lake, throw in a hook, and take the first fish you catch. Open its mouth and you will find a coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

NoteThe coin in the fish's mouth was worth exactly two temple-tax payments, enough for both Jesus and Peter.