Matthew 17

₁After 6 days Jesus told Peter, James and John to go with Him to a high mountain. There were no other people with them. ₂The disciples looked at Jesus and then He started to change and He looked different. His face started to shine like the sun and his clothes were white and very bright. ₃Elijah and Moses appeared to them and they talked to Jesus. ₄Peter said to Jesus: ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. Can we put up 3 shelters, one shelter for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah?’

₅While Peter was speaking, a cloud came over them. They heard God speaking from the cloud. God said: ‘This is my Son. I love Him. I am very happy with Him. You must do what He says.’ ₆When the disciples heard the voice of God, they trembled and they fell with their faces to the ground. ₇Jesus came to them and He touched them and said: ‘Get up, and do not be afraid.’

₈When the 3 disciples looked again, they saw only Jesus, and no one else.

₉Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain and He told them that they must tell no one what they had seen. They could tell it after Jesus, the Son of man, had risen from the dead and started living again.

₁₀The disciples asked Jesus: ‘Why do the teachers_of_the_Laws say that Elijah must come before the Messiah will come?’ ₁₁Jesus said to them: ‘Elijah must come first to prepare everything for the Messiah. But why did the prophets write that I, the Son of man, would suffer and that the people would do bad things to Me? ₁₂I tell you: Elijah has already come and the people did not know it was him. They did all the bad things to him that they wanted to do. They will soon also do very bad things to Me, the Son of man.’

₁₃Then the disciples understood that Jesus meant John the Baptist when He talked about Elijah.

₁₄Then Jesus and the 3 disciples went back to the other disciples. A man came to Jesus and he knelt before Jesus. ₁₅He said: ‘Lord, please feel sorry for my son because he is sick. He often falls onto the ground and into the water or into a fire. ₁₆I have asked your disciples to chase_out_the_demon and heal him, but they can not do it.’ ₁₇Jesus said to them: ‘You do not believe in Me. How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to be patient with you? Bring the boy to Me.’

₁₈Jesus rebuked the demon. The demon went out of the boy and the boy was healed immediately. ₁₉Later the disciples were alone with Jesus and they asked Him: ‘Why could we not chase_out_that_demon?’ _20-21Jesus said to them: ‘It is because you do not believe enough. I am telling you this and it is sure: If you have a little faith, as small as a mustard_seed, you can say to this mountain: “Go away. Go to another place,” and the mountain will go. You will be able to do anything.’

₂₂When Jesus and his disciples came into the province of Galilee, He said to them: ‘I am the Son of man and God will give Me to the people ₂₃so that they can kill Me. But after 3 days I will live again.’ When Jesus' disciples heard this, they were very sad.

₂₄Jesus and his disciples went into the town of Capernaum. The people who collected the temple-tax came to Peter and asked him: ‘Does your Teacher pay temple-tax or not?’ ₂₅Peter said: ‘Yes, He pays.’

When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke first. He asked Peter: ‘Simon, what do you think? Who must pay taxes to the kings of the earth? Do their children pay taxes or is it other people who must pay taxes?’ ₂₆Peter said: ‘It is the other people who must pay taxes.’ Jesus said: ‘Then the children of the kings are free. They do not have to pay tax. ₂₇But we do not want to make these people who collect the temple-tax angry. Go to the lake and catch the first fish that bites onto your fishing hook. If you open its mouth, you will find a silver_coin in its mouth. That is enough money to pay the tax for you and Me. Take it and pay our temple-tax.’