Matthew 17

1Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

3Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him.

4Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will put up three shelters here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son; I am well pleased with him. Listen to him!”

6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified.

7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said, “and do not be afraid.”

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

9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10The disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.

12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

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

14When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, knelt before him, and said,

15“Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water.

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

17Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and corrupt generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.”

18Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed from that very hour.

19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not drive it out?”

20He told them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

21[“But this kind comes out only through prayer and fasting.”]

22While they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into human hands.

23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were filled with grief.

24When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?”

25“Yes, he does,” he said. When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duties or taxes—from their own sons or from others?”

26When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt.

27But so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take it and give it to them for me and for you.”