Ferrar Fenton Bible: Matthew 17

About six days afterwards, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and went with them up a high mountain privately; and He was transfigured in their presence. And His face shone like the sun; while His garments became white like light. And there appeared Moses and Elijah, conversing with Him. Then Peter, addressing Jesus, said, "Master, how delightful it is for us to be here! If You wish, we will make three tents — one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, a shining cloud suddenly floated around them; and a voice from the cloud said, "This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight; listen to Him!" And the disciples, hearing it, sfell upon their faces, and were terrified; Jesus coming, however, touched them, and said, "Arise, and be not in terror." Then looking up, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.

And coming down from the mountain, Jesus enjoined them to "Report that vision to no person, until after the Son of Man is risen from the dead." His disciples then asked Him, Why do the professors then say that Elijah must come first?"

"Elijah indeed will come first, and reform all," He answered; "but I tell you that Elijah has already been, and they did not recognise him! On the contrary, they did with him what they pleased; and in the same way the Son of Man will be treated by them." The disciples then fully comprehended that He spoke to them about John the Baptizer.

And when they came near to the crowd, a man approached Him, kneeling to Him, and saying, "Master, have pity upon my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers terribly! He frequently falls into the fire, and often into the water also. And I brought him to Your disciples, but they were not able to cure him."

Then Jesus said in reply, "What an unbelieving and perverted race! How long must I remain with you? How long must I support you? Bring him here to Me." And Jesus reproved him, and the demon departed from him; and the boy was cured from that hour.

The disciples afterwards approach ed Jesus privately, and asked, " What was the reason why we could not cast that one out?" "The reason was," Jesus answered them, "your want of faith; for I assure you, if you possessed faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Be removed from here to there,' and it would be removed! and to you nothing shall be impossible. But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

And as they were travelling in Galilee, Jesus remarked to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will murder Him; but He will be raised up the third day." And they were deeply grieved.

Then when they entered into Capernaum, the tax-collectors came to Peter and said, "Does not your Teacher pay the temple-tax?" "Yes," he answered. And when he entered the house, Jesus said to him before he spoke, "What do you think, Simon — from whom do the kings of the earth take tax, or toll? from their own children, or from other people?" "From other people," said Peter. "The sons are therefore free," said Jesus to him. "But so that we may not aggravate them, go and cast a fishing-line into the sea, take the fish that first comes up, and on opening its mouth, you will find a stater-coin.¹ Taking that, give it to them for you and Me."

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1. An Attic silver Coin, equivalent to about [unreadable] 3d. of our money.