6:1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.
6:2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!
6:3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
6:4 Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
6:5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6:6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
6:7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
6:8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff–no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.
6:9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
6:10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
6:11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”
6:12 They went out and preached that people should repent.
6:13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
6:14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
6:15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
6:16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
6:17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.
6:18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
6:19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
6:20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
6:21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
6:22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”
6:23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
6:24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
6:25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
6:26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.
6:27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,
6:28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.
6:29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
6:30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
6:31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
6:32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
6:33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
6:34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
6:35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late.
6:36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
6:37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
6:38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five–and two fish.”
6:39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.
6:40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.
6:41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
6:42 They all ate and were satisfied,
6:43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
6:44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
6:45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
6:46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
6:47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.
6:48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,
6:49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,
6:50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
6:51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,
6:52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.
6:54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.
6:55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
6:56 And wherever he went–into villages, towns or countryside–they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
6:1 And He went out from there and came into His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
6:2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing were astounded, saying, Where did this man get these things? And what is this wisdom given to this man, and how is it that such works of power take place through His hands?
6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were stumbled because of Him.
6:4 And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and among his own relatives and in his own house.
6:5 And He could not do any work of power there, except to lay His hands upon a few of the sick and heal them.
6:6 And He marveled because of their unbelief; and He went around the villages in a circuit, teaching.
6:7 And He called the twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits;
6:8 And He charged them not to take anything for the journey except only a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belt;
6:9 But to have sandals tied on; and said, Do not put on two tunics.
6:10 And He said to them, Wherever you enter into a house, there remain until you depart from that place.
6:11 And whatever place does not receive you nor hear you, as you go out from there, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.
6:12 And they went forth and proclaimed that men should repent,
6:13 And they cast out many demons and anointed many of the sick with oil and healed them.
6:14 And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become known, and they said, John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this these works of power are operating through him.
6:15 But others said, He is Elijah; and others said, He is a prophet, like one of the prophets.
6:16 But Herod, hearing of it, said, He whom I beheaded, John, this one was raised!
6:17 For Herod himself had sent men and seized John and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her.
6:18 For John had been saying to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother.
6:19 Thus, Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him and could not,
6:20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed yet heard him gladly.
6:21 And an opportune day came, when Herod on his birthday made a banquet for his courtiers and the commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
6:22 And when the daughter of Herodias herself entered and danced, she pleased Herod and those reclining at table with him. The king said to the girl, Ask of me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.
6:23 And he swore to her earnestly, Whatever you ask of me, I will give to you, up to half of my kingdom.
6:24 And she went out and said to her mother, What should I ask for? And she said, The head of John the baptizer.
6:25 And coming in immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying, I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.
6:26 And the king was very grieved, yet because of the oaths and those reclining at table, he did not want to refuse her.
6:27 And immediately the king sent a guard and ordered him to bring his head. And he went out and beheaded him in the prison,
6:28 And brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
6:29 And when his disciples heard about it, they came and took his corpse and put it in a tomb.
6:30 And the apostles gathered together to Jesus and reported to Him all that they did and all that they taught.
6:31 And He said to them, Come by yourselves privately to a deserted place and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have opportunity to eat.
6:32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place privately.
6:33 And many saw them going away and recognized them, and they ran together there on foot from all the cities and got there before them.
6:34 And getting out, He saw a great crowd, and He was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep not having a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things.
6:35 And when the hour had already become late, His disciples came to Him and said, This place is deserted, and the hour is already late;
6:36 Send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy for themselves something to eat.
6:37 But He answered and said to them, You give them something to eat. And they said to Him, Shall we go away and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?
6:38 And He said to them, How many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they found out, they said, Five, and two fish.
6:39 And He ordered them to have all recline by companies on the green grass.
6:40 And they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
6:41 And He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among all.
6:42 And they all ate and were satisfied.
6:43 And they took up twelve full handbaskets of the broken pieces of bread and of the fish.
6:44 And those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.
6:45 And immediately He compelled His disciples to step into the boat and go before to the other side, toward Bethsaida, while He sent the crowd away.
6:46 And after He said farewell to them, He went away to the mountain to pray.
6:47 And when evening fell, the boat was in the midst of the sea and He was alone on the land.
6:48 And seeing them distressed as they rowed, for the wind was contrary to them, He came toward them about the fourth watch of the night, walking on the sea, and He intended to pass by them.
6:49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out,
6:50 For they all saw Him and were startled. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.
6:51 And He went up unto them into the boat, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly astonished in themselves beyond measure,
6:52 For they did not understand concerning the loaves, but rather their heart was hardened.
6:53 And they crossed over to the land and came to Gennesaret and moored there.
6:54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,
6:55 And they ran about that whole region and began to carry around on mats those who were ill to any place where they heard that He was.
6:56 And wherever He entered into villages or into cities or into the countryside, they laid those who were sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch if even the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched Him were healed.