Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are His sisters not here with us?” And they were [deeply] offended by Him [and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah].

The apostles [who had been sent out on a mission] gathered together with Jesus and told Him everything that they had done and taught.

Jesus left there and came to His hometown [Nazareth]; and His disciples followed Him.

And He called the twelve [disciples] and began to send them out [as His special messengers] two by two, and gave them authority and power over the unclean spirits.

King Herod [Antipas] heard about this, for Jesus’ name and reputation had become well known. People were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.”

Jesus immediately insisted that His disciples get into the boat and go ahead [of Him] to the other side to Bethsaida, while He was dismissing the crowd.

but to wear sandals; and [He told them] not to wear two tunics.

And He told them, “Wherever you go into a house, stay there until you leave that town.

But others were saying, “He is Elijah!” And others were saying, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old].”

Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not,

But when Herod heard [of it], he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen [from the dead]!”

He wondered at their unbelief.

And He was going around in the villages teaching.

But an opportune time [finally] came [for Herodias]. Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his officials (nobles, courtiers) and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful [under Mosaic Law] for you to have your brother’s wife.”

When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things [this knowledge and spiritual insight]? What is this wisdom [this confident understanding of the Scripture] that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?

because Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he continually kept him safe. When he heard John [speak], he was very perplexed; but he enjoyed listening to him.

Now [Salome] the daughter of Herodias came in and danced [for the men]. She pleased and beguiled Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”

And she rushed back to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter!”

And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.”

So the king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring back John’s head. And he went and had John beheaded in the prison,

She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And Herodias replied, “The head of John the Baptist!”

When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away John’s body and laid it in a tomb.

The king was deeply grieved, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests [who might have regarded him as weak], he was unwilling to [break his word and] refuse her.

For Herod himself had sent [guards] and had John arrested and shackled in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his [half-] brother Philip, because he (Herod) had married her.

and brought back his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while”—for there were many [people who were continually] coming and going, and they could not even find time to eat.

When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd [waiting], and He was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd [lacking guidance]; and He began to teach them many things.

And He could not do a miracle there at all [because of their unbelief] except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor (respect) except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many who were sick, and healing them.

He told them to take nothing for the journey except a mere walking stick—no bread, no [traveler’s] bag, no money in their belts—

Any place that does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them [breaking all ties with them because they rejected My message].”

When they had crossed over [the sea], they reached the land of Gennesaret and anchored at the shore.

Taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and said a blessing [of praise and thanksgiving to the Father]. Then He broke the loaves and [repeatedly] gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and He divided up the two fish among them all.

Seeing the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) He came to them, walking on the sea. And [acted as if] He intended to pass by them.

So they went out and preached that men should repent [that is, think differently, recognize sin, turn away from it, and live changed lives].

When the day was nearly gone, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place, and it is already late;

And they went away by themselves in the boat to a secluded place.

And wherever He came into villages, or cities, or the countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places and pleading with Him [to allow them] just to touch the fringe (tassel with a blue cord) of His robe; and all who touched it were healed.

because they had not understood [the miracle of] the loaves [how it revealed the power and deity of Jesus]; but [in fact] their heart was hardened [being oblivious and indifferent to His amazing works].

Many [people] saw them leaving, and recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the [surrounding] cities, and got there ahead of them.

And after He said goodbye to them, He went to the mountain to pray.

Now when evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on the land.

But He replied, “You give them something to eat!” And they asked Him, “Shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”

Then Jesus commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass.

But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out [in horror];

Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased [as if exhausted by its own activity]; and they were completely overwhelmed,

for they all saw Him and were shaken and terrified. But He immediately spoke with them and said, “Take courage! It is I (I Am)! Stop being afraid.”

Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men [not counting the women and children].

And the disciples picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces [of the loaves], and of the fish.

They all ate and were satisfied.

send the crowds away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five [loaves], and two fish.”

They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties [so that the crowd resembled an orderly arrangement of colorful garden plots].

and ran throughout that surrounding countryside and began to carry around on their mats those who were sick, to any place where they heard He was.

They got out of the boat and immediately people recognized Him,