They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly.

When he entered he said to them, "Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."

And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child's father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was.

Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up."

He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did he get these ideas? And what is this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands?

He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he went around among the villages and taught.

Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bread, no bag, no money in their belts --

He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the area.

Others said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past."

But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!"

because Herod stood in awe of John and protected him, since he knew that John was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, and yet he liked to listen to John.

He swore to her, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."

Although it grieved the king deeply, he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests.

So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded John in prison.

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

He said to them, "Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while" (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat).

As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "Should we go and buy bread for two hundred silver coins and give it to them to eat?"

He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five -- and two fish."

Then he directed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.

He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to his disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd.

After saying good-bye to them, he went to the mountain to pray.

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land.

He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, he came to them walking on the sea, for he wanted to pass by them.

When they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: "Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid."

Then he went up with them into the boat, and the wind ceased. They were completely astonished,

They ran through that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to be.

And wherever he would go -- into villages, towns, or countryside -- they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

He also said to them, "You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition.

Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand.

He said to them, "Are you so foolish? Don't you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him?

He said, "What comes out of a person defiles him.

After Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice.

He said to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and to throw it to the dogs."

Then he said to her, "Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter."

After Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man's ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue.

Then he looked up to heaven and said with a sigh, "Ephphatha" (that is, "Be opened").

And immediately the man's ears were opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke plainly.

Jesus ordered them not to tell anything. But as much as he ordered them not to do this, they proclaimed it all the more.

People were completely astounded and said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They replied, "Seven."

Then he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So they served the crowd.

They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well.

There were about four thousand who ate. Then he dismissed them.

Immediately he got into a boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, "Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to this generation."

Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.

When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened?

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?" They replied, "Twelve."

"When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?" They replied, "Seven."

Then he said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, "Do you see anything?"

Regaining his sight he said, "I see people, but they look like trees walking."

Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."

Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He spoke openly about this. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God's interests, but on man's."

Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them,

(For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.)

As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

He said to them, "Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised?

He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"

Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do so."

He answered them, "You unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him to me."

So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.

Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He is dead!"

But Jesus gently took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.

Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we cast it out?"

He told them, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."

Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?"

After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us."

Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan River. Again crowds gathered to him, and again, as was his custom, he taught them.

He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"

But Jesus said to them, "He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard hearts.

But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female.

So he told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.

But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.

As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, "You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.