Mark 6:31-53

31He 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.

32And they went away by themselves in the boat to a secluded place.

33Many [people] saw them leaving, and recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the [surrounding] cities, and got there ahead of them.

34When 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.

35When the day was nearly gone, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place, and it is already late;

36send the crowds away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37But 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?”

38He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five [loaves], and two fish.”

39Then Jesus commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass.

40They sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties [so that the crowd resembled an orderly arrangement of colorful garden plots].

41Taking 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.

42They all ate and were satisfied.

43And the disciples picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces [of the loaves], and of the fish.

44Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men [not counting the women and children].

45Jesus 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.

46And after He said goodbye to them, He went to the mountain to pray.

47Now when evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on the land.

48Seeing 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.

49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out [in horror];

50for 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.”

51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased [as if exhausted by its own activity]; and they were completely overwhelmed,

52because 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].

53When they had crossed over [the sea], they reached the land of Gennesaret and anchored at the shore.