Mark 6:17-56

17For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of 1Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “2It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 193Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20for 4Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; 5but he 6used to enjoy listening to him. 21A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday 7gave a banquet for his lords and 8military commanders and the leading men 9of Galilee; 22and when the daughter of 10Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and 11his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to 12half of my kingdom.” 24And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of 13his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, 28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

3014The 15apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and 16they did not even have time to eat.) 3217They went away in 18the boat to a secluded place by themselves. 33The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus went 19ashore, He 20saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because 21they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. 35When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, “22This place is desolate and it is already quite late; 36send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves 23something to eat.” 37But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” 24And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred 2526denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” 38And He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39And He commanded them all to 27sit down by groups on the green grass. 40They 28sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He 29blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before them; and He divided up the two fish among them all. 42They all ate and were satisfied, 43and they picked up twelve full 30baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. 44There were 31five thousand men who ate the loaves.

4532Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into 33the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to 34Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After 35bidding them farewell, He left 36for the mountain to pray.

47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48Seeing them 37straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the 3839fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were 40terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “41Take courage; it is I, 42do not be afraid.” 51Then He got into 43the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52for 44they 45had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but 46their heart 47was hardened.

5348When they had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. 54When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick, to 49the place they heard He was. 56Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just 50touch 51the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.