Mark 6:7-56

71And 2He summoned the twelve and began to send them out 3in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; 84and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff--no bread, no 5bag, no money in their belt-- 9but 6to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not put on two 7tunics.” 10And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you 8leave town. 11Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, 9shake the dust 10off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” 1211They went out and 12preached that men should repent. 13And they were casting out many demons and 13were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

1414And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “15John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15But others were saying, “He is 16Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is 17a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

17For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of 18Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “19It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 1920Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20for 21Herod 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; 22but he 23used to enjoy listening to him. 21A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday 24gave a banquet for his lords and 25military commanders and the leading men 26of Galilee; 22and when the daughter of 27Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and 28his 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 29half 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 30his 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.

3031The 32apostles 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 33they did not even have time to eat.) 3234They went away in 35the 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 36ashore, He 37saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because 38they 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, “39This 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 40something to eat.” 37But He answered them, “You give them something to eat!” 41And they said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred 4243denarii 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 44sit down by groups on the green grass. 40They 45sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. 41And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He 46blessed 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 47baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. 44There were 48five thousand men who ate the loaves.

4549Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into 50the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to 51Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46After 52bidding them farewell, He left 53for 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 54straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the 5556fourth 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 57terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “58Take courage; it is I, 59do not be afraid.” 51Then He got into 60the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52for 61they 62had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but 63their heart 64was hardened.

5365When 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 66the 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 67touch 68the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.