1 I n those days many people were gathered together. They had nothing to eat. Jesus called His followers to Him and said,

In those days when an immense crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and told them,

2 “ I pity these people because they have been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

I have pity and sympathy for the people and My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing to eat;

3 I f I send them home without food, they may be too weak as they go. Many of them have come a long way.”

And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will be feeble through exhaustion and faint along the road; and some of them have come a long way.

4 H is followers said to Him, “Where can anyone get enough bread for them here in this desert?”

And His disciples replied to Him, How can anyone fill and satisfy with loaves of bread here in desolate and uninhabited region?

5 H e asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” They said, “Seven.”

And He asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven.

6 T hen He told the people to sit down on the ground. Jesus took the seven loaves of bread and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to His followers to give to the people. The followers gave the bread to them.

And He commanded the multitude to recline upon the ground, and He took the seven loaves and, having given thanks, He broke them and kept on giving them to His disciples to put before, and they placed them before the crowd.

7 T hey had a few small fish also. He gave thanks to God and told the followers to give the fish to them.

And they had a few small fish; and when He had praised God and given thanks and asked Him to bless them, He ordered that these also should be set before.

8 T hey all ate and were filled. They picked up seven baskets full of pieces of bread and fish after the people were finished eating.

And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven '> large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

9 A bout four thousand ate. Then Jesus sent the people away. The Proud Religious Law-Keepers Ask for Something Special to See

And there were about 4, 000 people. And He dismissed them,

10 A t once Jesus got in a boat with His followers and came to the country of Dalmanutha.

And at once He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha (or Magdala).

11 T he proud religious law-keepers came and began to ask Him for something special to see from heaven. They wanted to trap Jesus.

The Pharisees came and began to argue with and question Him, demanding from Him a sign (an attesting miracle from heaven) to test Him.

12 H e breathed deep within and said, “Why do the people of this day look for something special to see? For sure, I tell you, the people of this day will have nothing special to see from heaven.”

And He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation.

13 T hen He left them. He got in the boat and went to the other side of the sea. Jesus Shows That the Teaching of the Proud Religious Law-Keepers Is Wrong

And He went away and left them and, getting into the boat again, He departed to the other side.

14 T he followers had forgotten to take bread, only one loaf was in the boat.

Now they had '> completely] forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15 H e said to them, “Look out! Have nothing to do with the yeast of the proud religious law-keepers and of Herod.”

And Jesus charged and admonished them, saying, Look out; keep on your guard and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod and the Herodians.

16 T hey talked about it among themselves. They said, “He said this because we forgot to bring bread.”

And they discussed it and reasoned with one another, It is because we have no bread.

17 J esus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, “Why are you talking among yourselves about forgetting to bring bread? Do you not understand? Is it not plain to you? Are your hearts still hard?

And being aware, Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in hardness?

18 Y ou have eyes, do you not see? You have ears, do you not hear? Do you not remember?

Having eyes, do you not see, and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember?

19 W hen I divided the five loaves of bread among the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They said, “Twelve.”

When I broke the five loaves for the 5, 000, how many '> small hand] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him, Twelve.

20 “ When I divided the seven loaves of bread among the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They said, “Seven.”

And the seven loaves for the 4, 000, how many '> large provision] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, Seven.

21 T hen He asked, “Why do you not understand yet?” Jesus Heals a Blind Man

And He kept repeating, Do you not yet understand?

22 T hen they came to the town of Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They asked if He would touch him.

And they came to Bethsaida. And brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him.

23 H e took the blind man by the hand out of town. Then He spit on the eyes of the blind man and put His hands on him. He asked, “Do you see anything?”

And He caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you '> possibly] see anything?

24 T he blind man looked up and said, “I see some men. They look like trees, walking.”

And he looked up and said, I see people, but like trees, walking.

25 J esus put His hands on the man’s eyes again and told him to look up. Then he was healed and saw everything well.

Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently, and he was restored and saw everything distinctly '> at a distance].

26 J esus sent him to his home and said, “Do not go into the town, or tell it to anyone there.” Peter Says Jesus Is the Christ

And He sent him away to his house, telling, Do not enter the village or tell anyone there.

27 J esus and His followers went from there to the towns of Caesarea Philippi. As they went, He asked His followers, “Who do people say that I am?”

And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am?

28 T hey answered, “Some say John the Baptist and some say Elijah and others say one of the early preachers.”

And they answered, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.

29 H e said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “You are the Christ.”

And He asked them, But who do you yourselves say that I am? Peter replied to Him, You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

30 H e told them with strong words that they should tell no one about Him. Jesus Tells of His Death for the First Time

And He charged them sharply to tell no one about Him.

31 H e began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He told them that the leaders and the religious leaders of the Jews and the teachers of the Law would have nothing to do with Him. He told them He would be killed and three days later He would be raised from the dead.

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested and disapproved and rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again '> from death].

32 H e had said this in plain words. Peter took Him away from the others and began to speak sharp words to Him.

And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him by the hand and led Him aside and then began to rebuke Him.

33 J esus turned around. He looked at His followers and spoke sharp words to Peter. He said, “Get behind Me, Satan! Your thoughts are not thoughts from God but from men.” Giving Up Self and One’s Own Desires

But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men.

34 J esus called the people and His followers to Him. He said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must give up himself and his own desires. He must take up his cross and follow Me.

And Jesus called the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself '> lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and '> joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me.

35 I f anyone wants to keep his own life safe, he will lose it. If anyone gives up his life because of Me and because of the Good News, he will save it.

For whoever wants to save his '> higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it '> lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it '> higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].

36 F or what does a man have if he gets all the world and loses his own soul?

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life '> in the eternal kingdom of God]?

37 W hat can a man give to buy back his soul?

For what can a man give as an exchange ( a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his life '> in the eternal kingdom of God]?

38 W hoever is ashamed of Me and My Words among the sinful people of this day, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in the shining-greatness of His Father and His holy angels.”

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels.