< Mark 8 >

1 In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself and said to them,
About that time, when there was again a great crowd of people who had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him, and said,
2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
‘My heart is moved at the sight of all these people, for they have already been with me three days and they have nothing to eat;
3 If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.”
and if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will break down on the way; and some of them have come a long distance.’
4 His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?”
‘Where will it be possible,’ his disciples answered, ‘to get sufficient bread for these people in this lonely place?’
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”
‘How many loaves have you?’ he asked. ‘Seven,’ they answered.
6 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.
Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, and, after saying the thanksgiving, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve out; and they served them out to the crowd.
7 They also had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also.
They had also a few small fish; and, after he had said the blessing, he told the disciples to serve out these as well.
8 They ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
The people had sufficient to eat, and they picked up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left.
9 Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.
There were about four thousand people. Then Jesus dismissed them.
10 Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha.
Immediately afterwards, getting into the boat with his disciples, Jesus went to the district of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven and testing him.
Here the Pharisees came out, and began to argue with Jesus, asking him for some sign from the heavens, to test him.
12 He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Sighing deeply, Jesus said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you, no sign will be given it.’
13 He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.
So he left them to themselves, and, getting into the boat again, went away to the opposite shore.
14 They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
Now the disciples had forgotten to take any bread with them, one loaf being all that they had in the boat.
15 He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
So Jesus gave them this warning. ‘Take care,’ he said, ‘beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’
16 They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”
They began talking to one another about their being short of bread;
17 Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened?
and, noticing this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about your being short of bread? Don’t you yet see or understand? Are your minds still so slow or comprehension?
18 Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember?
Though you have eyes, do you not see? And though you have ears, do you not hear? Don’t you remember,
19 When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”
when I broke up the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets of broken pieces you picked up?’ ‘Twelve,’ they said.
20 “When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”
‘And when the seven for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you pick up?’ ‘Seven,’ they said.
21 He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”
‘Don’t you understand now?’ he repeated.
22 He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.
They came to Bethsaida. There some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and begged him to touch him.
23 He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
Taking the blind man’s hand, Jesus led him to the outskirts of the village, and, when he had put saliva on the man’s eyes, he placed his hands on him, and asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’
24 He looked up, and said, “I see men, but I see them like walking trees.”
The man looked up, and said, ‘I see the people, for, as they walk about, they look to me like trees.’
25 Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.
Then Jesus again placed his hands on the man’s eyes; and the man saw clearly, his sight was restored, and he saw everything with perfect distinctness.
26 He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”
Jesus sent him to his home, and said, ‘Do not go even into the village.’
27 Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”
Afterwards Jesus and his disciples went into the villages round Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples this question – ‘Who do people say that I am?’
28 They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.”
‘John the Baptist,’ they answered, ‘but others say Elijah, while others say one of the prophets.’
29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
‘But you,’ he asked, ‘who do you say that I am?’ To this Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ.’
30 He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.
At which Jesus charged them not to say this about him to anyone.
31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo much suffering, and that he must be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law, and be put to death, and rise again after three days.
32 He spoke to them openly. Peter took him and began to rebuke him.
He said all this quite openly. But Peter took Jesus aside, and began to rebuke him.
33 But he, turning around and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.”
Jesus, however, turning round and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter. ‘Out of my sight, Satan!’ he exclaimed. ‘For you look at things, not as God does, but as people do.’
34 He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Calling the people and his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘If anyone wishes to walk in my steps, they must renounce self, take up their cross, and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.
For whoever wishes to save their life will lose it, and whoever, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, will lose their life will save it.
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
What good is it to a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?
37 For what will a man give in exchange for his life?
For what could a person give that is of equal value with their life?
38 For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Whoever is ashamed of me and of my teaching, in this unfaithful and wicked generation, of them will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’

< Mark 8 >