A visit to Natsareth

1Then He went out from there and came to His hometown, ¹⁰²and His disciples followed Him.

2And when the Sabbath came He began to teach in the synagogue. And many who heard were astonished, saying: “Where did this man get these things? What wisdom is this that is given to him? Such mighty works are being performed by his hands!

3Isn't this the carpenter, ¹⁰³the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon? And aren't his sisters here with us?” ¹⁰⁴So they took offense at Him.

4But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown, among his relatives, even in his own house.” ¹⁰⁵

5He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

6And He marveled at their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

The Twelve commissioned and sent

7Then He summoned the twelve and began to send them out, two by two, giving them authority over the unclean spirits as He did so.

8And He commanded them to take nothing for the road, except just a staff—no knapsack, no bread, no coin in the belt—

9but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics.

10And He said to them: “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from that place. ¹⁰⁶

11And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them. ¹⁰⁷Assuredly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that city.” ¹⁰⁸

12So they went out and started preaching that people should repent,

13and they were casting out many demons, and anointing with oil and healing many who were sick.

Herod had executed John the Baptizer

14Now King Herod heard of Him, because His name had become well known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and that is why the powers ¹⁰⁹are at work in him.”

15Others said, “He is Elijah.” Still others said, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets.”

16But when Herod heard, he said: “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” ¹¹⁰

17You see, Herod himself had ordered John arrested, and bound him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her

18—John had kept saying to Herod, “It isn't lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” ¹¹¹

19So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him; ¹¹²but she couldn't,

20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a just and holy man. And consulting him he would do many things; ¹¹³indeed, he would hear him with pleasure.

21Then an opportune day came ¹¹⁴when on his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his courtiers, the military commanders, and the chief men of Galilee.

22When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those reclining with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

23He even swore to her, “Whatever you may ask me I will give you, up to half of my kingdom!” ¹¹⁵

24So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25Hurrying in directly to the king she requested, saying, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter!”

26Though the king became very sorry, because of his oaths and of his guests he did not want to refuse her.

27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded the head to be brought. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,

28brought the head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ¹¹⁶

29Upon hearing of it, his disciples came, removed the corpse and placed it in a tomb. ¹¹⁷

The Twelve return

30Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and reported all to Him, both what they had done and what they had taught.

31Because so many were coming and going that they did not even have leisure to eat, He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

Bread for 5,000 men

32So they went away in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

33But many saw them going and recognized them, ¹¹⁸and they ran there on foot from all the towns and arrived before them, and came together to Him. ¹¹⁹

34Well upon disembarking Jesus saw a large crowd ¹²⁰and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things.

35When it was late in the day, His disciples came to Him and said: “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.

36Send them away so they may go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” ¹²¹

37But in reply He said to them, “You feed them!” ¹²²They say to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and feed them?”

38So He says to them: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they knew they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39Then He directed them all to recline in groups on the green grass.

40So they reclined in ‘plots’ of hundreds and of fifties.

41And taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples to serve the people; ¹²³He also divided the two fish among them all.

42Well they all ate and were filled. ¹²⁴

43And they ¹²⁵picked up twelve full baskets of broken pieces; also of the fish. ¹²⁶

44There were five thousand men who ate the loaves. ¹²⁷

Jesus retires to pray

45Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, ¹²⁸while He dismissed the crowd.

46And after taking leave of them He went up the mountain to pray.

A walk on water

47Now when evening had passed, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.

48And He saw ¹²⁹them straining at rowing, because the wind was against them. Well about the fourth watch of the night ¹³⁰He comes to them walking on the water, and would have passed by them; ¹³¹

49but they saw Him walking on the water, supposed He was a ghost, and yelled!

50Because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said: “Have courage! It is I; don't be afraid!”

51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were totally astounded within themselves, and kept marveling.

52Because they had not understood about the loaves—their hearts had been hardened. ¹³²

In Genesaret

53After they had crossed over, ¹³³they came to the land of Genesaret and anchored there.

54When they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,

55and running about that whole surrounding region they began to carry about on their pallets those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

56Wherever He entered—into villages, towns, or countryside—they would place the sick in the marketplaces, and they would beg Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment; and all who touched Him were healed. ¹³⁴