1In those days the multitude of people was very great, and they had nothing to eat. And when Jesus had called His disciples to Him, He said to them, 2"I am moved with compassion for the multitude because they have continued with Me three days already and have nothing to eat; 3And if I send them to their homes fasting, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from far away." 4Then His disciples answered Him, "How could anyone be able to satisfy all these with bread in a desert?" 5And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven." 6Then He commanded the multitude to sit on the ground; and He took the seven loaves; and after giving thanks, He broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples so that they might set them before the people. And they set the loaves before the multitude. 7They also had a few small fish; and after blessing them, He commanded His disciples to set these before them also. 8And they all ate and were satisfied. Then they took up over seven baskets of fragments that were left. 9Now those who had eaten were about four thousand; and He sent them away. 10And immediately afterwards, He went aboard the ship with His disciples, and they came to the district of Dalmanutha.

11And the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, tempting Him and seeking from Him a sign from heaven. 12But after sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, there shall no sign be given to this generation." 13Then He left them; and after going aboard the ship again, He departed for the other side.

14But they had forgotten to take bread; and they did not have any with them, except one loaf in the ship. 15Then He charged them, saying, "Watch out! Be on guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16And they were reasoning with one another, saying, "It is because we do not have any bread." 17But Jesus knew it and said to them, "Why do you reason that I said this because you do not have any bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts still hardened? 18Don't you see with your eyes? Don't you hear with your ears? And don't you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." 20"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." 21Then He said to them, "Why is it that you still don't understand?"

22And He came to Bethsaida, and they brought to Him a blind man and besought Him that He might touch him. 23Then He took hold of the blind man's hand and led him out of the village, and He spit on his eyes and laid His hands on him, and then He asked him if he saw anything. 24And when he looked up, he said, "I see men as trees walking." 25Then He again laid His hands on his eyes and made him look up. And he was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26And He sent him to his house, saying, "You must not enter the village, nor tell it to anyone in the village."

27Then Jesus and His disciples went into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And along the way He was questioning His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?" 28And they answered, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah. And some say, one of the prophets." 29And He said to them, "But you, Who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ." 30Then He strictly charged them that they should tell no one about Him.

31And He began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, but after three days to rise from the dead. 32And He spoke these words openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But He turned and looked at His disciples, and then rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan, because your thoughts are not of the things of God, but of the things of men."

34And when He had called the multitude to Him with His disciples, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross and follow Me. 35For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it; but whoever will lose his life for My sake and for the gospel's, he shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his life? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? 38For whoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."