Four Thousand Men Fed

1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus summoned His disciples and *said to them, 2“I feel compassion for the [a]people because they have remained with Me for three days already and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4And His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough [b]bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6And He *directed the [c]people to recline on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve, and they served them to the [d]people. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He told the disciples to serve these as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand [e]men were there; and He dismissed them. 10And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

11And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, demanding from Him a [f]sign from heaven, [g]to test Him. 12Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, “Why does this generation demand a [h]sign? Truly I say to you, [i]no [j]sign will be given to this generation!” 13And leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.

14And the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the [k]leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod.” 16And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet comprehend or understand? Do you still have your heart [l]hardened? 18HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They *said to Him, “Twelve.” 20“When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they *said to Him, “Seven.” 21And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

22And they *came to Bethsaida. And some people *brought a man who was blind to [m]Jesus and *begged Him to touch him. 23Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting in his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24And he [n]looked up and said, “I see people, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. 26And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Peter’s Confession of Christ

27Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” 28They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29And He continued questioning them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and *said to Him, “You are the [o]Christ.” 30And He [p]warned them to tell no one about Him.

31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead. 32And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on [q]God’s purposes, but on man’s.”

34And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 35For whoever wants to save his [r]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [s]life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37For what could a person give in exchange for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

[a] 2 Lit crowd
[b] 4 Lit loaves
[c] 6 Lit crowd
[d] 6 Lit crowd
[e] 9 I.e., 4,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 15:38
[f] 11 I.e., confirming miracle
[g] 11 Lit testing Him
[h] 12 I.e., confirming miracle
[i] 12 Lit if a sign shall be given, a very strong refusal
[j] 12 I.e., confirming miracle
[k] 15 I.e., fermented dough
[l] 17 Or dull, insensible
[m] 22 Lit Him
[n] 24 Or gained sight
[o] 29 I.e., Messiah
[p] 30 Or strictly admonished
[q] 33 Lit the things of God
[r] 35 Or soul
[s] 35 Or soul