| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. | 1Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples. |
| 2The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” | 2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? |
| 3Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. | 3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him. |
| 4Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” | 4Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” |
| 5And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. | 5So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. |
| 6And he was amazed at their unbelief. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. | 6And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He went around from village to village, teaching the people. |
| 7And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. | 7Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. |
| 8He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. | 8He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— |
| 9He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. | 9and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic. |
| 10 “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. | 10And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area. |
| 11 But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” | 11If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.” |
| 12So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. | 12So they set out and preached that the people should repent. |
| 13And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. The Death of John the Baptist | 13They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil. |
| 14Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.” | 14Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” |
| 15Others said, “He’s the prophet Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.” | 15Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” |
| 16When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.” | 16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!” |
| 17For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. | 17For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married. |
| 18John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.” | 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!” |
| 19So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless, | 19So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable, |
| 20for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. | 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly. |
| 21Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. | 21On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. |
| 22Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” | 22When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” |
| 23He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!” | 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” |
| 24She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!” | 24Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.” |
| 25So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!” | 25At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” |
| 26Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. | 26The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. |
| 27So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, | 27So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. |
| 28brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. | 28The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. |
| 29When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb. Jesus Feeds Five Thousand | 29When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb. |
| 30The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. | 30Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught. |
| 31Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. | 31And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. |
| 32So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. | 32So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place. |
| 33But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. | 33But many people saw them leaving and recognized them. They ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived before them. |
| 34Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. | 34When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things. |
| 35Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. | 35By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. |
| 36Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” | 36Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” |
| 37But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!” | 37But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?” |
| 38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.” | 38“Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.” |
| 39Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. | 39Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass. |
| 40So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. | 40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. |
| 41Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. | 41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all. |
| 42They all ate as much as they wanted, | 42They all ate and were satisfied, |
| 43and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. | 43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. |
| 44A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed. Jesus Walks on Water | 44And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves. |
| 45Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. | 45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. |
| 46After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. | 46After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray. |
| 47Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. | 47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land. |
| 48He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, | 48He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them, |
| 49but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. | 49but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost— |
| 50They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here! ” | 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” |
| 51Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, | 51Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded, |
| 52for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. | 52for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened. |
| 53After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore | 53When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. |
| 54and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, | 54As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus |
| 55and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. | 55and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. |
| 56Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. | 56And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed. |
|
