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Mark 6

New International Reader’s Version



1 Jesus left there and went to his home town of Nazareth. His disciples went with him. 2 When the Sabbath day came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these remarkable miracles he is doing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son? Isn’t this the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ They were not pleased with him at all. 4 Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own town. He doesn’t receive any honour among his relatives or in his own home.’ 5 Jesus placed his hands on a few ill people and healed them. But he could not do any other miracles there. 



6 He was amazed because they had no faith. Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 He called the 12 disciples to him. Then he began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits. 8 Here is what he told them to do. ‘Take only a walking stick for your trip. Do not take bread or a bag. Take no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals. But do not take extra clothes. 10 When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. 11 Some places may not welcome you or listen to you. If they don’t, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a witness against the people living there.’ 12 They went out. And they preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13 They drove out many demons. They poured olive oil on many ill people and healed them. 



14 King Herod heard about this. Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, ‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That is why he has the power to do miracles.’ 15 Others said, ‘He is Elijah.’ Still others claimed, ‘He is a prophet. He is like one of the prophets of long ago.’ 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, ‘I had John’s head cut off. And now he has been raised from the dead!’ 17 In fact, it was Herod himself who had given orders to arrest John. He had him tied up and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. But now Herod was married to her. 18 John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is against the Law for you to be married to your brother’s wife.’ 19 Herodias couldn’t forgive John for saying that. She wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 because Herod was afraid of John. So he kept John safe. Herod knew John was a holy man who did what was right. When Herod heard him, he was very puzzled. But he liked to listen to John. 21 Finally the right time came. Herod gave a banquet on his birthday. He invited his high officials and military leaders. He also invited the most important men in Galilee. 22 Then the daughter of Herodias came in and danced. She pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for anything you want. I’ll give it to you.’ 23 And he gave her his promise. He said to her, ‘Anything you ask for I will give you. I’ll give you up to half my kingdom.’ 24 She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ ‘The head of John the Baptist,’ she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried to ask the king. She said, ‘I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate right now.’ 26 The king was very upset. But he thought about his promise and his dinner guests. So he did not want to say no to the girl. 27 He sent a man right away to bring John’s head. The man went to the prison and cut off John’s head. 28 He brought it back on a big plate. He gave it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 John’s disciples heard about this. So they came and took his body. Then they placed it in a tomb. 



30 The apostles gathered around Jesus. They told him all they had done and taught. 31 But many people were coming and going. So they did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said to his apostles, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest.’ 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a quiet place. 33 But many people who saw them leaving recognised them. They ran from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. 35 By that time it was late in the day. His disciples came to him. ‘There is nothing here,’ they said. ‘It’s already very late. 36 Send the people away. Then they can go to the nearby countryside and villages to buy something to eat.’ 37 But Jesus answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s pay! Should we go and spend that much on bread? Are we supposed to feed them?’ 38 ‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five loaves and two fish.’ 39 Then Jesus instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of 100s and 50s. 41 Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to his disciples to pass around to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 All of them ate and were satisfied. 43 The disciples picked up 12 baskets of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of men who had eaten was 5,000. 



45 Right away Jesus made his disciples get into the boat. He had them go on ahead of him to Bethsaida. Then he sent the crowd away. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. 47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples pulling hard on the oars. The wind was blowing against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them. He walked on the lake. When he was about to pass by them, 49 they saw him walking on the lake. They thought he was a ghost, so they cried out. 50 They all saw him and were terrified. Right away Jesus said to them, ‘Be brave! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them. The wind died down. And they were completely amazed. 52 They had not understood about the loaves. They were stubborn. 53 They went across the lake and landed at Gennesaret. There they tied up the boat. 54 As soon as Jesus and his disciples got out, people recognised him. 55 They ran through that whole area to bring to him those who were ill. They carried them on mats to where they heard he was. 56 He went into the villages, the towns and the countryside. Everywhere he went, the people brought those who were ill to the market areas. Those who were ill begged him to let them touch just the edge of his clothes. And all who touched his clothes were healed. 

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Mark 6

English Standard Version



1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. (Mt 2:23; Mt 13:54; Lu 4:16; Lu 4:23) 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? (Mt 4:23; Mt 7:28; Mr 1:21; Lu 4:31; Lu 6:6; Lu 13:10; Ac 13:14) 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. (Mt 11:6; Mt 13:55; Mr 3:31; Lu 4:22; Joh 6:42) 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” (Jer 11:21; Jer 12:6; Lu 4:24; Joh 4:44; Joh 7:5) 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. (Ge 19:22; Mr 5:23; Mr 9:23) 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. (Mt 8:10; Mt 9:35; Mt 11:1; Lu 8:1; Lu 13:22) 



7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. (Mt 10:1; Mt 10:5; Mt 10:9; Mr 3:13; Lu 9:1; Lu 9:3; Lu 10:4; Lu 22:35) 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.[1] (Ac 12:8) 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” (Ne 5:13; Mr 1:44; Ac 13:51; Ac 18:6) 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. (Mt 3:2; Mt 4:17; Mt 10:7; Lu 9:6) 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. (Mr 6:12; Jas 5:14) 



14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’[2] name had become known. Some[3] said, “John the Baptist[4] has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” (Mt 14:1; Mt 16:14; Mr 8:28; Lu 9:7) 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mt 21:11; Mr 6:14) 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. (Mt 11:2; Lu 3:19; Joh 3:24) 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Le 18:16; Le 20:21; Mr 6:17) 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mt 14:5; Mt 21:26; Mr 4:16; Mr 12:37) 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. (Ge 40:20; 1Ki 3:15; Es 1:3; Es 2:18) 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in 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.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” (Es 5:3; Es 7:2) 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s[5] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (Mt 9:14) 



30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. (Mt 10:2; Lu 6:13; Lu 9:10; Lu 17:5; Lu 22:14; Lu 24:10) 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (Mr 3:20) 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. (Mt 14:13; Mr 3:9; Mr 8:2; Lu 9:10; Joh 6:1) 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. (Mr 6:54) 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. (Mt 9:36) 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” (Mt 15:23; Mr 6:45) 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii[6] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” (Nu 11:13; Nu 11:21; 2Ki 4:42; Joh 6:7) 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” (Mr 8:19) 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. (1Sa 9:13; Mt 26:26; Mr 7:34; Mr 8:7; Mr 14:22; Lu 24:30; Joh 11:41; Joh 17:1; 1Co 14:16) 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. 



45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. (Mt 8:18; Mt 14:22; Mr 6:32; Mr 8:22; Lu 9:10; Joh 6:15) 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. (Mr 1:35; Lu 5:16; Lu 6:12; Lu 9:28) 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. (Mr 13:35) 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night[7] he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, (Mr 6:47; Lu 24:28) 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (De 31:6; Isa 41:13; Isa 43:1; Mt 17:7; Lu 24:37; Joh 16:33) 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (Mr 3:5; Mr 8:17; Joh 12:40; Ro 11:7; 2Co 3:14) 



53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. (Mt 14:34; Lu 5:1; Joh 6:24) 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him (Mr 6:33) 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. (Mt 4:24; Lu 5:18) 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. (Mt 9:20; Mr 3:10; Lu 6:19; Ac 5:15) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.