1Jesus left there and went to his home town, accompanied by his disciples.2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?3Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,[1] Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him.4Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.’5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few people who were ill and heal them.
Jesus sends out the Twelve
6He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.7Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.8These were his instructions: ‘Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.9Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.10Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’12They went out and preached that people should repent.13They drove out many demons and anointed with oil many people who were ill and healed them.
John the Baptist beheaded
14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[2] ‘John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’15Others said, ‘He is Elijah.’ And still others claimed, ‘He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.’16But when Herod heard this, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!’17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.18For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[3]; yet he liked to listen to him.21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.22When the daughter of[4] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.’23And he promised her with an oath, ‘Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’24She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ ‘The head of John the Baptist,’ she answered.25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: ‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a dish.’26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,28and brought back his head on a dish. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus feeds the five thousand
30The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.33But many who saw them leaving recognised them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.34When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.35By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late.36Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’37But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take more than half a year’s wages[5]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’38‘How many loaves do you have?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five – and two fish.’39Then Jesus told them to make all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.41Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.42They all ate and were satisfied,43and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.44The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Jesus walks on the water
45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.47Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land.48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them,49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,50because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’51Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed,52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.53When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.54As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus.55They ran throughout that whole region and carried those who were ill on mats to wherever they heard he was.56And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed those who were ill in the market-places. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Mark 6
English Standard Version
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
1He 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)2And 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)3Is 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)4And 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)5And 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)6And 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)
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
7And 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)8He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—9but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.[1] (Ac 12:8)10And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.11And 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)12So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. (Mt 3:2; Mt 4:17; Mt 10:7; Lu 9:6)13And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. (Mr 6:12; Jas 5:14)
The Death of John the Baptist
14King 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)15But 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)16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”17For 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)18For 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)19And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not,20for 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)21But 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)22For 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.”23And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” (Es 5:3; Es 7:2)24And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”25And 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.”26And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.27And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s[5] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison28and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (Mt 9:14)
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30The 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)31And 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)32And 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)33Now 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)34When 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)35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” (Mt 15:23; Mr 6:45)37But 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)38And 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)39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.41And 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)42And they all ate and were satisfied.43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45Immediately 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)46And 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)47And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. (Mr 13:35)48And 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)49but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,50for 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)51And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,52for 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)
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. (Mt 14:34; Lu 5:1; Joh 6:24)54And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him (Mr 6:33)55and 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)56And 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)