1Da kong Herodes[1] hørte om de mirakler, Jesus udførte, (Mark 6,14; Luk 9,7)2sagde han til sine tjenere: „Det må være Johannes Døber, der er vendt tilbage fra de døde. Det er derfor den slags overnaturlige kræfter virker gennem ham.”3-5Der var nemlig sket det, at Herodes efter pres fra Herodias havde ladet Johannes arrestere og sætte i fængsel. Herodias var egentlig gift med Filip, en bror til Herodes, men var flyttet sammen med kong Herodes. Det havde fået Johannes til at konfrontere kongen. „Du har ikke lov til at leve sammen med hende,” havde han sagt. Det blev Herodias så rasende over, at hun fik Herodes overtalt til at sætte Johannes i fængsel, og hun ville gerne have ham henrettet. Men det turde Herodes ikke, for alle folk anså Johannes for at være en stor profet.6En dag blev der holdt fødselsdagsfest for Herodes, og Herodias’ datter dansede for gæsterne.7Herodes blev så begejstret, at han med en ed lovede at give hende hvad som helst, hun forlangte.8Hendes mor pressede hende til at sige: „Giv mig Johannes Døbers hoved på et fad!”9Kongen blev ilde til mode ved at høre det ønske, men fordi han havde svoret, og fordi han ikke ville trække sit løfte tilbage for øjnene af alle gæsterne, udstedte han de nødvendige ordrer,10og Johannes blev halshugget i fængslet.11Hans hoved blev bragt op i festsalen på et fad og overrakt til den unge pige, der gav det videre til sin mor.12Senere kom Johannes’ disciple og hentede hans lig og begravede det, hvorefter de gik hen til Jesus og fortalte, hvad der var sket.
Bespisningen af de 5000
13Da Jesus fik det at vide,[2] gik han op i en båd sammen med disciplene for at tage væk til et øde sted, hvor de kunne være alene. Men en masse mennesker fra de forskellige byer hørte, at han var taget videre, og de fulgte med ham til fods langs bredden af søen. (Mark 6,31; Luk 8,3; Luk 9,10; Luk 13,31; Joh 6,1)14Da Jesus gik i land, så han en stor folkeskare. Han blev fyldt af medlidenhed og helbredte dem, der var syge.15Lidt før det blev mørkt, kom disciplene hen til ham. „Det er ved at blive sent,” sagde de, „og stedet her er øde. Du må hellere sende alle de mennesker bort, så de kan nå at tage ind til landsbyerne og købe noget mad.”16„Det er ikke nødvendigt,” svarede Jesus. „I kan give dem noget at spise!”17„Jamen, vi har kun fem brød og to fisk,” svarede disciplene.18„Godt! Kom med dem!” sagde Jesus.19Så bad han folk sætte sig i græsset. Derefter tog han de fem brød og de to fisk, så op mod himlen og takkede Gud for dem. Han brækkede brødene i stykker og begyndte at dele ud til disciplene, og disciplene gav maden videre til folkemængden.20Alle spiste og blev mætte. Og da de tiloversblevne stykker blev samlet sammen, fyldte de 12 kurve.21Der var omkring 5000 mænd, foruden kvinder og børn, som blev bespist.
Disciplenes tøvende tro
22Jesus gav straks disciplene besked på at gå op i båden og sejle i forvejen over til den anden side af søen, mens han sendte folkemængden bort. (Mark 6,45; Joh 6,15)23Da han havde gjort det, gik han op på bjergskråningen for at være alene og bede.24Det var efterhånden blevet ud på natten. Jesus var alene på bjerget, mens disciplene var et godt stykke ude på søen, hvor de kæmpede mod bølgerne og en strid modvind.25Kort før daggry kom Jesus ud til dem, vandrende hen over vandet.26Da de så en skikkelse komme gående hen imod dem, skreg de af rædsel, for de troede, det var et spøgelse.27Men Jesus råbte til dem: „I skal ikke være bange—det er mig!”28Straks råbte Peter tilbage: „Hvis det virkelig er dig, Herre, så sig til mig, at jeg skal komme ud til dig på bølgerne.”29„Kom!” sagde Jesus. Peter kravlede ud over bådens ræling og gik på vandet hen mod Jesus.30Men da han så stormens rasen omkring sig, blev han bange, og han begyndte at synke. „Herre, red mig!” råbte han.31Øjeblikkelig rakte Jesus hånden ud og greb fat i ham. „Din tro er lille,” sagde Jesus. „Hvorfor blev du usikker?”32Da de var kommet op i båden, lagde vinden sig.33Alle i båden faldt på knæ for Jesus. „Du er virkelig Guds Søn!” udbrød de.
Helbredelser i Genesaret området
34De styrede nu båden ind mod land og lagde til ved et sted, som kaldes Genesaret. (Mark 6,53)35Jesus blev straks genkendt af de lokale folk, og de sendte bud til hele omegnen om, at Jesus var kommet. Derfor kom man med alle de syge.36De bønfaldt ham om bare at få lov at røre ved kvasten på hans bedesjal, og alle, der rørte ved ham, blev helbredt.
1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, (Mark 6,14; Luk 3,1; Luk 9,7; Ap G 13,1)2and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” (Matt 16,14)3For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,[1] (Matt 11,2; Luk 3,19; Joh 3,24)4because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” (3.Mos 18,16; 3.Mos 20,21)5And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. (Matt 11,9; Matt 21,26; Matt 21,46)6But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, (1.Mos 40,20)7so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”9And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.10He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,11and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.12And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus. (Matt 9,14)
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. (Matt 15,32; Matt 16,9; Mark 6,32; Mark 8,2; Luk 9,10; Joh 6,1)14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matt 9,36)15Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” (Matt 14,22; Matt 15,23)16But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” (2.Kong 4,42)17They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”18And he said, “Bring them here to me.”19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. (1.Sam 9,13; Matt 26,26; Mark 7,34; Mark 8,7; Mark 14,22; Luk 24,30; Joh 11,41; Joh 17,1; 1.Kor 14,16)20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. (Matt 8,18; Mark 6,45; Joh 6,15)23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, (Mark 1,35; Mark 13,35; Luk 5,16; Luk 6,12; Luk 9,28)24but the boat by this time was a long way[2] from the land,[3] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.25And in the fourth watch of the night[4] he came to them, walking on the sea. (Matt 14,22)26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. (Luk 24,37)27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (5.Mos 31,6; Es 41,13; Es 43,1; Matt 17,7; Joh 16,33)28And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (Joh 21,7)30But when he saw the wind,[5] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” (Matt 8,25)31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt 6,30; Jak 1,6)32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (Matt 14,30)33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Salm 2,7; Matt 3,17; Matt 8,2; Matt 14,22; Matt 16,16; Matt 26,63; Mark 1,1; Luk 1,35; Luk 4,41; Joh 1,49; Joh 6,14; Joh 10,36; Joh 11,27; Joh 20,31)
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. (Mark 6,53; Luk 5,1; Joh 6,24)35And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick (Matt 4,24)36and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. (Matt 9,20; Mark 3,10; Luk 6,19; Ap G 5,15)