Mark 6

6 ¹He went out from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ²On the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue. Many who heard were amazed: "Where did this man get this? What wisdom is this, given to him? How do such miracles happen through his hands? ³Isn't this the carpenter, Mary's son, brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were offended by him.

⁴Jesus said to them, "A prophet lacks honor only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household."

⁵He could do no miracle there, except laying hands on a few sick and healing them. ⁶He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then he went around the villages teaching.

Jesus Sends out the Twelve

⁷He called the twelve and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits. ⁸He ordered them to take only a staff for the road—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, ⁹but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

¹⁰And he said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹Whatever place refuses to welcome or hear you, leaving there, shake the dust off your feet as testimony against them." ^a a v11 Shaking the dust off the feet was a known gesture of separation — a solemn sign that a town had rejected the message and now bore its own responsibility.

¹²So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. ¹³And they drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

The Death of John the Baptist

¹⁴King Herod heard of it, for Jesus's name had become known. Some were saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him." ¹⁵But others said, "He's Elijah." Others said, "He's a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." ¹⁶But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." ¹⁷Herod had sent and seized John, binding him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. ¹⁸For John kept telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹And Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not, ²⁰Herod feared John, knowing him righteous and holy, and protected him. Hearing John left Herod deeply puzzled, yet he gladly listened to him.

²¹Then a fitting day came: Herod's birthday, when he gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and Galilee's leading men. ²²When Herodias's daughter entered and danced, she delighted Herod and his dinner guests. The king told the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." ²³He swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I'll give you—up to half my kingdom."

²⁴She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask?" She said, "The head of John the Baptist."

²⁵She went in immediately, with urgency, to the king and asked, "I want you to give me this instant the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

²⁶Deeply grieved, the king still wouldn't refuse her, because of his oaths and his guests. ²⁷The king at once sent an executioner, ordering John's head brought. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸and brought his head on a platter, gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

²⁹When John's disciples heard, they came, took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

³⁰The apostles gathered to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.

³¹He told them, "Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no time to eat.

³²And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. ³³Many saw them leave and recognized them; they ran on foot from every town and got there ahead of them. ³⁴Stepping ashore, he saw a large crowd and felt compassion for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd, and began teaching them many things. ³⁵When it was already late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is an isolated place, and it's already late. ³⁶Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."

³⁷He replied, "You give them something to eat." They said, "Should we go buy 200 denarii of bread and give them it to eat?"

³⁸He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." They found out and said, "Five, and two fish."

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. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven, gave thanks and broke the loaves, gave them to the disciples to set before the people, and divided the two fish among them all. 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 5,000 men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

⁴⁵At once he made his disciples board the boat and go ahead to the other side, toward Bethsaida, while dismissing the crowd. ⁴⁶And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

⁴⁷When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸He saw them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them. Around three in the morning he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹but seeing him walk on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out,

⁵⁰for all saw him and were terrified; but immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

⁵¹He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; they were completely amazed among themselves, ⁵²for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. ⁵⁴And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him. ⁵⁵They ran through that whole region and began carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶Wherever he went—villages, towns, countryside—they laid the sick in the marketplaces, begging to touch just the edge of his cloak. All who touched it were healed.