Mark 6

1He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.

2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get these things? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what mighty works are being done by his hands!

3Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household.”

5He could not do any mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

6He was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went around the surrounding villages, teaching.

7He called the twelve to him and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

8He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—

9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.

10He told them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place.

11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

12So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

13They drove out many demons, and they anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. People were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15But others said, “He is Elijah.” Still others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

17For Herod himself had sent men to arrest John, and he had him bound in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.

18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

19So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him, 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 liked to listen to him.

21Then an opportunity came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his officials, the military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.

22When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

23He swore to her with many oaths, “Whatever you ask me for, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”

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

25At once she hurried back in to the king and made her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter, right now.”

26The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.

27So the king immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,

28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

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

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

31He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

32So they went away in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

33But many people saw them leaving and recognized them. They ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.

34When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

35When it was already late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and it is already very late.

36Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39Then he directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.

40So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties.

41Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people, and he divided the two fish among them all.

42They all ate and were satisfied,

43and they picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.

44Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

45Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he sent the crowd away.

46After saying goodbye to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on land.

48He saw that they were straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,

49but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost, and they cried out,

50for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

51Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were utterly astounded,

52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there.

54As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized him.

55They ran throughout that whole region and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.

56Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all who touched him were made well.