Mark

The Rejection at Nazareth

1Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples.

2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles?

3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses,Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.

4Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”

5So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them.

6And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He went around from village to village, teaching the people.

The Ministry of the Twelve

7Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.

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

9and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic.

10And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area.

11If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.”

12So they set out and preached that the people should repent.

13They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.

The Beheading of John

14Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying,“John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!”

17For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod 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 John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable,

20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly.

21On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.

22When the daughter of Herodiascame 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 swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”

24Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”

25At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”

26The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.

27So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison.

28The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

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

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

30Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught.

31And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us 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 a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

33But many people saw them leaving and recognized them. They ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived before them.

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

35By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late.

36Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denariito give all of them bread to eat?”

38“Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit 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, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave 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 the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

44And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves.

Jesus Walks on Water

45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.

46After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.

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

48He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night,Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them,

49but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost—

50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

51Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded,

52for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts had been hardened.

Jesus Heals at Gennesaret

53When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat.

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

55and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was.

56And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

1He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.

2When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?” and, “What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands?

3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended at him.

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

5He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

6He marveled because of their unbelief. He went around the villages teaching.

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

8He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse,

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

10He said to them,“Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.

11Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

12They went out and preached that people should repent.

13They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick and healed them.

14King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

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

16But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”

17For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her.

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

19Herodias set herself against him and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t,

20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

21Then a convenient day came when Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

22When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

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

24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptizer.”

25She came in immediately with haste to the king and requested, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter.”

26The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths and of his dinner guests, he didn’t wish to refuse her.

27Immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard and commanded to bring John’s head; and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

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

29When his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

30The apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.

31He said to them,“Come away into a deserted place, and rest awhile.”For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

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

33Theysaw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him.

34Jesus came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

35When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is late in the day.

36Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat.”

37But he answered them,“You give them something to eat.”They asked him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denariiworth of bread and give them something to eat?”

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

39He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.

40They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.

41He took the five loaves and the two fish; and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.

42They all ate and were filled.

43They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.

44Those who ate the loaves werefive thousand men.

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

46After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.

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

48Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea; and he would have passed by them,

49but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

50for they all saw him and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them and said to them,“Cheer up! It is I!Don’t be afraid.”

51He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled;

52for they hadn’t understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore.

54When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him,

55and ran around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick on their mats to where they heard he was.

56Wherever he entered—into villages, or into cities, or into the country—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might just touch the fringeof his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.