1In those days again, when there was a great multitude and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples and said to them, 2“I feel compassion for the multitude because they have remained with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat; 3and if I send them away hungry to their home, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a distance.” 4And His disciples answered Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough to satisfy these men with bread here in a desolate place?” 5And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6And He directed the multitude to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the multitude. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9And about four thousand were there; and He sent them away. 10And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples, and came to the district of Dalmanutha.

     11And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. 12And sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” 13And leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.

     14And they had forgotten to take bread; and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18“HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20“And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” 21And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

     22And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Him, and entreated Him to touch him. 23And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes, and laying His hands upon him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I am seeing them like trees, walking about.” 25Then again He laid His hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. 26And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Peter’s Confession of Christ

     27And Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” 29And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “Thou art the Christ.” 30And He warned them to tell no one about Him.

     31And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” 34And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35“For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it. 36“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37“For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”