Mark 6:21-56 ▼

21 And an opportune day having come, when Herod on his birthday made a banquet to his great men, and to the commanders, and to the first men of Galilee,

22 and the daughter of Herodias herself, having entered and having danced, pleased Herod and those reclining with him. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”

23 And he swore to her much, “Whatever, you might ask me, I will give to you, up to half of my kingdom!”

24 And having gone out, she said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John, the one baptizing.”

25 And having entered immediately with haste to the king, she asked, saying, “I want that at once you might give to me upon a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

26 And the king, having been made very sorrowful because of the oaths and those reclining, did not want to set her aside.

27 And immediately the king, having sent an executioner, commanded to be brought his head. And having gone away, he beheaded him in the prison

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

29 And having heard of it, his disciples came and took up his body and laid it in a tomb.

30 And the apostles are gathered together to Jesus, and they reported to Him all things, as much as they did and as much as they taught.

31 And He said to them, “Come, you? yourselves, apart to a wilderness place, and rest a little.” For those coming and those going were many, and not even were they having opportunity to eat.

32 And they went away in the boat to a wilderness place by themselves.

33 And many saw them going and recognized, and they ran together there on foot from all the cities and went before them.

34 And having gone out, He saw a great crowd and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

35 And the hour already being late, having come to Him, His disciples were saying, “The place is a wilderness, and the hour already is late.

36 Dismiss them so that, having gone to the surrounding fields and villages, they might buy for themselves something to eat.”

37 But answering, He said to them, “You? give to them to eat.” And they say to Him, “Having gone away, shall we buy two hundred denarii of loaves and give them to eat?”

38 And He says to them, “How many loaves do you? have? Go, see.” And having known, they say, “Five, and two fish.”

39 And He commanded them to make them all recline, groups by groups, on the green grass.

40 And they sat down groups by groups, by hundreds and by fifties.

41 And having taken the five loaves and the two fish, having looked up to the heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves. And He was giving them to His disciples, so that they might set before them. And He divided the two fish among all.

42 And all ate and were satisfied.

43 And they took up twelve hand-baskets full of fragments, and of the fish.

44 And those having eaten of the loaves were five thousand men.

45 And immediately He compelled His disciples to enter into the boat and to go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, until He dismisses the crowd.

46 And having taken leave of them, He went away to the mountain to pray.

47 And evening having come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land.

48 And having seen them straining in the rowing—for the wind was contrary to them—about the fourth watch of the night, He goes to them, walking on the sea, and He was wanting to pass by them.

49 And having seen Him walking on the sea, they thought that He is a ghost, and they cried out.

50 For all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He spoke with them, and He says to them, “Take courage! I am He! Do not be afraid.”

51 And He went up to them into the boat, and the wind abated. And exceedingly in abundance in themselves, they were amazed.

52 For they did not understand about the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

53 And having crossed over, they came to the land, to Gennesaret, and they drew to shore.

54 And on their having come out of the boat, immediately having recognized Him,

55 they ran around all that region, and they began to carry around on mats those being ill to where they were hearing that He is.

56 And wherever He was entering into villages or into cities or into fields, they were laying the ailing in the marketplaces and were imploring Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment. And as many as touched Him were saved.