Matthew 14:1-21 ▼

1 AT that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report of Jesus,

2 and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore miracles are wrought by him.

3 For Herod having seized John, had bound him, and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother.

4 For John said unto him, It is unlawful for thee to have her.

5 And though he wished to kill him, he was afraid of the multitude, for they held him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod's birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced in the circle, and pleased Herod:

7 so that with an oath he promised to give her whatever she should ask.

8 And she, being previously urged on by her mother, said, Give me here, in a spacious dish, the head of John the Baptist.

9 And the king was grieved: but for his oath's sake, and on account of those who were with him, he commanded it to be given her.

10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

11 And his head was brought on a large dish, and was given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother.

12 And his disciples came and took the body, and buried it, and they came and told Jesus.

13 And when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a vessel into a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.

14 And when Jesus was come forth, he saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and healed their sick.

15 But when evening was come, his disciples came unto him, saying, The place is desert, and the day is far advanced; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves provisions.

16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart: give ye them to eat.

17 And they said unto him, We have nothing here except five loaves and two fishes.

18 Then he said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fishes, looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up the superabundance of the fragments, twelve baskets full.

21 And they who had eaten, were about five thousand men, besides women and children.