Chapter 6

6:1He went away from 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. "Where did this man get these things?" they said. "What is this wisdom given to Him, and how are these miracles performed by His hands? 3Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren't His sisters here with us?" So they were offended by Him.
4Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household." 5So He was not able to do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And He was amazed at their unbelief.
Now He was going around the villages in a circuit, teaching. 7He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a walking stick: no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts. 9They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt. 10Then He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11If any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."
12So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13And they were driving out many demons, anointing many sick people with olive oil, and healing them.
14King Herod heard of this, because Jesus' name had become well known. Some said, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that's why supernatural powers are at work in him." 15But others said, "He's Elijah." Still others said, "He's a prophet-like one of the prophets."
16When Herod heard of it, he said, "John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!" 17For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18John 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, 20because Herod was in awe of John and was protecting him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very disturbed, yet would hear him gladly.
21Now an opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. 22When Herodias's own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I'll give it to you." 23So he swore oaths to her: "Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
24Then she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?"
"John the Baptist's head!" she said.
25Immediately she hurried to the king and said, "I want you to give me John the Baptist's head on a platter-right now!"
26Though the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. 27The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John's head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest 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 remote place, 33but many saw them leaving and recognized them. People ran there by land from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.
35When it was already late, His disciples approached Him and said, "This place is a wilderness, and it is already late! 36Send them away, so they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat."
37"You give them something to eat," He responded.
They said to Him, "Should we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"
38And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go look."
When they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."
39Then He instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in ranks of hundreds and fifties. 41Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42Everyone ate and was filled. 43Then they picked up 12 baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. 44Now those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.
45Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. 46After He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain to pray. 47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48He saw them being battered as they rowed, because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. 49When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, "Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 51Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, 52because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and beached the boat. 54As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Him. 55They hurried throughout that vicinity and began to carry the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. 56Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel of His robe. And everyone who touched it was made well.