Mark 6
6
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
1Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 3Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary#6:3a Some manuscripts read He’s just the son of the carpenter and of Mary. and the brother of James, Joseph,#6:3b Most manuscripts read Joses; see Matt 13:55. Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
4Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
Then Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. 7And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil#6:7 Greek unclean. spirits. 8He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.#6:8 Greek no copper coins in their money belts. 9He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes.
10 “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. 11But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
12So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. 13And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
The Death of John the Baptist
14Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying,#6:14 Some manuscripts read He was saying. “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles.” 15Others said, “He’s the prophet Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.”
16When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.”
17For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.” 19So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless, 20for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.
21Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22Then his daughter, also named Herodias,#6:22 Some manuscripts read the daughter of Herodias herself. came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” 23He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!”
24She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”
Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!”
25So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”
26Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
30The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
32So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 33But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. 36Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”
37But Jesus said, “You feed them.”
“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money#6:37 Greek It would take 200 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage. to buy food for all these people!”
38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”
They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”
39Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.
41Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. 42They all ate as much as they wanted, 43and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.#6:44 Some manuscripts read fed from the loaves.
Jesus Walks on Water
45Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning#6:48 Greek About the fourth watch of the night. Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50They were all terrified when they saw him.
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!#6:50 Or The ‘I Am’ is here; Greek reads I am. See Exod 3:14.” 51Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
53After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore 54and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, 55and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
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Mark 6: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Mark 6
6
1Jesus left and went home to Nazareth with his disciples. 2On Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many of those who were listening were surprised.
“Where does he get these ideas?” they asked. “What's this wisdom he's been given? Where does he get the power to do miracles? 3Isn't this the carpenter, Mary's son—the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Don't his sisters live here among us?” They were offended and rejected him.#6:3. “And rejected him”—implied in the idea of taking offense.
4“A prophet is treated with respect except in his home town, among his relatives, and within his own family,” Jesus told them. 5The result was that Jesus could not do any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people. 6He was amazed at their lack of trust.
Jesus traveled around the villages, teaching as he went. 7He called together the twelve disciples, and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits. 8He told them not to take anything with them except a walking stick—no bread, no bag, and no money in their belts. 9They could wear sandals, but they were not to take an extra shirt.
10“When you're invited into a home, stay there until you leave,” he told them. 11“If you're not welcomed and not listened to, then shake the dust from your feet as you leave as a sign you have given up on them.”#6:11. Literally, “a witness to them.” The act of shaking even the dust of the place from your feet was to indicate you completely abandoned them. 12So they went around telling people to repent. 13They drove out many demons, and healed many who were sick by anointing them with oil.
14King Herod got to hear about Jesus since he had become well-known. Some said, “This is John the Baptist risen from the dead. That's why he has such miraculous powers.” 15Others said, “It's Elijah.” Still others said, “He's a prophet, like one of the prophets of the past.”
16But when Herod heard about it, he said, “It's John, the one I beheaded! He's come back from the dead!” 17For Herod had given orders to arrest and imprison John because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom Herod had married. 18John had been saying to Herod, “It's against the law to marry your brother's wife.” 19So Herodias had a grudge against John and wanted him killed. But she wasn't able to arrange it 20because Herod knew John was a holy man who did what was right. Herod protected John and though what John said was very disturbing to him, he was still happy to hear what he had to say.
21Herodias had her opportunity on Herod's birthday. He gave a banquet for the nobles, military officers, and important leaders of Galilee. 22Herodias' own daughter came in and danced for them. Herod and those eating with him were delighted at her performance, so he told the girl, 23“Ask me for whatever you like, and I'll give it to you.” He confirmed his promise with an oath, “I'll give you up to half my kingdom.”
24She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she replied.
25The girl hurried back in and said to the king, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a plate.”
26The king was very upset, but because of the oaths he'd made in front of his guests, he didn't want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner to bring him John's head. After beheading him in the prison, 28the executioner brought John's head on a plate and gave it to the girl, and the young girl handed it to her mother. 29When John's disciples heard what had happened they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
30The apostles returned#6:30. From their tour of the villages, spreading the good news. and gathered around Jesus. They told him all they had done and what they had taught.
31“Come with me, just yourselves. We'll go to a quiet place, and rest for a while,” Jesus told them, because there was so much coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat. 32So they went by boat to a quiet place to be alone.
33But people saw them leaving and recognized them. So people from all the surrounding towns ran ahead and got there before them. 34When Jesus got off the boat he saw a huge crowd, and he felt pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them about many things.
35It was getting late in the day and Jesus' disciples came to him. They told him, “We're miles from anywhere, and it's really late. 36You should tell the people to go and buy themselves something to eat in the villages and countryside nearby.”
37But Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”
“What? We'd need more than six month's pay#6:37. Literally, “200 denarii.” to buy bread to feed all these people,” the disciples replied.
38“Well, how much bread do you have?” Jesus asked. “Go and see.”
They went and checked, and told him, “Five loaves, and a couple of fish.”
39Jesus told everyone to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40They sat in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41Then he took the five loaves and the two fish. Looking up to heaven he blessed the food and broke the bread into pieces. Then he handed the bread to the disciples to give to the people, and he divided the fish up between all of them. 42Everyone ate until they were full. 43Then they collected up the leftovers of the bread and fish—twelve basketfuls. 44A total of five thousand men plus their families ate the food.
45Immediately after this Jesus instructed his disciples to get back into the boat. They were to go on ahead to Bethsaida on the other side of the lake while he sent the people on their way. 46Once he'd said goodbye to them he went up into the hills to pray.
47Late that evening the boat was in the middle of the lake while Jesus was alone, still on land. 48He could see them being buffeted about as they rowed hard because the wind was blowing against them. In the early morning hours Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He would have passed them, 49but when they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They screamed out 50because they could all see him and were absolutely terrified.
Jesus told them right away: “Don't worry, it's me. Don't be afraid!” 51He went over to them and climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. They were totally shocked, 52for they hadn't understood the meaning of the feeding miracle due to their stubborn, hard-hearted attitude.
53After crossing the Sea they arrived at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54As they climbed out, the people immediately recognized Jesus. 55They ran everywhere around the whole area to bring in all the sick on their mats to where they'd heard Jesus was. 56Wherever he went, in the villages, in the towns, or in the countryside, they put the sick in the marketplaces and begged Jesus to let the sick touch just the edge of his clothes. Everyone who touched him was healed.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com