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
Jesus is Rejected at Nazareth
(Mt 13.53–58; Lk 4.16–30)
1Jesus left that place and went back to his home town, followed by his disciples. 2On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue. Many people were there; and when they heard him, they were all amazed. “Where did he get all this?” they asked. “What wisdom is this that has been given him? How does he perform miracles? 3Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?” And so they rejected him.
4 #
Jn 4.44
Jesus said to them, “Prophets are respected everywhere except in their own home town and by their relatives and their family.”
5He was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6He was greatly surprised, because the people did not have faith.
Jesus Sends out the Twelve Disciples
(Mt 10.5–15; Lk 9.1–6)
Then Jesus went to the villages round there, teaching the people. 7He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits 8#Lk 10.4–11and ordered them, “Don't take anything with you on your journey except a stick — no bread, no beggar's bag, no money in your pockets. 9Wear sandals, but don't carry an extra shirt.” 10He also said, “Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. 11#Acts 13.51If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!”
12So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13#Jas 5.14They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.
The Death of John the Baptist
(Mt 14.1–12; Lk 9.7–9)
14 #
Mt 16.14; Mk 8.28; Lk 9.19 Now King Herod#6.14 King Herod: Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. heard about all this, because Jesus' reputation had spread everywhere. Some people were saying, “John the Baptist has come back to life! That is why he has this power to perform miracles.”
15Others, however, said, “He is Elijah.”
Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16When Herod heard it, he said, “He is John the Baptist! I had his head cut off, but he has come back to life!” 17#Lk 3.19–20Herod himself had ordered John's arrest, and he had him chained and put in prison. Herod did this because of Herodias, whom he had married, even though she was the wife of his brother Philip. 18John the Baptist kept telling Herod, “It isn't right for you to be married to your brother's wife!”
19So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she could not because of Herod. 20Herod was afraid of John because he knew that John was a good and holy man, and so he kept him safe. He liked to listen to him, even though he became greatly disturbed every time he heard him.
21Finally Herodias got her chance. It was on Herod's birthday, when he gave a feast for all the chief government officials, the military commanders, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22The daughter of Herodias#6.22 The daughter of Herodias; some manuscripts have His daughter Herodias. came in and danced, and pleased Herod and his guests. So the king said to the girl, “What would you like to have? I will give you anything you want.” 23With many vows he said to her, “I swear that I will give you anything you ask for, even as much as half my kingdom!”
24So the girl went out and asked her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25The girl hurried back at once to the king and demanded, “I want you to give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a dish!”
26This made the king very sad, but he could not refuse her because of the vows he had made in front of all his guests. 27So he sent off a guard at once with orders to bring John's head. The guard left, went to the prison, and cut John's head off; 28then he brought it on a dish and gave it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29When John's disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body, and buried it.
Jesus Feeds a Great Crowd
(Mt 14.13–21; Lk 9.10–17; Jn 6.1–14)
30The apostles returned and met with Jesus, and told him all they had done and taught. 31There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest for a while.” 32So they started out in a boat by themselves for a lonely place.
33Many people, however, saw them leave and knew at once who they were; so they went from all the towns and ran ahead by land and arrived at the place ahead of Jesus and his disciples. 34#Num 27.17; 1 Kgs 22.17; 2 Chr 18.16; Ezek 34.5; Mt 9.36When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw this large crowd, and his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things. 35When it was getting late, his disciples came to him and said, “It is already very late, and this is a lonely place. 36Send the people away, and let them go to the nearby farms and villages in order to buy themselves something to eat.”
37 “You yourselves give them something to eat,” Jesus answered.
They asked, “Do you want us to go and spend 200 silver coins#6.37 silver coins: A silver coin was the daily wage of a rural worker (see Mt 20.2). on bread in order to feed them?”
38So Jesus asked them, “How much bread have you got? Go and see.”
When they found out, they told him, “Five loaves and also two fish.”
39Jesus then told his disciples to make all the people divide into groups and sit down on the green grass. 40So the people sat down in rows, in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty. 41Then Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, and gave thanks to God. He broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42Everyone ate and had enough. 43Then the disciples took up twelve baskets full of what was left of the bread and the fish. 44The number of men who were fed was 5,000.
Jesus Walks on the Water
(Mt 14.22–33; Jn 6.15–21)
45At once Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida, on the other side of the lake, while he sent the crowd away. 46After saying goodbye to the people he went away to a hill to pray. 47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, while Jesus was alone on land. 48He saw that his disciples were straining at the oars, because they were rowing against the wind; so some time between three and six o'clock in the morning he came to them, walking on the water. He was going to pass them by,#6.48 pass them by; or join them. 49but they saw him walking on the water. “It's a ghost!” they thought, and screamed. 50They were all terrified when they saw him.
Jesus spoke to them at once, “Courage!” he said. “It is I. Don't be afraid!” 51Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples were completely amazed, 52because they had not understood the real meaning of the feeding of the 5,000; their minds could not grasp it.
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
(Mt 14.34–36)
53They crossed the lake and came to land at Gennesaret, where they tied up the boat. 54As they left the boat, people recognized Jesus at once. 55So they ran throughout the whole region; and wherever they heard he was, they brought to him sick people lying on their mats. 56And everywhere Jesus went, to villages, towns, or farms, people would take those who were ill to the market places and beg him to let them at least touch the edge of his cloak; and all who touched it were made well.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.