Mark 6:23-56 ▼

23 And he swore to her: What ever you ask, I will give you, to the half of my kingdom.

24 But she went out, and said to her mother: What shall I ask? She replied: The head of John the Immerser.

25 And she came in immediately, with haste, to the king, and made her request, saying: I desire that you give me, at once, in a dish, the head of John the Immerser.

26 And the king was very sad; yet, on account of his oath and his guests, he would not reject her.

27 And the king immediately sent one of his guards, and commanded his head to be brought.

28 And he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a dish, and gave it to the maiden; and the maiden gave it to her mother.

29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his body, and laid it in a tomb.

30 And the apostles came together to Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

31 And he said to them: Come yourselves privately into a desert place, and rest awhile. For there were many coming and going, and they had not leisure even to eat.

32 And they went away, by ship, into a desert place, privately.

33 And many saw them departing, and recognized him; and they ran thither on foot from all the cities, and went before them, and came together to him.

34 And when Jesus came out, he saw a great multitude, and had compassion on them, because they were as sheep that had no shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

35 And when much of the day was now spent, his disciples came to him, and said: This is a desert place, and much of the day is now spent;

36 send them away, that they may go into the country and the villages round about, and buy bread for themselves: for they have nothing to eat.

37 He answered and said to them: Do you give them food. And they said to him: Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them food?

38 He said to them: How many loaves have you? Go and see. And when they had learned, they said: Five, and two fishes.

39 And he commanded them to make all recline in table parties upon the green grass.

40 And they reclined in oblong squares, by hundreds, and by fifties.

41 And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looked up to heaven, and blessed; and he broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to place before them. And he divided the two fishes among them all.

42 And they all ate, and were satisfied;

43 and they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces, and of the fishes.

44 And those who ate of the loaves were about five thousand men.

45 And he immediately compelled his disciples to get into the ship, and to go before him to the opposite side, to Bethsaida, while he sent the multitude away.

46 And when he had sent them away, he went into the mountain to pray.

47 And when evening came, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone upon the land.

48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea, and intended to pass by them.

49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a specter, and cried out;

50 for they all saw him, and were troubled. And he immediately spoke to them, and said: Take courage; it is I; be not afraid.

51 And he went up to them into the ship; and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered;

52 for they had learned nothing from the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

53 And when they had passed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret, and drew the ship ashore.

54 And when they had come out of the ship, the people immediately recognized him,

55 and ran through the whole of that region round about, and began to carry the sick on beds, wherever they heard that he was.

56 And whatever place he entered, whether villages or cities or country, they laid the sick in the market-places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his mantle: and as many as touched him were saved.