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Mark 6:30-44
Contemporary English Version
Mark 6:30-44
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
(Matthew 14.13-21; Luke 9.10-17; John 6.1-14)
30 After the apostles returned to Jesus,[a] they told him everything they had done and taught. 31 But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let's go to a place[b] where we can be alone and get some rest.” 32 They left in a boat for a place where they could be alone. 33 But many people saw them leave and figured out where they were going. So people from every town ran on ahead and got there first.
34 (A) When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started teaching them many things.
35 That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it's already late. 36 Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the farms and villages near here and buy something to eat.”
37 Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”
But they asked him, “Don't you know it would take almost a year's wages[c] to buy all of these people something to eat?”
38 Then Jesus said, “How much bread do you have? Go and see!”
They found out and answered, “We have five small loaves of bread[d] and two fish.” 39 Jesus told his disciples to tell the people to sit down on the green grass. 40 They sat down in groups of 100 and groups of 50.
41 Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples to give to the people. He also divided the two fish, so everyone could have some.
42 After everyone had eaten all they wanted, 43 Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftover bread and fish.
44 There were 5,000 men who ate the food.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 6.30 the apostles returned to Jesus: From the mission on which he had sent them (see 6.7,12,13).
- 6.31 a place: This was probably northeast of Lake Galilee (see verse 45).
- 6.37 almost a year's wages: The Greek text has “200 silver coins.” Each coin was the average day's wage for a worker.
- 6.38 small loaves of bread: These would have been flat and round or in the shape of a bun.
Mark 6:30-44
New International Version
Mark 6:30-44
New International Version
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(A)(B)
30 The apostles(C) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.(D) 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,(E) he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat(F) to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.(G) So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”(H)
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”(I)
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.(J) Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Footnotes
- Mark 6:37 Greek take two hundred denarii
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