1 Jesus+ left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples came along with him. 2 When the Sabbath arrived, he began teaching in the synagogue. Many who were listening were astonished and asked, “Where did this man get these things? And what is this wisdom that has been given to this man? What are these miracles that are taking place through his hands? 3 This is the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, isn’t it? And his sisters live here among us, don’t they?” And they stumbled with offense+ because of him.

4 “A prophet is without honor only in his own hometown and among his relatives and in his own household,” Jesus kept saying to them. 5 And in that place he wasn’t able to do any miracles, except for placing his hands on and healing only a few sick people. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then Jesus+ traveled about from village to village+ teaching.7 He called the Twelve to himself and began sending them out two by two, and granted them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He gave them orders not to take anything for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveler’s bag, no copper coins for the fold in their belts, 9 though they could wear+ sandals. “And ᵖyou are not to wear an extra inner garment.+” 10 Then he told them, “Whenever ᵖyou enter a home, in that same house+ remain until you leave the area.+ 11 And if the people in a certain place refuse to welcome ᵖyou or listen to you, as you are leaving that place, shake its dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So the disciples+ went out and proclaimed that people should repent, 13 and they were driving out many demons and anointing many sick people with olive oil and healing them.

14 The regional governor over Galilee,+ Herod, heard about this, because Jesus’+ name had become very well-known. Some+ were saying, “John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead, and that’s why these miraculous powers are at work in him!” 15 Others, however, were saying, “He is Elijah.” Still others, though, were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of the past.”

16 When Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I had beheaded, has been raised back to life!” 17 Herod himself, you see, had ordered John’s arrest+ and had had him bound in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had repeatedly told Herod, “The Torah does not permit+ you to have your brother’s wife.”+ 19 As for Herodias, she held a grudge against John+ and wanted to have him killed, but she couldn’t. 20 Herod, you see, was afraid of John, because he knew that he was a righteous and holy man, and he was protecting him. When Herod+ listened to John,+ he would grow very, very anxious,+ and yet he would listen to him with great delight.

21 Finally the perfect opportunity came when Herod, on the day of his birthday celebration, had a feast prepared for his high officials and the military commanders and the most important people of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The governor+ said to the girl, “Ask me for anything ˢyou want and I will give it to you.” 23 He promised her with an oath, “I will give you whatever it is you ask of me, up to half my kingdom!”

24 So the girl+ went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptizer!” her mother+ replied.

25 The girl+ immediately hurried back to the governor and made her request: “I want you to give me right now on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.” 26 Although the governor was very deeply grieved at this, because of his oaths and his dinner guests he didn’t want to go back on his promise to her. 27 So without delay the governor sent an executioner and ordered him to bring John’s+ head, and the man+ went and beheaded him in the prison. 28 Then he brought the head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s+ disciples heard about this, they came and took his body away and placed it in a tomb.

30 Then the apostles rejoined+ Jesus and told him about everything they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “ᵖYou come with me by yourselves to the wilderness and rest a while.” (Those who were coming and those who were going were so many, you see, that Jesus and his disciples+ didn’t have a chance even to eat.) 32 So they left in the boat for a place out in the wilderness away from the crowds.+ 33 But many people saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran together to the destination,+ from all the towns, by land,+ and got there ahead of them! 34 When Jesus+ got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd, and his heart went out to them,+ because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 When it was already quite late,+ his disciples came up to him and said, “This place is way out in the wilderness, and it’s already late.+ 36 Please dismiss the people+ so that they can go into the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37 “ᵖYou yourselves give them something to eat,”+ Jesus+ replied to them.

“We would have to go and buy a good eight months’ wages+ worth of bread to give them something to eat!” they said.

38 “How many loaves do ᵖyou have?” he asked them. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39 Jesus+ instructed 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 And when he had taken the five small round+ loaves and the two cooked+ fish, Jesus+ looked up into the sky+ and gave thanks.+ Then he broke the loaves into pieces and kept giving them to the disciples to serve to the people.+ The two fish he also divided among them all. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted.+ 43 Then the disciples+ received back from the people+ the leftover pieces of bread, twelve baskets full, and what was left of the fish. 44 Those who ate the loaves numbered five thousand men. 45 Then without delay Jesus+ had his disciples get into the boat and start going on ahead to the other side of the lake to Bethsaida, while he himself dismissed the crowd. 46 And after saying goodbye to the people,+ he went away to the mountainside to pray.

47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the lake. Jesus,+ meanwhile, was alone on land. 48 When he saw them being battered as they rowed (the wind was against them, you see), sometime between three and six in the morning+ he came to them walking on the lake, intending to join+ them.

49 When the disciples+ saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost and began to scream, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified.

“Take courage!” Jesus+ immediately said to them. “It’s me!+ Don’t be afraid!”51 Then he got up into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples+ were in complete and utter awe. 52 They had not understood the significance of the miracle of the loaves, you see, but their hearts were calloused.

53 When they had crossed over the lake to shore, they landed+ at a fertile plain on the Sea of Galilee just southwest of Capernaum+ and moored the boat there. 54 When they got out of the boat, people+ immediately recognized Jesus+ 55 and ran throughout that whole area and began bringing to whatever place he was rumored to be,+ on mats, those who were sick. 56 Wherever he would go, whether into villages or into towns or to the countryside, people+ would place the sick in the market areas, and would beg him to let them touch just the blue-threaded tassel of twisted cords+ on his cloak. And all who touched it were healed.