Mark, 6

1. Leaving that district, he went to his home town, and his disciples accompanied him.

1. He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him.

2. With the coming of the Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, 'Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him?

2. And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands!

3. This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?' And they would not accept him.

3. Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

4. And Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is despised only in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house';

4. And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."

5. and he could work no miracle there, except that he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them.

5. And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them.

6. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He made a tour round the villages, teaching.

6. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

7. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs, giving them authority over unclean spirits.

7. And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

8. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses.

8. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;

9. They were to wear sandals but, he added, 'Don't take a spare tunic.'

9. but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

10. And he said to them, 'If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district.

10. And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.

11. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust under your feet as evidence to them.'

11. And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them."

12. So they set off to proclaim repentance;

12. So they went out and preached that men should repent.

13. and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.

13. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.

14. King Herod had heard about him, since by now his name was well known. Some were saying, 'John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.'

14. King Herod heard of it; for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him."

15. Others said, 'He is Elijah,' others again, 'He is a prophet, like the prophets we used to have.'

15. But others said, "It is Eli'jah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old."

16. But when Herod heard this he said, 'It is John whose head I cut off; he has risen from the dead.'

16. But when Herod heard of it he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."

17. Now it was this same Herod who had sent to have John arrested, and had had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife whom he had married.

17. For Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.

18. For John had told Herod, 'It is against the law for you to have your brother's wife.'

18. For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

19. As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to do so,

19. And Hero'di-as had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not,

20. because Herod was in awe of John, knowing him to be a good and upright man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

20. for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he was much perplexed; and yet he heard him gladly.

21. An opportunity came on Herod's birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee.

21. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and the leading men of Galilee.

22. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, 'Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.'

22. For when Hero'di-as' daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it."

23. And he swore her an oath, 'I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.'

23. And he vowed to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom."

24. She went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.'

24. And she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

25. The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request, 'I want you to give me John the Baptist's head, immediately, on a dish.'

25. And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

26. The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her.

26. And the king was exceedingly sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.

27. At once the king sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John's head.

27. And immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard and gave orders to bring his head. He went and beheaded him in the prison,

28. The man went off and beheaded him in the prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

28. and brought his 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 and laid it in a tomb.

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

30. The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught.

30. The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.

31. And he said to them, 'Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while'; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat.

31. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

32. So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves.

32. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves.

33. But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them.

33. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them.

34. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

34. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

35. By now it was getting very late, and his disciples came up to him and said, 'This is a lonely place and it is getting very late,

35. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late;

36. so send them away, and they can go to the farms and villages round about, to buy themselves something to eat.'

36. send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat."

37. He replied, 'Give them something to eat yourselves.' They answered, 'Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii on bread for them to eat?'

37. But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?"

38. He asked, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' And when they had found out they said, 'Five, and two fish.'

38. And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish."

39. Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass,

39. Then he commanded them all to sit down by companies upon the green grass.

40. and they sat down on the ground in squares of hundreds and fifties.

40. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.

41. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing; then he broke the loaves and began handing them to his disciples to distribute among the people. He also shared out the two fish among them all.

41. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all.

42. They all ate as much as they wanted.

42. And they all ate and were satisfied.

43. They collected twelve basketfuls of scraps of bread and pieces of fish.

43. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.

44. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

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

45. And at once he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side near Bethsaida, while he himself sent the crowd away.

45. Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Beth-sa'ida, while he dismissed the crowd.

46. After saying goodbye to them he went off into the hills to pray.

46. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

47. When evening came, the boat was far out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

47. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.

48. He could see that they were hard pressed in their rowing, for the wind was against them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea. He was going to pass them by,

48. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,

49. but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost and cried out;

49. but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out;

50. for they had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke to them and said, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.'

50. for they all saw him, and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear."

51. Then he got into the boat with them and the wind dropped. They were utterly and completely dumbfounded,

51. And he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,

52. because they had not seen what the miracle of the loaves meant; their minds were closed.

52. for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

53. Having made the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored there.

53. And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and moored to the shore.

54. When they disembarked people at once recognised him,

54. And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him,

55. and started hurrying all through the countryside and brought the sick on stretchers to wherever they heard he was.

55. and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was.

56. And wherever he went, to village or town or farm, they laid down the sick in the open spaces, begging him to let them touch even the fringe of his cloak. And all those who touched him were saved.

56. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well.