Mark 6 — MSB

6Verse 1Jesus went on from there and came to His hometown, accompanied by His disciples.^{Verse 2}When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles?^{Verse 3}Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well?” And they took offense at Him.^{Verse 4}Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”^{Verse 5}So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them.^{Verse 6}And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He went around from village to village, teaching the people.^{Verse 7}Then Jesus called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.^{Verse 8}He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—no bag, no bread, no money in their belts—^{Verse 9}and to wear sandals, but not a second tunic.^{Verse 10}And He told them, “When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that area.^{Verse 11}If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”^{Verse 12}So they set out and preached that the people should repent.^{Verse 13}They also drove out many demons and healed many of the sick, anointing them with oil.^{Verse 14}Now King Herod heard about this (for Jesus’ name had become well known) and he said, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”^{Verse 15}Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”^{Verse 16}But when Herod heard this, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has risen from the dead!”^{Verse 17}For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married.^{Verse 18}For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”^{Verse 19}So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she had been unable,^{Verse 20}because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he did much of what he said; and he listened to him gladly.^{Verse 21}On Herod’s birthday, her opportunity arose. Herod held a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^{Verse 22}When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”^{Verse 23}And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”^{Verse 24}Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”^{Verse 25}At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”^{Verse 26}The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.^{Verse 27}So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison.^{Verse 28}The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.^{Verse 29}When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.^{Verse 30}Meanwhile, the apostles gathered around Jesus and brought Him news of all they had done and taught.^{Verse 31}And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.^{Verse 32}So they went away in the boat by themselves to a solitary place.^{Verse 33}But many people saw them leaving and recognized Him. They ran together on foot from all the towns and arrived before them.^{Verse 34}When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.^{Verse 35}By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late.^{Verse 36}Dismiss the crowd so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves food, for they have nothing to eat.”^{Verse 37}But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?”^{Verse 38}“Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.”^{Verse 39}Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.^{Verse 40}So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.^{Verse 41}Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And He divided the two fish among them all.^{Verse 42}They all ate and were satisfied,^{Verse 43}and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.^{Verse 44}And there were five thousand men who had eaten the loaves.^{Verse 45}Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.^{Verse 46}After bidding them farewell, He went up on the mountain to pray.^{Verse 47}When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land.^{Verse 48}He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them,^{Verse 49}but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost—^{Verse 50}for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”^{Verse 51}Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded beyond measure, and were marveling.^{Verse 52}For they had not understood about the loaves because their hearts had been hardened.^{Verse 53}When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and moored the boat.^{Verse 54}As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus^{Verse 55}and ran through that whole surrounding region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was.^{Verse 56}And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.