Mark 8:1-21

Common English Bible

Jesus feeds four thousand people

8 In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and told them, ² “I feel sorry for the crowd because they have been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. ³ If I send them away hungry to their homes, they won’t have enough strength to travel, for some have come a long distance.”

⁴ His disciples responded, “How can anyone get enough food in this wilderness to satisfy these people?”

⁵ Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

They said, “Seven loaves.”

⁶ He told the crowd to sit on the ground. He took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them apart, and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they gave the bread to the crowd. ⁷ They also had a few fish. He said a blessing over them, then gave them to the disciples to hand out also. ⁸ They ate until they were full. They collected seven baskets full of leftovers. ⁹ This was a crowd of about four thousand people! Jesus sent them away, ¹⁰ then got into a boat with his disciples and went over to the region of Dalmanutha.

Looking for proof

¹¹ The Pharisees showed up and began to argue with Jesus. To test him, they asked for a sign from heaven. ¹² With an impatient sigh, Jesus said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I assure you that no sign will be given to it.” ¹³ Leaving them, he got back in the boat and crossed to the other side of the lake.

Understanding about the bread

¹⁴ Jesus’ disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, so they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ He gave them strict orders: “Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees as well as the yeast of Herod.”

¹⁶ The disciples discussed this among themselves, “He said this because we have no bread.”

¹⁷ Jesus knew what they were discussing and said, “Why are you talking about the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you grasp what has happened? Don’t you understand? Are your hearts so resistant to what God is doing? ¹⁸ Don’t you have eyes? Why can’t you see? Don’t you have ears? Why can’t you hear? Don’t you remember? ¹⁹ When I broke five loaves of bread for those five thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather?”

They answered, “Twelve.”

²⁰ “And when I broke seven loaves of bread for those four thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather?”

They answered, “Seven.”

²¹ Jesus said to them, “And you still don’t understand?”