Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹⁰ When the apostles returned,^(A) they reported to Jesus all that they had done.^(B) He took them along and withdrew privately to a^[a] town called Bethsaida.^{(C) 11} When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them,^(D) spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

¹² Late in the day,^(E) the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away,^(F) so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³ “You give them something to eat,” he told them.

“We have no more than five loaves^(G) and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ (For about five thousand men were there.)

Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down^[b] in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ They did what he said, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,^(H) he blessed and broke them.^(I) He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

⁵ This hope will not disappoint us,^(A) because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts^(B) through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

¹² And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love^(A) for one another^(B) and for everyone, just as we do for you.