The Feeding of the Five Thousand^(A)

³⁰ The apostles met with Jesus and told him everything, both what they had done and what they had taught. ³¹ Then He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest a while,” for many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

³² So they went into a remote place privately by boat. ³³ But the people saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot out of every city. They arrived first and came together to Him. ³⁴ When Jesus came out and saw many people, He was moved with compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When the day was now getting late, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a remote place, and now the time is passing. ³⁶ Send them away into the surrounding country and villages to buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat.”

³⁷ But He answered, “You give them something to eat.”

They said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii^[a] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸ He said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.”

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

³⁹ Then He commanded them to make everyone sit down by companies on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ When He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them. And He divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were filled. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments and of the fish. ⁴⁴ Those who ate of the loaves were about five thousand men.

²⁷ However, lest we offend them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you will find a coin. Take it and give it to them for you and Me.”

The Calling of the First Disciples^(A)

5 As the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret ² and saw two boats beside the lake. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ He entered one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to thrust it out a little from the land. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

⁴ When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

⁵ Simon answered Him, “Master, we have worked all night and have caught nothing. But at Your word I will let down the net.”

⁶ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was tearing. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken,