Mark 6
Worldwide English (New Testament)
6 Jesus left that place and went back to his home town. His disciples went with him.
2 On the Sabbath day he began to teach in the meeting house again. Many people who heard him were very much surprised and said, `Where did he learn all this? Where did he get the power to do these big works?
3 Is he not the carpenter? Is not Mary his mother? Are not James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Are not his sisters here with us?' The people did not understand Jesus.
4 Jesus said to them, `Other people honour a man who is a prophet of God. But the people in his own country, his own home, and his family, do not honour him.'
5 Jesus could not do any big works in that place. But he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 He was surprised that the people did not believe him. He went out to the villages, teaching the people.
7 He called the twelve disciples to him and sent them out two by two. He gave them power to drive bad spirits out of people.
8 He said, `Take only a walking stick with you when you go. Do not take anything else. Do not take any food, or a bag, or money.
9 Wear shoes, but do not take extra clothing with you.
10 When you go into a certain house, live there until you leave the town.
11 In some places the people will not take you in. They will not listen to what you say. When you leave such a town, shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them. I tell you the truth. On the day when people are judged, the people in that town will be punished harder than the people in the country of Sodom and Gomorrah.'
12 The disciples went out and told the people that they should stop doing wrong things.
13 They drove bad spirits out of many people. They also put oil on many sick people and healed them.
14 King Herod heard about these things. People were talking about Jesus everywhere. Herod said, `John the Baptizer is risen from death. That is why he is able to do such great works.'
15 Other people said, `It is Elijah.' Others said, `He is a prophet like the prophets of God who lived long ago.'
16 Herod heard what other people said, so he said, `I cut off John's head. He is alive again.'
17 Herod had sent his people to catch John. They tied him and put him in prison to please Herodias. Herod had married her, but she was his brother Philip's wife.
18 John had told Herod, `It is wrong for you to have your brother's wife.'
20 So Herodias hated John. She wanted to kill him. But she could not because Herod liked John. He knew that John did what was right and was a good man. So he kept John safe. When he heard John speak he was troubled in his heart, and yet he was glad to hear him.
21 rod made a feast on his birthday. He called all his rulers and the captains and the leaders of Galilee to come to the feast.
22 The daughter of Herodias came in and danced for them. This pleased Herod and the people at the feast. Then the king said to the girl, `Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.'
23 He made a promise which he would not break. He said, `Anything that you ask me for I will give you, even if you ask me for half of my kingdom.'
24 The girl went to her mother and said, `What shall I ask for?' Her mother said, `Ask for the head of John the Baptizer.'
25 The girl came quickly to the king and said, `I want you to give me the head of John the Baptizer on a plate. Give it to me right away.'
26 The king was very sorry. But he had made a promise and all the people at the feast had heard him promise. He wanted to do what he promised her.
27 Right away he sent one of the soldiers who was standing on guard. He told him to bring John's head. The soldier went to the prison and cut off John's head.
28 He brought the head on a plate and gave it to the girl. She gave it to her mother.
29 When John's disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and buried it.
30 The apostles came back to Jesus. They told him all they had done and taught.
31 Jesus said to them, `Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while.' Many people were coming and going. They could not even eat.
32 So they went away in a boat to a lonely place by themselves.
33 The people saw them going. Many people knew them. The people ran from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When the boat got there, Jesus saw the many people. He was very sorry for them because they were like sheep with no one to care for them. He began to teach them many things.
35 When it was late in the day, his disciples came to him. They said, `This is a lonely place and the time is late.
36 Send these people away to farms and villages to buy food for themselves. They have nothing to eat.'
37 Jesus said, `You give them food to eat.' They said, `Shall we go and buy a lot of bread and give them to eat?'
38 He said, `Go and see how much bread you have.' When they knew, they told him, `We have five loaves of bread and two fish.'
39 Jesus told the disciples to make all the people sit on the green grass in groups.
40 The people sat down in groups. Some groups were a hundred people and some were fifty people.
41 Jesus took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for them. Then he broke them in pieces. He gave them to the disciples to give to the people. Then he divided the two fish among them all.
42 They all ate and had enough.
43 Then they gathered twelve baskets full of pieces that were left.
44 The number of men who ate was about five thousand.
45 Then Jesus said to the disciples, `You get into the boat right away and go over to Bethsaida. I will send the people away.'
46 When he had sent the people away, he went up on the hill to talk with God.
47 In the evening the boat was far out on the water. Jesus was alone on the land.
48 He saw the disciples working hard rowing the boat. The wind was blowing the wrong way. When it was almost morning, Jesus came to the disciples. He was walking on the water. He was going to pass by them.
49 But when they saw him walking on the water, they thought it was a spirit. They shouted loudly.
50 They all saw him and were very much afraid. He spoke to them right away. He said, `Be glad! It is I. Do not fear.'
51 Then he got in the boat with them. The wind stopped. They were very much surprised and did not know what to say.
52 They did not understand the lesson about the bread because their minds were too slow.
53 They crossed over the sea and came to the land at Gennesaret. They came to shore.
54 As soon as he got out of the boat, the people knew him.
55 They went quickly to all the country around. They brought sick people in their beds to the place where they heard Jesus was.
56 They laid sick people by the road in villages, towns, and farms and every place he went. They begged him to let them touch his clothes. And all the people who touched him were healed.
Mark 6
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
6 Jesus went away from there and came to His [own] country and hometown [Nazareth], and His disciples followed [with] Him.
2 And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue; and many who listened to Him were utterly astonished, saying, Where did this [a]Man acquire all this? What is the wisdom [the broad and full intelligence which has been] given to Him? What mighty works and exhibitions of power are wrought by His hands!
3 Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not His sisters here among us? And they took offense at Him and [b]were hurt [that is, they [c]disapproved of Him, and it hindered them from acknowledging His authority] and they were caused to stumble and fall.
4 But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor (deference, reverence) except in his [own] country and among [his] relatives and in his [own] house.
5 And He was not able to do [d]even one work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sickly people [and] cured them.
6 And He marveled because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in Him). And He went about among the surrounding villages and continued teaching.
7 And He called to Him the Twelve [apostles] and began to send them out [as His ambassadors] two by two and gave them authority and power over the unclean spirits.
8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no bread, [e]no wallet for a collection bag, no money in their belts (girdles, purses)—
9 But to go with sandals on their feet and not to put on two tunics (undergarments).
10 And He told them, Wherever you go into a house, stay there until you leave that place.
11 And if any community will not receive and accept and welcome you, and they refuse to listen to you, when you depart, shake off the dust that is on your feet, for a testimony against them. [f]Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment day than for that town.
12 So they went out and preached that men should repent [[g]that they should change their minds for the better and heartily amend their ways, with abhorrence of their past sins].
13 And they drove out many unclean spirits and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
14 King Herod heard of it, for [Jesus’] name had become well known. [h]He and they [of his court] said, John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why these mighty powers [[i]of performing miracles] are at work in Him.
15 [But] others kept saying, It is Elijah! And others said, It is a prophet, like one of the prophets [of old].
16 But when Herod heard [of it], he said, [[j]This very] John, whom I beheaded, has been raised [from the dead].
17 For [this] Herod himself had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he [Herod] had married her.
18 For John had told Herod, It is not lawful and you have no right to have your brother’s wife.
19 And Herodias was angry (enraged) with him and held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him; but she could not,
20 For Herod had [[k]a reverential] fear of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and [continually] kept him safe [[l]under guard]. When he heard [John speak], he was much perplexed; and [yet] he heard him gladly.
21 But an opportune time came [for Herodias] when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and the high military commanders and chief men of Galilee.
22 For when the daughter [m]of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased and [n]fascinated Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, Ask me for whatever you desire, and I will give it to you.
23 And he put himself under oath to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give it to you, even to the half of my kingdom.(A)
24 Then she left the room and said to her mother, What shall I ask for [myself]? And she replied, The head of John the Baptist!
25 And she rushed back instantly to the king and requested, saying, I wish you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.
26 And the king was deeply pained and grieved and exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to slight her [by breaking faith with her].
27 And immediately the king sent off one [of the soldiers] of his bodyguard and gave him orders to bring [John’s] head. He went and beheaded him in the prison
28 And brought his head on a platter and handed it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples learned of it, they came and took [John’s] body and laid it in a tomb.
30 The apostles [sent out as missionaries] came back and gathered together to Jesus, and told Him all that they had done and taught.
31 And He said to them, [[o]As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while—for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat.
32 And they went away in a boat to a solitary place by themselves.
33 Now many [people] saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the surrounding towns, and they got there ahead [of those in the boat].
34 As Jesus landed, He saw a great crowd waiting, and He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.
35 And when [p]the day was already far gone, His disciples came to Him and said, This is a desolate and isolated place, and the hour is now late.
36 Send the crowds away to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.
37 But He replied to them, Give them something to eat yourselves. And they said to Him, Shall we go and buy 200 [q]denarii [about forty dollars] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?(B)
38 And He said to them, How many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they [had looked and] knew, they said, Five [loaves] and two fish.
39 Then He commanded the people all to recline on the green grass by companies.
40 So they threw themselves down in ranks of hundreds and fifties [with the [r]regularity of an arrangement of beds of herbs, looking [s]like so many garden plots].
41 And taking the five loaves and two fish, He looked up to heaven and, praising God, gave thanks and broke the loaves and kept on giving them to the disciples to set before the people; and He [also] divided the two fish among [them] all.
42 And they all ate and were satisfied.
43 And they took up twelve [[t]small hand] baskets full of broken pieces [from the loaves] and of the fish.
44 And those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.
45 And at once He insisted that the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He was sending the throng away.
46 And after He had taken leave of them, He went off into the hills to pray.
47 Now when evening had come, the boat was out in the middle of the lake, and He was by Himself on the land.
48 And having seen that they were troubled and tormented in [their] rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.] He came to them, walking [directly] on the sea. And He acted as if He meant to pass by them,
49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and [u]raised a [deep, throaty] shriek of terror.
50 For they all saw Him and were agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread). But immediately He talked with them and said, Take heart! I Am! Stop being alarmed and afraid.(C)
51 And He went up into the boat with them, and the wind ceased ([v]sank to rest as if exhausted by its own beating). And they were astonished exceedingly [beyond measure],
52 For they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had [w]grown callous [had become dull and had [x]lost the power of understanding].
53 And when they had crossed over, they reached the land of Gennesaret and [y]came to [anchor at] the shore.
54 As soon as they got out of the boat, [the people] recognized Him,
55 And they ran about the whole countryside, and began to carry around sick people on their sleeping pads or mats to any place where they heard that He was.
56 And wherever He came into villages or cities or the country, they would lay the sick in the marketplaces and beg Him that they might touch even the fringe of His outer garment, and as many as touched Him were restored to health.
Footnotes
- Mark 6:2 Capitalized because of what He is, the spotless Son of God, not what the speakers may have thought He was.
- Mark 6:3 William Tyndale, The Tyndale Bible.
- Mark 6:3 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:5 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:8 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
- Mark 6:11 Some manuscripts do not contain the last section of verse 11.
- Mark 6:12 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 6:14 Some ancient manuscripts read “he,” while others read “they.”
- Mark 6:14 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon.
- Mark 6:16 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:20 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon.
- Mark 6:20 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:22 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:22 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:31 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:35 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:37 The usual pay for a day’s work was one denarius.
- Mark 6:40 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
- Mark 6:40 Richard Trench, Notes on the Miracles of our Lord.
- Mark 6:43 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
- Mark 6:49 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 6:51 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Mark 6:52 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 6:52 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 6:53 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
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