¹⁴ Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,^(A) following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem^(B)(C)

¹⁵ The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers^(D) again and again,^(E) because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed^(F) at his prophets until the wrath^(G) of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.^{(H) 17} He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,^[a](I) who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men^(J) or young women, the elderly or the infirm.^(K) God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.^{(L) 18} He carried to Babylon all the articles^(M) from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. ¹⁹ They set fire^(N) to God’s temple^(O) and broke down the wall^(P) of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed^(Q) everything of value there.^(R)

²⁰ He carried into exile^(S) to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants^(T) to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. ²¹ The land enjoyed its sabbath rests;^(U) all the time of its desolation it rested,^(V) until the seventy years^(W) were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.

²² In the first year of Cyrus^(X) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(A) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(B)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(C) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(D) and seated us with him^(E) in the heavenly realms^(F) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(G) expressed in his kindness^(H) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(I) you have been saved,^(J) through faith^(K)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(L) so that no one can boast.^{(M) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(N) created^(O) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(P) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(A)

6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs^(B) he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside^(C) and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival^(D) was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip,^(E) “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,^(F) spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”^(G)

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,^(H) and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign^(I) Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”^{(J) 15} Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king^(K) by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.^(L)