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Mark 6
New Testament for Everyone
Mark 6
New Testament for Everyone
A prophet in his own town
6 Jesus went away from there, and came to his home region. His disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue. When they heard him, lots of people were astonished.
“Where does he get it all from?” they said. “What’s this wisdom he’s been given? How does he get this kind of power in his hands? 3 Isn’t he the builder, Mary’s son? Isn’t he the brother of James, Joses, Judah and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” They took offense at him.
4 “Prophets have honor everywhere,” said Jesus, “except in their own country, their own family, and their own home.”
5 He couldn’t do anything remarkable there, except that he laid hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 Their unbelief dumbfounded him.
He went round the villages, teaching.
The Twelve sent out
7 Jesus called the Twelve, and began to send them out in pairs, giving them authority over unclean spirits. 8 These were his instructions: they were not to take anything for the road, just one staff; no bread, no bag, no cash in the belt; 9 to wear sandals, and not to wear a second tunic.
10 “Whenever you go into a house,” he told them, “stay there until you leave the district. 11 If any place doesn’t welcome you, or won’t listen to you, go away and wipe the dust from your feet as evidence against them.”
12 They went off and announced that people should repent. 13 They cast out several demons; and they anointed many sick people with oil, and cured them.
The speculations of Herod
14 Jesus’ name became well known, and reached the ears of King Herod.
“It’s John the Baptist,” he said, “risen from the dead! That’s why these powers are at work in him.”
15 Other people said, “It’s Elijah!”
Others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the old prophets.”
16 “No,” said Herod when he heard this. “It’s John. I cut off his head, and he’s been raised.”
Herod and John the Baptist
17 What had happened was this. Herod had married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 18 John regularly told Herod it wasn’t right for him to take his brother’s wife; so Herod gave the word, arrested him and tied him up in prison. 19 Herodias kept up a grudge against him and wanted to kill him, but couldn’t; 20 Herod knew that John was a just and holy man, and he was afraid of him. So he protected him, and used to listen to him regularly. What he heard disturbed him greatly, and yet he enjoyed listening to him.
21 And then, one day, the moment came. There was a great party. It was Herod’s birthday, and he gave a feast for his leading retainers, militia officers, and the great and good of Galilee. 22 Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, and Herod and his guests were delighted.
“Tell me what you’d like,” said the king to the girl, “and I’ll give it you!”
23 He swore to her, over and over again, “Whatever you ask me, I’ll give it you—right up to half my kingdom!”
24 She went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she replied.
25 So she went back at once to the king, all eager, and made her request: “I want you to give me, right now, on a dish—the head of John the Baptist!”
26 The king was distraught. But his oaths on the one hand, and his guests on the other, meant he hadn’t the guts to refuse her. 27 So he sent a jailer straight away with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 brought the head on a dish, and gave it to the girl. The girl gave it to her mother.
29 When John’s followers heard about it, they came and took his body, and buried it in a tomb.
The feeding of the five thousand
30 The apostles came back to Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. 31 “All right,” he said, “it’s time for a break. Come away, just you, and we’ll go somewhere lonely and private.” (Crowds of people were coming and going and they didn’t even have time to eat.)
32 So they went off privately in the boat to a deserted spot. 33 And . . . crowds saw them going, realized what was happening, hurried on foot from all the towns, and arrived there first. 34 When Jesus got out of the boat he saw the huge crowd, and was deeply sorry for them, because they were like a flock without a shepherd. So he started to teach them many things.
35 It was already getting late when his disciples came to him and said, “Look: there’s nothing here. It’s getting late. 36 Send them away. They need to go off into the countryside and the villages and buy themselves some food.”
37 “Why don’t you give them something?” Jesus replied.
“Are you suggesting,” they asked, “that we should go and spend two hundred dinars and get food for this lot?”
38 “Well,” said Jesus, “how many loaves have you got? Go and see.”
They found out, and said, “Five, and a couple of fish.”
39 Jesus told them to sit everyone down, group by group, on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in companies, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, looked up to heaven, blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples to give to the crowd. Then he divided the two fish for them all. 42 Everyone ate, and had plenty. 43 They picked up the leftovers, and there were twelve baskets of broken pieces, and of the fish.
44 The number of men who had eaten was five thousand.
Jesus walks on water
45 At once Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and set sail across towards Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 He took his leave of them and went off up the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the shore. 48 He saw they were having to work hard at rowing, because the wind was against them; and he came to them, in the small hours of the night, walking on the sea. He intended to go past them, 49 but they saw him walking on the sea and thought it was an apparition. They yelled out; 50 all of them saw him, and they were scared stiff.
At once he spoke to them.
“Cheer up,” he said, “it’s me. Don’t be afraid.”
51 He came up to them and got into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were overwhelmed with astonishment. 52 They hadn’t understood about the loaves, because their hearts were hardened.
53 They made landfall at Gennesaret, and tied up the boat. 54 People recognized Jesus as soon as they got out of the boat, 55 and scurried about the whole region to bring sick people on stretchers to wherever they heard that he was. 56 And wherever he went, in villages, towns or in the open country, they placed the sick in the market-places and begged him to let them touch even the hem of his garment. And all who touched it were healed.
Mark 6
New International Version
Mark 6
New International Version
A Prophet Without Honor(A)
6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown,(B) accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came,(C) he began to teach in the synagogue,(D) and many who heard him were amazed.(E)
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,[a] Judas and Simon?(F) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.(G)
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”(H) 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on(I) a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(J)
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.(K) 7 Calling the Twelve to him,(L) he began to send them out two by two(M) and gave them authority over impure spirits.(N)
8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet(O) as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent.(P) 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil(Q) and healed them.
John the Baptist Beheaded(R)(S)
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[b] “John the Baptist(T) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”(U)
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,(V) like one of the prophets of long ago.”(W)
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.(X) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(Y) 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.(Z) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[c]; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet(AA) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.(AB) 22 When the daughter of[d] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”(AC)
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(AD)(AE)
30 The apostles(AF) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.(AG) 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,(AH) he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat(AI) to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.(AJ) So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”(AK)
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”(AL)
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.(AM) Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Jesus Walks on the Water(AN)(AO)
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat(AP) and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,(AQ) while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.(AR)
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.(AS) They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(AT) 51 Then he climbed into the boat(AU) with them, and the wind died down.(AV) They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.(AW)
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.(AX) 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,(AY) and all who touched it were healed.
New Testament for Everyone (NTFE) 
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
New International Version (NIV) 
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