Feeding the Five Thousand^(A)

^30 (B)Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. ^31 (C)And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For ^(D)there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ^32 (E)So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

³³ But ^[a]the multitudes saw them departing, and many ^(F)knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. ^34 (G)And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like ^(H)sheep not having a shepherd. So ^(I)He began to teach them many things. ^35 (J)When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. ³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves ^[b]bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

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

And they said to Him, ^(K)“Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

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

And when they found out they said, ^(L)“Five, and two fish.”

³⁹ Then He ^(M)commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. ⁴¹ And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He ^(N)looked up to heaven, ^(O)blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. ⁴² So they all ate and were filled. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were ^[c]about five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Sea^(P)

^45 (Q)Immediately He ^[d]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. ⁴⁶ And when He had sent them away, He ^(R)departed to the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and ^(S)would have passed them by. ⁴⁹ And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ^(T)ghost, and cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, ^(U)“Be^[e] of good cheer! It is I; do not be ^(V)afraid.” ⁵¹ Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ^(W)ceased. And they were greatly ^(X)amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. ⁵² For ^(Y)they had not understood about the loaves, because their ^(Z)heart was hardened.

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well^(AA)

^53 (AB)When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ And when they came out of the boat, immediately ^[f]the people recognized Him, ⁵⁵ ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that ^(AC)they might just touch the ^(AD)hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Mephibosheth’s Servant

16 When^(A) David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was ^(B)Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. ² And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?”

So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for ^(C)those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”

³ Then the king said, “And where is your ^(D)master’s son?”

^(E)And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”

⁴ So the king said to Ziba, “Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.”

And Ziba said, “I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!”

Shimei Curses David

⁵ Now when King David came to ^(F)Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ^(G)Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. ⁶ And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. ⁷ Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You ^[a]bloodthirsty man, ^(H)you ^[b]rogue! ⁸ The Lord has ^(I)brought upon you all ^(J)the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a ^[c]bloodthirsty man!”

⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this ^(K)dead dog ^(L)curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”

¹⁰ But the king said, ^(M)“What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because ^(N)the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ ^(O)Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”

¹¹ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how ^(P)my son who ^(Q)came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. ¹² It may be that the Lord will look on ^[d]my affliction, and that the Lord will ^(R)repay me with ^(S)good for his cursing this day.” ¹³ And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and ^[e]kicked up dust. ¹⁴ Now the king and all the people who were with him became weary; so they refreshed themselves there.

The Advice of Ahithophel

¹⁵ Meanwhile ^(T)Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem; and Ahithophel was with him. ¹⁶ And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, ^(U)David’s friend, came to Absalom, that ^(V)Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ So Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? ^(W)Why did you not go with your friend?”

¹⁸ And Hushai said to Absalom, “No, but whom the Lord and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ Furthermore, ^(X)whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.”

²⁰ Then Absalom said to ^(Y)Ahithophel, “Give advice as to what we should do.”

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s ^(Z)concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you ^(AA)are abhorred by your father. Then ^(AB)the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines ^(AC)in the sight of all Israel.

²³ Now the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one had inquired at the oracle of God. So was all the advice of Ahithophel ^(AD)both with David and with Absalom.

Vision of the Glorious Man

10 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose ^(A)name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, ^[a]but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision. ² In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. ³ I ate no ^[b]pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴ Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the ^[c]Tigris, ⁵ I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in ^(B)linen, whose waist was ^(C)girded with gold of Uphaz! ⁶ His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, ^(D)and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

⁷ And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. ⁸ Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my ^[d]vigor was turned to ^[e]frailty in me, and I retained no strength. ⁹ Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

Prophecies Concerning Persia and Greece

^10 (E)Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. ¹¹ And he said to me, “O Daniel, ^(F)man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹² Then he said to me, ^(G)“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, ^(H)your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. ^13 (I)But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, ^(J)Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. ¹⁴ Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people ^(K)in the latter days, ^(L)for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

¹⁵ When he had spoken such words to me, ^(M)I ^[f]turned my face toward the ground and became speechless. ¹⁶ And suddenly, ^(N)one having the likeness of the ^[g]sons of men ^(O)touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, “My lord, because of the vision ^(P)my sorrows have ^[h]overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me.”

¹⁸ Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. ^19 (Q)And he said, “O man greatly beloved, ^(R)fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”

So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

²⁰ Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight ^(S)with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. ²¹ But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, ^(T)except Michael your prince.