Mark 6
King James Version
6 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.
15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.
30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.
46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.
48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.
52 For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.
53 And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.
54 And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,
55 And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.
56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.
Mark 6
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 6
Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth.[a] 1 Departing from that district, Jesus went to his hometown accompanied by his disciples. 2 On the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many of those who heard him asked in amazement, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that he has been granted? What mighty deeds he performs! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother[b] of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.
4 Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is always treated with honor except in his hometown, and among relatives, and in his own house.” 5 And he was unable to perform any mighty works there, aside from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Who Is Jesus?[c]
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve on Mission.[d] Jesus traveled through the villages teaching. 7 Calling the Twelve together, he began to send them out two by two, with authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a walking staff—no bread, no sack, no money in their purses. 9 They were to wear sandals but not to take along a second tunic.
10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, you are to stay there until you leave the area. 11 And if any will not welcome you and refuse to listen to you, leave them immediately and shake off the dust that is on your feet in testimony against them.” 12 Then they set off and preached the need for repentance. 13 They cast out many demons, and they anointed with oil many people who were sick and cured them.[e]
14 The Name of Jesus Becomes Renowned.[f] King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become renowned, and some people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why such powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah,” while still others proclaimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead.”
17 The Death of John the Baptist.[g] It was this same Herod who had ordered John to be arrested and put in chains in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18 For John had told Herod, “It is unlawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 As for Herodias, she was filled with resentment against John and wanted to have him killed, but she was unable to do so, 20 because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a holy and righteous man. Therefore, he protected him from harm. When he heard John speak, he was greatly perplexed by his words, but even so he liked to listen to him.
21 Her opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his court officials and military officers and the leaders of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in, she performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give you, even half of my kingdom.”
24 The girl went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 The girl then hurried back to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of the oath he had sworn and the presence of the guests, he was unwilling to break his word to her. 27 Therefore, he immediately ordered an executioner to bring him John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in the prison. 28 Then he brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl in turn gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and removed his body and laid it in a tomb.
30 The Return of the Twelve. The apostles[h] returned to Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away with me, by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest for a while.” For people continued to come and go in great numbers, and they had no time even to eat.
32 And so they went off by themselves in a boat to a deserted place. 33 Now many people saw them departing and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As Jesus went ashore and beheld the vast crowd, he had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
35 Jesus Feeds Five Thousand Men.[i] When it began to be late in the day, his disciples came up to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and it is getting very late. 36 Send the people away now so that they can go to the farms and villages in the area and buy something for themselves to eat.” 37 He replied, “Give them something to eat yourselves.” They said to him, “Are we to go and spend two hundred denarii[j] on bread for them to eat?” 38 He asked, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out, they reported: “Five loaves, and two fish.”
39 Then he ordered them to have all the people sit down on the green grass in groups. 40 They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute among the people. He also divided the two fish among them. 42 They all ate and were satisfied. 43 Then they gathered up the fragments of the bread and fish—twelve full baskets.[k] 44 Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.
45 Jesus Walks on the Water.[l] Immediately afterward, Jesus instructed his disciples to get into the boat and to go on ahead to Bethsaida on the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And when he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was far out on the water while he was alone on the shore. 48 He could see that the disciples were having difficulty in rowing the boat in the face of a headwind. Around the fourth watch of the night he came toward them, walking on the water. He was going to pass by them, 49 but when the disciples saw him walking on the water they thought it was a ghost and they cried out, 50 for they all had seen him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, “Have courage! It is I![m] Do not be afraid!” 51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were utterly astounded, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves. Their minds were closed.
53 Jesus Heals the Sick at Gennesaret.[n] After they had completed the crossing, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they disembarked, the people recognized Jesus immediately. 55 They rushed throughout the entire countryside, and began to bring the sick to him on pallets wherever they heard he was. 56 Everywhere he went, whether to village or town or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak. And all who touched it were completely healed.
Footnotes
- Mark 6:1 This story of a breach completes the second section of the first part. See note on Mt 13:53-58.
- Mark 6:3 Brother: see note on Mt 12:46.
- Mark 6:6 The very term “Messiah” is charged with too many facile hopes and misunderstandings, and Jesus avoids using it. If he reveals himself, it is through words and actions in the midst of events and encounters. The tragic end of John the Baptist prefigures his own destiny. Jesus bears witness to the goodness of God, shepherd of his people, and nourishes human beings with his word and his bread. His relationship with the disciples becomes closer and closer. Despite their failure to attain a full understanding of who he is, they are given the grace to recognize him as the Messiah.
- Mark 6:6 Jesus impresses on the disciples that the preaching of the Gospel demands a genuine and unconditional detachment from earthly things.
- Mark 6:13 At the time of Jesus, oil was frequently used to heal sickness. The anointing by the apostles set forth the healing power conferred on them by Jesus and prefigured the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
- Mark 6:14 Jesus’ name is known even in the palace of the tetrarch of Galilee: Antipas, a son of Herod the Great; out of habit, the people continue to call this Herod “king.”
- Mark 6:17 See note on Mt 14:1-12.
- Mark 6:30 Apostles: this word occurs in Mark only here; it is also found in some manuscripts in Mk 3:14. The apostles were authorized representatives of Jesus, and in this sense it is used in the New Testament of the Twelve (Mk 3:14) and also of Paul (Rom 1:1). In a broader sense it is applied to a larger group including Barnabas (Acts 14:14), James, “brother of the Lord” (Gal 1:19), and possibly Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7). See also note on Mk 3:13-19.
- Mark 6:35 See notes on Mt 14:13-21; 14:19; and 14:21.
- Mark 6:37 Two hundred denarii: two hundred days’ wages, for a day’s wage was one denarius (see Mt 20:2).
- Mark 6:43 The Jews regarded bread as a gift of God. Accordingly, the scraps that fell during a meal were to be picked up and placed in small wicker baskets that people carried about. The disciples each filled a basket.
- Mark 6:45 See notes on Mt 14:22-33 and 14:25.
- Mark 6:50 It is I: literally, “I am,” the formula that reveals the name of the Lord in the Old Testament (see Ex 3:14; Isa 41:4, 10, 14; 43:1-3, 10, 13). Hence, the evangelist is alluding to Jesus as the Son of God.
- Mark 6:53 The verses describe the responses of Jesus to the crowd’s interest in him; they believe in his power to alleviate their sufferings.
