Mark 8
International Children’s Bible
More Than 4,000 People Fed
8 Another time there was a great crowd with Jesus. They had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his followers to him. He said, 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. 3 I cannot send them home hungry. If they leave without eating, they will faint on the way home. Some of them live a long way from here.”
4 Jesus’ followers answered, “But we are far away from any towns. Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people?”
5 Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “We have seven loaves.”
6 Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Jesus divided the bread and gave the pieces to his followers. He told them to pass out the bread to the people, and they did so. 7 The followers also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for the fish and told his followers to give the fish to the people. 8 All the people ate and were satisfied. Then the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. 9 There were about 4,000 men who ate. After they had eaten, Jesus told them to go home. 10 Then he went in a boat with his followers to the area of Dalmanutha.
The Leaders Ask for a Miracle
11 The Pharisees came to Jesus and asked him questions. They wanted to trap him. So they asked Jesus to do a miracle to show that he was from God. 12 Jesus sighed deeply. He said, “Why do you people ask for a miracle as proof? I tell you the truth. No miracle will be given to you.” 13 Then Jesus left the Pharisees. He went in the boat to the other side of the lake.
Guard Against Wrong Teachings
14 The followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. They had forgotten to bring more bread. 15 Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16 Among themselves, his disciples discussed the meaning of this. They said, “He said this because we have no bread.”
17 Jesus knew what his followers were talking about. So he asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? You still don’t see or understand? Are your minds closed? 18 You have eyes, but you don’t really see. You have ears, but you don’t really listen. Remember what I did before, when we did not have enough bread? 19 I divided five loaves of bread for 5,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”
They answered, “We filled 12 baskets.”
20 “And remember that I divided seven loaves of bread for 4,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”
They answered, “We filled 7 baskets.”
21 Then Jesus said to them, “You remember these things I did, but you still don’t understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man
22 Jesus and his followers came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch the man. 23 So Jesus took the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. Then he spit on the man’s eyes. He put his hands on the blind man and asked, “Can you see now?”
24 The man looked up and said, “Yes, I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”
25 Again Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then the man opened his eyes wide. His eyes were healed, and he was able to see everything clearly. 26 Jesus told him to go home, saying, “Don’t go into the town.”[a]
Peter Says Jesus Is the Christ
27 Jesus and his followers went to the towns around Caesarea Philippi. While they were traveling, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah.[b] And others say that you are one of the prophets.”
29 Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
30 Jesus ordered his followers, “Don’t tell anyone who I am.”
31 Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things. He taught that the Son of Man would not be accepted by the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. He taught that the Son of Man must be killed and then rise from death after three days. 32 Jesus told them plainly what would happen. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to criticize him. 33 But Jesus turned and looked at his followers. Then he criticized Peter and said, “Go away from me, Satan![c] You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things men think are important.”
34 Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must say ‘no’ to the things he wants. He must be willing to die on a cross, and he must follow me. 35 Whoever wants to save his life will give up true life. But whoever gives up his life for me and for the Good News will have true life forever. 36 It is worth nothing for a person to have the whole world, if he loses his soul. 37 A person could never pay enough to buy back his soul. 38 The people who live now are living in a sinful and evil time. If anyone is ashamed of me and my teaching, then I will be ashamed of him. I will be ashamed of him when I come with the glory of my Father and the holy angels.”
Markos 8
Orthodox Jewish Bible
8 In yamim hahem (those days), again, when there was a great multitude and they had no okhel (food), Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach called his talmidim, and says to them,
2 I have rachmei shomayim (heavenly mercy, compassion) on the multitude, because they already shlosha yamim (three days) have remained with me and they do not have anything they may eat;
3 And if I send them away hungry to their batim (houses), they will give out on the way; and some of them have come from far away.
4 And his talmidim answered him, From where will anyone be able to find enough lechem to feed these ones here in the midbar? [BAMIDBAR 11:21]
5 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was asking them, How many loaves do you have? And they said, Shevah.
6 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach directed the multitude to recline at tish, as it were, on the ground. And having taken the sheva kikrot (loaves), he made a bracha, saying the ha-Motzi, and offered the betziat halechem (the breaking of the bread) and was giving [them] to his talmidim to serve to them, and they served the multitude.
7 And they also had a few small dagim. And after he had made the bracha over them, he directed these to be served as well.
8 And they ate and were satisfied. And there was an abundance of shirayim (Rebbe’s remainders), sheva baskets [full].
9 And there were approximately arbaat elafim (four thousand [people]). And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sent them away.
10 And ofen ort (immediately), having embarked onto the sirah (boat) with his talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came into the region of Dalmanutha.
11 And the Perushim came out and began to argue with him, seeking from him an ot min HaShomayim (a sign from heaven), testing him.
12 And sighing deeply in his ruach, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Why does hador hazeh (this generation) seek for an ot? Omein, I say to you, no ot shall be given to hador hazeh (this generation).
13 And having left them, Moshiach again embarked and departed to the other side.
14 And his talmidim had forgotten to take lechem and did not have anything except one kikar (loaf) in the sirah (boat) with them.
15 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was giving orders to them, saying, Take care! Beware of the chametz (leaven) of the Perushim and the chametz of Herod.
16 And the talmidim were beginning to discuss among themselves that they do not have [any] kikrot (loaves).
17 And aware of this, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Why are you discussing that you do not have kikrot? Do you not yet have binah (understanding) nor comprehend? Have your levavot fallen into timtum halev (hardening of the heart), KESHI (hardness, stubbornness, DEVARIM 9:27)? [YESHAYAH 6:9,10]
18 EINAYIM LAKHEM VLO TIRU VOZNAYIM LAKHEM VLO TISHMAU (Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? YIRMEYAH 5:21; YECHEZKEL 12:2) And do you not remember,
19 When I offered the beziat halechem with the chamesh kikrot (five loaves) for the chameshet elafim (five thousand), how many baskets of shirayim you picked up? And they say to him, Shneym Asar.
20 And when I offered the beziat halechem over the shevah (seven) for the arbaat haalafim (four thousand), how many baskets full of shirayim did you pick up? And they say to him, Shiva.
21 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying to them, Do you not yet have binah?
22 And they come to Beit-Tzaidah. And they bring to him an ivver (blind man), and entreated him to touch him.
23 And having grasped the hand of the ivver, he took him outside the shtetl; and, having put spittle on his eyes, [and] having laid hands upon him, he was questioning him, Do you see anything?
24 And after looking up, the ivver was saying, I see bnei Adam‖they look like trees walking!
25 Then again Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed his hands upon his eyes; and the man looked intently and was restored, and was seeing everything clearly.
26 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sent the man to his bais, saying, Do not even enter the shtetl.
27 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went out along with his talmidim, to the shtetlach of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he was questioning his talmidim, saying to them, Who do Bnei Adam say that I am?
28 And the talmidim spoke to him, saying, Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva; and others say, Eliyahu HaNavi; but others, One of the neviim. [MALACHI 4:5]
29 And he continued questioning them, But who do you say that I am? In reply, Kefa says to him, You are the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
30 And he warned them to tell no one about him.
31 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach began to teach them that it is necessary [for] the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14] to suffer many things and to be rejected by the Zekenim and the Rashei Hakohanim (the Chief Priests) and the Sofrim (Scribes) [YESHAYAH 53:3], and to be killed and after his histalkus (passing) after Shlosha Yamim (Three Days) to undergo the Techiyas HaMoshiach.
32 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was speaking about the matter plainly. And Shimon Kefa took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But having turned around and having looked at his talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach rebuked Kefa, and says, Get behind me, Hasatan; for you are not putting your machshavot (thoughts) on the interests of Hashem but on that of Bnei Adam. [cf Mk 7:9]
34 And having summoned the multitude along with his talmidim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, If anyone wishes to follow after me, let him make denial of himself, and take up his etz shel hakarav atzmo (tree of self-sacrifice), and follow me.
35 For whoever wishes to save his nefesh will lose it; but whoever loses his nefesh for my sake and for the sake of the Besuras HaGeulah will save it.
36 For how is the ben Adam (human being) benefited if he gain the kol haOlam, and forfeit his neshamah?
37 For what shall a ben Adam give in exchange [for] his neshamah?
38 For whoever feels bushah (shame) regarding me and my dvarim in this dor rah umnaef (evil and adulterous generation), the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] will also be ashamed of him, when Moshiach comes in the kavod of his Av with the malachim hakedoshim.
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