Mark 8
New American Standard Bible
Four Thousand Men Fed
8 In those days, (A)when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus summoned His disciples and *said to them, 2 “(B)I feel compassion for the [a]people because they have remained with Me for three days already and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4 And His disciples replied to Him, “Where will anyone be able to find enough [b]bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5 And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6 And He *directed the [c]people to recline on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve, and they served them to the [d]people. 7 They also had a few small fish; and (C)after He had blessed them, He told the disciples to serve these as well. 8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large (D)baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9 About four thousand [e]men were there; and He dismissed them. 10 And immediately He got into the boat with His disciples and came to the region of (E)Dalmanutha.
11 (F)And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, (G)demanding from Him a [f]sign from heaven, [g]to test Him. 12 (H)Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, “Why does this generation demand a [h]sign? Truly I say to you, [i](I)no [j]sign will be given to this generation!” 13 And leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.
14 And the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15 And He was giving orders to them, saying, “(J)Watch out! Beware of the [k]leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of (K)Herod.” 16 And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, *said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? (L)Do you not yet comprehend or understand? Do you still have your heart [l]hardened? 18 (M)Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke (N)the five loaves for the five thousand, how many (O)baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They *said to Him, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke (P)the seven for the four thousand, how many large (Q)baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they *said to Him, “Seven.” 21 And He was saying to them, “(R)Do you not yet understand?”
22 And they *came to (S)Bethsaida. And some people *brought a man who was blind to [m]Jesus and *begged Him to (T)touch him. 23 Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He (U)brought him out of the village; and after (V)spitting in his eyes and (W)laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he [n]looked up and said, “I see people, for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. 26 And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter (X)the village.”
Peter’s Confession of Christ
27 (Y)Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of (Z)Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 (AA)They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And He continued questioning them: “But who do you say that I am?” (AB)Peter answered and *said to Him, “You are the [o]Christ.” 30 And (AC)He [p]warned them to tell no one about Him.
31 (AD)And He began to teach them that (AE)the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead. 32 And He was stating the matter (AF)plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, (AG)Satan; for you are not setting your mind on [q]God’s purposes, but on man’s.”
34 And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, (AH)take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For (AI)whoever wants to save his [r]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [s]life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a person give in exchange for his soul? 38 For (AJ)whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, (AK)the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He (AL)comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Footnotes
- Mark 8:2 Lit crowd
- Mark 8:4 Lit loaves
- Mark 8:6 Lit crowd
- Mark 8:6 Lit crowd
- Mark 8:9 I.e., 4,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 15:38
- Mark 8:11 I.e., confirming miracle
- Mark 8:11 Lit testing Him
- Mark 8:12 I.e., confirming miracle
- Mark 8:12 Lit if a sign shall be given, a very strong refusal
- Mark 8:12 I.e., confirming miracle
- Mark 8:15 I.e., fermented dough
- Mark 8:17 Or dull, insensible
- Mark 8:22 Lit Him
- Mark 8:24 Or gained sight
- Mark 8:29 I.e., Messiah
- Mark 8:30 Or strictly admonished
- Mark 8:33 Lit the things of God
- Mark 8:35 Or soul
- Mark 8:35 Or soul
Mark 8
New Living Translation
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
8 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2 “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.”
4 His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”
5 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”
“Seven loaves,” they replied.
6 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. 7 A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.
8 They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 9 There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. 10 Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.
Pharisees Demand a Miraculous Sign
11 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
12 When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” 13 So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.
Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
14 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”
“Twelve,” they said.
20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man
22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. 23 Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”
24 The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”
25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
27 Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”
29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.[b]”
30 But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Jesus Predicts His Death
31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[c] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.[d]
33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[e] 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
8 In those days when [again] an immense crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and told them,
2 I have pity and sympathy for the people and My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat;
3 And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will be feeble through exhaustion and faint along the road; and some of them have come a long way.
4 And His disciples replied to Him, How can anyone fill and satisfy [these people] with loaves of bread here in [this] desolate and uninhabited region?
5 And He asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven.
6 And He commanded the multitude to recline upon the ground, and He [then] took the seven loaves [of bread] and, having given thanks, He broke them and kept on giving them to His disciples to put before [the people], and they placed them before the crowd.
7 And they had a few small fish; and when He had [a]praised God and given thanks and asked Him to bless them [to their use], He ordered that these also should be set before [them].
8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven [[b]large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
9 And there were about 4,000 people. And He dismissed them,
10 And at once He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha (or Magdala).
11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with and question Him, demanding from Him a sign (an attesting miracle from heaven) [maliciously] to test Him.
12 And He groaned and sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation.
13 And He went away and left them and, getting into the boat again, He departed to the other side.
14 Now they had [[c]completely] forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 And Jesus [repeatedly and expressly] charged and admonished them, saying, Look out; keep on your guard and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod [d]and the Herodians.
16 And they discussed it and reasoned with one another, It is because we have no bread.
17 And being aware [of it], Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness?(A)
18 Having eyes, do you not see [with them], and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many [[e]small hand] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him, Twelve.
20 And [when I broke] the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many [[f]large provision] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, Seven.
21 And He [g]kept repeating, Do you not yet understand?
22 And they came to Bethsaida. And [people] brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him.
23 And He [h]caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you [[i]possibly] see anything?
24 And he looked up and said, I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking.
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently [that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects], and he was restored and saw everything distinctly [even what was [j]at a distance].
26 And He sent him away to his house, telling [him], Do not [even] enter the village [k]or tell anyone there.
27 And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am?
28 And they answered [Him], John the Baptist; and others [say], Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.
29 And He asked them, But who do you yourselves say that I am? Peter replied to Him, You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
30 And He charged them sharply to tell no one about Him.
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested and disapproved and rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again [[l]from death].
32 And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him [m]by the hand and led Him aside and then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him.
33 But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind [n]intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God’s side, but that of men].
34 And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and [o]lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [[p]joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow [q]with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].
35 For whoever wants to save his [[r]higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the [s]lower, natural, temporal life [t]which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his [u]higher, spiritual life [v]in the eternal kingdom of God].
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [[w]in the eternal kingdom of God]?
37 For what can a man give as an exchange ([x]a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [[y]in the eternal kingdom of God]?
38 For whoever [z]is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels.
Footnotes
- Mark 8:7 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:8 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
- Mark 8:14 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 8:15 Some ancient manuscripts add “and the Herodians.”
- Mark 8:19 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
- Mark 8:20 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies. See also footnote on Matt. 14:20.
- Mark 8:21 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
- Mark 8:23 William Tyndale, The Tyndale Bible.
- Mark 8:23 W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament.
- Mark 8:25 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:26 Some manuscripts add this phrase.
- Mark 8:31 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Mark 8:32 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:33 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:34 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:34 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:34 Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.
- Mark 8:35 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausett and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
- Mark 8:35 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausett and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
- Mark 8:35 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:35 Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausett and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
- Mark 8:35 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:36 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:37 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Mark 8:37 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Mark 8:38 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation