Chronological

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 At that time^(A) Herod the tetrarch^(B) heard the report about Jesus. ² ‘This is John the Baptist,’ he told his servants. ‘He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.’^(C)

³ For Herod had arrested John, chained^[a] him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^{(D) 4} since John had been telling him, ‘It’s not lawful^(E) for you to have her.’ ⁵ Although Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd since they regarded John as a prophet.^(F)

⁶ When Herod’s birthday celebration came, Herodias’s daughter danced before them^[b] and pleased Herod. ⁷ So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she answered, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a dish.’ ⁹ Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests. ¹⁰ So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a dish and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹² Then his disciples came, removed the corpse,^[c] buried it, and went and reported to Jesus.

Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹³ When Jesus heard about it,^(G) he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore,^[d] he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.^(H)

¹⁵ When evening came, the disciples^(I) approached him and said, ‘This place is deserted, and it is already late.^[e] Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’

¹⁶ ‘They don’t need to go away,’ Jesus told them. ‘You give them something to eat.’

¹⁷ ‘But we only have five loaves and two fish here,’ they said to him.

¹⁸ ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. ¹⁹ Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.^{(J) 20} Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up twelve baskets full of leftover pieces.^{(K) 21} Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Walking on the Water

²² Immediately^(L) he^[f] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. He stayed there alone well into the night.^{(M) 24} Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance^[g] from land,^[h] battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. ²⁵ Jesus came towards them walking on the sea^(N) very early in the morning.^{[i] 26} When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost! ’ they said, and they cried out in fear.

²⁷ Immediately Jesus spoke to them. ‘Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’^(O)

²⁸ ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter answered him, ‘command me to come to you on the water.’

²⁹ He said, ‘Come.’

And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came towards Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strength of the wind,^[j] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me! ’

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt? ’^(P)

³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ Then those in the boat worshipped him and said, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’^(Q)

Miraculous Healings

³⁴ When they had crossed over,^(R) they came to shore at Gennesaret.^{(S) 35} When the men of that place recognised him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to him all who were ill. ³⁶ They begged him that they might only touch the end of his robe, and as many as touched it were healed.^(T)

Rejection at Nazareth

6 He^(A) left there and came to his home town,^(B) and his disciples^(C) followed him. ² When the Sabbath^(D) came, he began to teach^(E) in the synagogue,^(F) and many who heard him were astonished. ‘Where did this man get these things? ’ they said. ‘What is this wisdom^(G) that has been given to him, and how are these miracles^(H) performed by his hands? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter,^(I) the son of Mary,^(J) and the brother of James,^(K) Joses, Judas,^(L) and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us? ’ So they were offended^(M) by him.

⁴ Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet^(N) is not without honour^(O) except in his home town, among his relatives, and in his household.’ ⁵ He was not able to do a miracle^(P) there, except that he laid his hands on^(Q) a few ill^(R) people and healed^(S) them. ⁶ And he was amazed^(T) at their unbelief.^(U) He was going around the villages teaching.^(V)

Commissioning the Twelve

⁷ He^(W) summoned^(X) the Twelve^(Y) and began to send^(Z) them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean^(AA) spirits.^{(AB) 8} He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff – no bread, no travelling bag,^(AC) no money in their belts, ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.^{(AD) 10} He said to them, ‘Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹ If any place does not welcome^(AE) you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet^(AF) as a testimony^(AG) against them.’^{[a] 12} So they went out and preached^(AH) that people should repent.^{(AI) 13} They drove out many demons,^(AJ) anointed^(AK) many ill^(AL) people with oil^(AM) and healed them.^(AN)

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹⁴ King^(AO) Herod^(AP) heard about it, because Jesus’s name^(AQ) had become well known. Some^[b] said, ‘John the Baptist^(AR) has been raised from the dead,^(AS) and that’s why miraculous powers^(AT) are at work^(AU) in him.’ ¹⁵ But others said, ‘He’s Elijah.’^(AV) Still others said, ‘He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.’^(AW)

¹⁶ When Herod^(AX) heard of it, he said, ‘John,^(AY) the one I beheaded, has been raised! ’^(AZ)

¹⁷ For^(BA) Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain^(BB) him in prison on account of Herodias,^(BC) his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.^{(BD) 18} John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful^(BE) for you to have your brother’s wife.’^{(BF) 19} So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill^(BG) him. But she could not, ²⁰ because Herod feared^(BH) John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous^(BI) and holy^(BJ) man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed,^[c](BK) and yet he liked to listen to him.^(BL)

²¹ An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet^(BM) for his nobles,^(BN) military commanders,^(BO) and the leading men of Galilee.^{(BP) 22} When Herodias’s own daughter^[d] came in and danced,^(BQ) she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.’ ²³ He promised her with an^(BR) oath:^(BS) ‘Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’^(BT)

²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for? ’

‘John the Baptist’s^(BU) head,’ she said.

²⁵ At once she hurried to the king and said, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s^(BV) head on a dish^(BW) immediately.’ ²⁶ Although the king was deeply distressed,^(BX) because of his oaths^(BY) and the guests^[e] he did not want to refuse^(BZ) her. ²⁷ The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a dish, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When John’s disciples^(CA) heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.^(CB)

Feeding of the Five Thousand

³⁰ The^(CC) apostles^(CD) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.’ For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

³² So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, ³³ but many saw them leaving and recognised them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.^[f]

³⁴ When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion^(CE) on them, because they were like sheep^(CF) without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When it grew late, his disciples^(CG) approached him and said, ‘This place is deserted,^(CH) and it is already late. ³⁶ Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.’

³⁷ ‘You give them something to eat,’ he responded.

They said to him, ‘Should we go and buy two hundred denarii^[g] worth of bread and give them something to eat? ’

³⁸ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’

When they found out they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ ³⁹ Then he instructed 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 He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² Everyone ate and was satisfied.^{(CI) 43} They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

Walking on the Water

⁴⁵ Immediately^(CJ) he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida,^(CK) while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After he said goodbye to them, he went away to the mountain^(CL) to pray.^{(CM) 47} Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ He saw them straining^(CN) at the oars,^[h] because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning^[i] he came towards them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹ When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost^(CO) and cried out, ⁵⁰ because they all saw him and were terrified.^(CP) Immediately he spoke with them and said, ‘Have courage!^(CQ) It is I.^(CR) Don’t be afraid.’^{(CS) 51} Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, ⁵² because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.^(CT)

Miraculous Healings

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret^(CU) and anchored there.

⁵⁴ As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognised him. ⁵⁵ They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick^(CV) on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end^(CW) of his robe.^(CX) And everyone who touched it was healed.

Commissioning the Twelve

9 Summoning the Twelve,^(A) he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.^{(B) 2} Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.^(C)

³ ‘Take nothing for the road,’^(D) he told them, ‘no staff,^(E) no travelling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. ⁵ If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.’^{(F) 6} So they went out and travelled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

Herod’s Desire to See Jesus

⁷ Herod the tetrarch^(G) heard about everything that was going on.^(H) He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸ some that Elijah had appeared,^(I) and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.^{(J) 9} ‘I beheaded John,’ Herod said, ‘but who is this I hear such things about? ’ And he wanted to see him.^(K)

Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹⁰ When the apostles returned,^(L) they reported to Jesus all that they had done.^(M) He took them along and withdrew privately to a^[a] town called Bethsaida.^{(N) 11} When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them,^(O) spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

¹² Late in the day,^(P) the Twelve approached and said to him, ‘Send the crowd away,^(Q) so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.’

¹³ ‘You give them something to eat,’ he told them.

‘We have no more than five loaves^(R) and two fish,’ they said, ‘unless we go and buy food for all these people.’ ¹⁴ (For about five thousand men were there.)

Then he told his disciples, ‘Have them sit down^[b] in groups of about fifty each.’ ¹⁵ They did what he said, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,^(S) he blessed and broke them.^(T) He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.