Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The feeding of the four thousand

8 Once again, about that time, a large crowd gathered with nothing to eat.

Jesus called the disciples.

² “I’m really sorry for the people,” he said. “They’ve been with me three days now, and they haven’t got anything to eat. ³ If I send them home hungry, they’ll collapse on the way. Some of them have come from miles off.”

⁴ “Where could you get food for all this lot, out here in the wilderness?” answered his disciples.

⁵ “How many loaves have you got?” he asked. “Seven,” they replied.

⁶ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples to share around, and they gave them to the crowd. ⁷ They had a few small fish, which he also blessed and told them to distribute. ⁸ They ate; they were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets of leftover bits. ⁹ There were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.

¹⁰ At once Jesus got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanoutha.