Mark 8
1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples [unto him], and saith unto them,
During those days, a large crowd of people gathered again. [After they had been there a couple days], they had no food to eat. So Jesus summoned the disciples [to come closer] and then he said to them,
2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
“This is the third day that these people have been with me, and they have nothing [left] to eat, so now I feel very sorry for them.
3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
Furthermore, if I send them home [while they are still] hungry, [some of] them will faint on the way home, because some of them have come from far away.”
4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these [men] with bread here in the wilderness?
[Knowing that he was suggesting that they give the people something to eat, one of] his disciples replied, “(We cannot possibly find food to satisfy this crowd, here in this place where no people live!/How can we find food to satisfy this crowd, here in this place where no people live?)” [RHQ]
5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” They replied, “[We have] seven [flat loaves].”
6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before [them]; and they did set [them] before the people.
Jesus commanded the crowd, “Sit down on the ground!” [After they sat down], he took the seven loaves, he thanked [God for them], he broke them [into pieces] and started giving them to his disciples in order that they might distribute them [to the people].
7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before [them].
[They found that] they [also] had a few small [dried] fish. So after he thanked God for these, he told the disciples, “Distribute these also.” [After they distributed the bread and fish to the crowd],
8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken [meat] that was left seven baskets.
the people ate this food and they had plenty [to] satisfy [them]. [The disciples] collected the pieces of food that were left over. [They filled] seven large baskets full of those pieces.
9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
[They estimated that] there were about 4,000 people [who ate on that day].
10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
Then Jesus dismissed the crowd. Immediately after that, he got into the boat along with his disciples, and they went [around Lake Galilee] to Dalmanutha district.
11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
[In those days some] Pharisees came to Jesus. They asked him [to perform] a miracle [that would show that] God [had sent him]. They wanted to [find a way by which they could] convince the people to reject him. [So] they started to argue with him.
12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
Jesus sighed quietly to himself, and then he said, “I am disgusted that [RHQ], [even though] you people have seen how I [have healed people], you keep asking me to perform miracles! Note this: Such a miracle will certainly not be shown {I will certainly not show such a miracle} [just] for you people!”
13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.
Then he left them. He got into the boat again, along [with his disciples], and they went further around [Lake Galilee].
14 Now [the disciples] had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
The disciples had forgotten to bring along [enough] food. Specifically, they had only one flat loaf of bread with them in the boat.
15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and [of] the leaven of Herod.
[As they were going], Jesus warned them against [the attitudes the Pharisees and Herod Antipas had, attitudes that were having a bad effect on other people. He did this by telling them a parable]. He said, “Be careful! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, [It is] because we have no bread.
[The disciples misunderstood him]. So they said to one another, “[He must have said that] because we have no bread.”
17 And when Jesus knew [it], he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
Jesus knew [what they were discussing among themselves]. So he said to them, “([I am disappointed that you are] discussing about your not having enough bread!/Why are you discussing about your not having enough bread?) [RHQ] (You should understand by now [that I can provide miraculously for you if you need food!/Why do you not yet perceive or understand that I can provide miraculously for you if you need food]?) [RHQ] (You are not thinking!/Why are you not thinking?) [RHQ]
18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
(I am also disappointed that, although you have eyes, you do not [understand what you] see!/Why is it that, although you have eyes, you do not [understand what you] see?) [RHQ] You have ears, but you do not understand [what I say] [RHQ]!” [Then he asked], “Do you not remember [what happened]
19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
when I broke [only] five loaves [and fed] the 5.000 people [RHQ]? [Not only was everyone satisfied, but there was food left over] How many baskets full of pieces of bread [that were left over] did you collect?” They replied, “We collected twelve baskets full.”
20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
Then he asked, “When I broke the seven loaves in order to [feed] the 4,000 people, [again when everyone had plenty to eat], how many large baskets [of pieces of bread that were left over] did you collect?” They replied, “[We collected] seven [large baskets full].”
21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Then he kept saying to them, “([I am disappointed that] you do not understand yet [that you should never worry that you do not have enough food]!/Why do you not understand yet [that you should never worry that you do not have enough food]?)” [RHQ]
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
They arrived [in the boat] at Bethsaida [town]. People brought to Jesus a blind man and earnestly requested that Jesus touch him [in order to heal him].
23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Jesus took the hand of the blind man, led him outside the town, he put his saliva on the man’s eyes, he put his hands on the man, and then he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
The man looked up and then he said, “[Yes], I see people! They are walking around, but I cannot see them [clearly]. They look like trees!”
25 After that he put [his] hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
Then Jesus again touched the eyes of the blind man. The man looked intently and at that moment he was completely healed! He could see everything clearly.
26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell [it] to any in the town.
Jesus said to him, “Do not go into the town! [First go straight home and tell the people there about what I did]!” Then he sent the man to his home.
27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?
Jesus and the disciples [left Bethsaida town and went to the villages near Caesarea Philippi town]. On the way he questioned them, “Who do people say that I [really] am?”
28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some [say], Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
They replied, “[Some people say] that you are John the Baptizer, [who has come back to life again]. Others say [that you are the prophet] Elijah [who has returned from heaven as God promised]. And others say that you are one of the [other former] prophets [who has come back to life again].”
29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
He asked them, “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied to him, “[We believe that] you are the Messiah!”
30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
Then Jesus warned them strongly that they should not tell anyone [yet that he was the Messiah].
31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and [of] the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Then Jesus began to teach them, “[Even though] I am the one who came from heaven, it is necessary that I suffer very much. It is also necessary that I be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the men who teach the [Jewish] laws {that the elders, the chief priests, and the men who teach the [Jewish] laws reject me}, and that I be killed {they kill me}. But on the third day [after I am killed I] will become alive again.”
32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
He said this to them clearly. But Peter took Jesus aside and then, [because he assumed that the Messiah would never die], he started to rebuke Jesus [for talking about dying].
33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.
Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples. Then he rebuked Peter, saying, “Stop thinking like that! Satan [is causing you to talk like that! Instead] of wanting what God wants [me to do, you are wanting] me to do [only] what [most] people [would want me to do].”
34 And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Then he summoned the crowd along with his disciples [so that they might listen to him]. He told them, “If any one [of you] wants to be my disciple, you must not do [only] what you yourself want to do. Specifically, you must [be willing to allow people to hurt you and to disgrace you. That is what they do to criminals] who are forced to carry crosses [MET] [to the places where they will be crucified]. That is what anyone who wants to be my disciple must do.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
[You must do that], because those who try to save their lives [by denying that they belong to me when people want to kill them for believing in me] will not live [eternally], but those who are killed because of being my [disciples] and [because of telling others my] good message will live [forever with me].
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
People might get everything [they want] in this world, but (they are really gaining nothing if they do not get eternal life [because they do not become my disciples!]/what will they gain if they do not get eternal life [because they do not become my disciples]?) [RHQ]
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
([Think carefully about the fact that] there is absolutely nothing that people can give [to God] that would enable them to gain eternal life!/Is there anything that a person can give [to God] in order to gain eternal life?) [RHQ]
38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
And think about this: Those who refuse [to say that they belong to] me and who reject what I say in these days when many people have turned away [from God] and are very sinful, I, the one who came from heaven, will also refuse [to say that they belong to me] when I come back with the holy angels and have the glorious brightness that my Father has!”
