Mark 8
1 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,
In those days, the multitude being very large and not having anything to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them:
2 “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.
“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me three days now and have nothing to eat.
3 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.”
If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will give out on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”
4 [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]
His disciples answered Him, “From what source could anyone satisfy these people with bread here in a wilderness?”
5 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” They replied, “[We have] seven [flat loaves].”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”
6 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].
So He told the crowd to sit down on the ground; then taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the crowd, and they did.
7 [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],
They also had a few small fish; so blessing them He said to distribute them as well.
8 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.
Well they ate and were filled; they even took up seven hampers of broken pieces that were left over.
9 [They estimated that] there were about 4,000 people [who ate on that day].
Now those who had eaten were about four thousand; and He sent them away.
10 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.
Then He got right into the boat with His disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 [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.
The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, requesting of Him a sign from heaven, by way of testing Him.
12 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!”
But He sighed deeply in His spirit and said: “Why does this generation seek a sign? I tell you emphatically, no sign shall be given to this generation!”
13 Then he left them. He got into the boat again, along [with his disciples], and they went further around [Lake Galilee].
Turning His back on them, He got back into the boat and went off to the other side.
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring along [enough] food. Specifically, they had only one flat loaf of bread with them in the boat.
(His disciples had forgotten to take bread; they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.)
15 [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!”
And He charged them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 [The disciples misunderstood him]. So they said to one another, “[He must have said that] because we have no bread.”
So they started reasoning among themselves, saying, “It's because we have no bread.”
17 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]
Being aware of it Jesus said to them: “Why are you reasoning because you have no bread? Do you still neither perceive nor understand? Do you still have hearts that have been hardened?
18 (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]
Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear, and do you not remember?
19 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.”
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you take up?” They say to Him, “Twelve.”
20 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].”
“And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many hampers full of pieces did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”
21 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]
So He said to them, “How is it that you still don't understand?”
22 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].
Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him.
23 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?”
So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; then spitting into his eyes and laying hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 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!”
And looking up he said, “I do see men, only they look like walking trees.”
25 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.
Then He put His hands on his eyes again, and made him look up; and he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
26 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.
Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the village nor tell anyone in the village.”
27 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?”
Then Jesus and His disciples set out for the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who are people saying that I am?”
28 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].”
So they answered, “John the Baptist; others Elijah; still others one of the prophets.”
29 He asked them, “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied to him, “[We believe that] you are the Messiah!”
He said to them, “And who do you say that I am?” So Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ!”
30 Then Jesus warned them strongly that they should not tell anyone [yet that he was the Messiah].
Then He charged them that they should tell no one about Him.
31 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.”
He then began to teach them that the Son of the Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 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].
He said these things quite plainly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 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].”
But He turned, looked at His disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying: “Get behind me, Satan! You have in mind men's values, not God's values.”
34 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.
He summoned the crowd, along with His disciples, and said to them: “Whoever wants to follow along behind me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 [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].
Because whoever may resolve to ‘save’ his life will waste it; but whoever may ‘waste’ his life for my sake and the Gospel's, he will save it.
36 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]
Well, what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
37 ([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]
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 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!”
Yes, whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of the Man will also be ashamed of Him whenever He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels.”
