< Matthew 14 >
1 During that time Herod [Antipas], the ruler, heard reports about Jesus [performing miracles].
2 He said to his servants: “That must be John the Baptizer. He must have risen from the dead, and that is why he has power to perform miracles.”
3 The reason [Herod thought that was this: Herod had married] Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, [while Philip was still living. So] John had been saying to him, “[What] you [did by] marrying [your brother’s wife while your brother is still alive is against God’s] law!” Then, to [please] Herodias, Herod [told his soldiers] to arrest John. They bound him with chains and put him in prison.
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5 Herod wanted to have John executed, but he was afraid that the people [who had accepted what John taught would riot if he did that], because they believed that John was a prophet.
6 But when Herod [gave a party to celebrate] his birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for [his guests]. This pleased Herod.
7 So he promised to give her whatever she asked, and he asked God to punish him if he did not do what he had promised.
8 [So Herodias’ daughter went and asked her mother what to ask for]. Her mother told her to ask for John the Baptizer’s head. [So] her daughter [went back and] said [to Herod]: “[Cut off] the head of John the Baptizer and [please] bring it here on a platter [so that my mother can know for sure that he is dead!]”
9 The king was distressed because he now knew he should not have made that promise to her. [But] because he had made an oath [in front of] his guests [when he made that promise], and [he did not want] them [to think that he would not do what he had promised], he commanded that [the girl] be given [what she requested].
10 He sent [the executioner to go to] the prison and to cut off John’s head.
11 [The executioner did that, and] put John’s head on a platter and gave it to the girl. Then the girl took it to her mother.
12 John’s disciples then went [to the prison], took John’s body and buried it, and they reported to Jesus [what had happened].
13 After Jesus heard that, he took [just us disciples] with him and we went by boat [on Galilee Lake to an uninhabited place]. Matthew 14:13-21 After the crowds heard [that we had gone to an uninhabited place], they [left their towns and] followed Jesus, walking along the shore.
14 When Jesus came [to the shore], he saw a large crowd of people [who had gathered there, waiting for him]. He felt sorry for them, and he healed those [among them who were] sick.
15 When it was [nearly] evening, we disciples came to him and said, “This is a place where nobody lives, and it is very late. Dismiss the crowds so that they can go into the [nearby] towns. [Have them do that so that they can] buy food for themselves.”
16 But Jesus said to us, “They do not need to leave [to get food. Instead], you [yourselves] give them something to eat!”
17 We said to him, “But we have only five loaves of bread and two [cooked] fish here!”
18 He said [to us], “Bring them to me!”
19 He told the people [who had gathered there] to sit on the grass. Then he took the five flat loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven, thanked [God for them], and broke [them into pieces]. Then he gave them to us disciples, and we distributed them to the crowd.
20 All [the people in the crowd] ate until they had enough to eat. Then we [disciples] gathered the pieces that were left over, [and we] filled twelve baskets with them.
21 Those who ate were about 5,000 men. [We did] not [count the] women and children!
22 Right after that happened, Jesus told us disciples to get in the boat and to go ahead of him further around [the lake] while he dismissed the crowds.
23 After he dismissed them, he went up into the hills to pray by himself. When it was evening, he was [still] there alone.
24 [By this time] we were already many hundred meters from the shore. The boat was being severely tossed around by the waves {The waves were severely tossing the boat} because the wind was [blowing] against [it].
25 [Then Jesus came down from the hills to the lake]. Some time between three and six o’clock in the morning he walked on the water toward our [boat].
26 When we disciples saw someone walking on the water, we thought that [we must be seeing] a ghost. We were terrified, and we screamed out because we were afraid.
27 Immediately Jesus said to us, “Cheer up! It is I. Do not be afraid!”
28 Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, tell me to walk on the water to you!”
29 Then Jesus said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
30 But when Peter looked at the [tossing waves which] the strong wind [caused], he became afraid. He began to sink, and cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and grabbed him. He said to Peter, “You only trust a little bit [in my power] (Why did you doubt [that I could keep you from sinking]?/You should not have doubted [that I could keep you from sinking]!) [RHQ]”
32 Then Jesus and Peter got in the boat, and the wind [immediately] stopped blowing.
33 All [of us disciples] who were in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the (Son of/man two is also) God!”
34 When we had gone further around [the lake in the boat], we came ashore at Gennesaret [town].
35 The men of that area recognized Jesus. So they sent [people to inform those who lived] in that whole surrounding region [MTY] [that Jesus was in their area]. [So the people] brought to Jesus all the sick people [who lived in that region].
36 [The sick people] kept begging him to allow them to touch [him or] just to touch the edge of his robe [so that they would be healed]. And all who touched [him or his robe] were healed {he healed all who touched [him or his clothing]}.
