Matthew 14
1 During that time Herod [Antipas], the ruler, heard reports about Jesus [performing miracles].
About that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus.
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.”
He said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead. Therefore these powers are at work in him.”
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.
For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
For John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her as your wife.”
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.
Herod would have put him to death, but he feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet.
6 But when Herod [gave a party to celebrate] his birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for [his guests]. This pleased Herod.
But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst and 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.
In response, he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
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!]”
After being instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me here, on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.”
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].
The king was very upset by her request, but because of his oath and because of all those at dinner with him, he ordered that it should be done.
10 He sent [the executioner to go to] the prison and to cut off John’s head.
He sent and beheaded John in the prison.
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.
Then his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl and she 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].
Then his disciples came, took up the corpse, and buried it. After this, they went and told Jesus.
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.
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to an isolated place. When the crowds heard of it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
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.
Then Jesus came before them and saw the large crowd. He had compassion on them and healed their 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.”
When the evening had come, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the day is already over. Dismiss the crowds, so that they can go into the villages and 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!”
But Jesus said to them, “They have no need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 We said to him, “But we have only five loaves of bread and two [cooked] fish here!”
They said to him, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.”
18 He said [to us], “Bring them to me!”
Jesus said, “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.
Then Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. Looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave 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.
They all ate and were filled. Then they took up what remained of the broken pieces of food—twelve baskets full.
21 Those who ate were about 5,000 men. [We did] not [count the] women and children!
Those who ate were about five thousand men, besides 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.
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he sent away 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.
After he had sent away the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was 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].
But the boat was now a long way from land, being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was blowing against them.
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].
In the fourth watch of the night Jesus approached them, walking on the sea.
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.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, “It is a ghost,” and they cried out in fear.
27 Immediately Jesus said to us, “Cheer up! It is I. Do not be afraid!”
But Jesus spoke to them right away and said, “Be brave! 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!”
Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 Then Jesus said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
Jesus said, “Come.” So Peter got out from the boat and walked on the water to go to 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!”
But when Peter saw the wind, he became afraid. As he began to sink, he cried out and said, “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]”
Jesus immediately stretched out his hand, took hold of Peter, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 Then Jesus and Peter got in the boat, and the wind [immediately] stopped blowing.
Then when Jesus and Peter went into the boat, the wind ceased 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!”
Then the disciples in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
34 When we had gone further around [the lake in the boat], we came ashore at Gennesaret [town].
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.
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].
When the men in that place recognized Jesus, they sent messages everywhere into the surrounding area, and they brought to him everyone who was sick.
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]}.
They begged him that they might just touch the edge of his garment, and as many as touched it were healed.
