Mark 8
1 About that time there was again an immense crowd, and they found themselves with nothing to eat. So He called His disciples to Him.
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 "My heart yearns over the people," He said; "for this is now the third day they have remained with me, and they 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 If I were to send them home hungry, they would faint on the way, some of them having come a great distance."
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 "Where can we possibly get bread here in this remote place to satisfy such a crowd?" answered His disciples.
[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 "How many loaves have you?" He asked. "Seven," they said.
Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” They replied, “[We have] seven [flat loaves].”
6 So He passed the word to the people to sit down on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves He blessed them, and broke them into portions and proceeded to give them to His disciples for them to distribute, and they distributed them to 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 They had also a few small fish. He blessed them, and He told His disciples to distribute these also.
[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 the people ate an abundant meal; and what remained over they picked up and carried away--seven hampers of broken pieces.
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 The number fed were about 4,000. Then He sent them away,
[They estimated that] there were about 4,000 people [who ate on that day].
10 and at once going on board with His disciples He came into the district 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 The Pharisees followed Him and began to dispute with Him, asking Him for a sign in the sky, to make trial of 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 Heaving a deep and troubled sigh, He said, "Why do the men of to-day ask for a sign? In solemn truth I tell you that no sign will be given to the men of to-day."
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 So He left them, went on board again, and came away 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 they had forgotten to take bread, nor had they more than a single loaf with them in the boat;
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 when He admonished them, "See to it, be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast 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 they explained His words to one another by saying, "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 He perceived what they were saying, and He said to them, "What is this discussion of yours about having no bread? Do you not yet see and understand? Are your minds so dull of comprehension?
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 You have eyes! can you not see? You have ears! can you not hear? and have you no memory?
(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 broke up the five loaves for the 5,000 men, how many baskets did you carry away full of broken portions?" "Twelve," they said.
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 for the 4,000, how many hampers full of portions did you take away?" "Seven," they answered.
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 "Do you not yet understand?" He said.
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 they came to Bethsaida. And a blind man was brought to Jesus and they entreated 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 So He took the blind man by the arm and brought him out of the village, and spitting into his eyes He put His hands on him and asked him, "Can you see anything?"
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 He looked up and said, "I can see the people: I see them like trees--only 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 Then for the second time He put His hands on the man's eyes, and the man, looking steadily, recovered his sight and saw everything distinctly.
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 So He sent him home, and added, "Do not even go into the village."
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 From that place Jesus and His disciples went to the villages belonging to Caesarea Philippi. On the way He began to ask His disciples, "Who do people 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 "John the Baptist," they replied, "but others say Elijah, and others, that it is 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 Then He asked them pointedly, "But you yourselves, who do you say that I am?" "You are the Christ," answered Peter.
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 strictly forbad them to tell this about Him to any one.
Then Jesus warned them strongly that they should not tell anyone [yet that he was the Messiah].
31 And now for the first time He told them, "The Son of Man must endure much suffering, and be rejected by the Elders and the High Priests and the Scribes, and be put to death, and after two days rise to life."
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 This He told them plainly; whereupon Peter took Him and began to remonstrate with 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 turning round and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Adversary," He said, "for your thoughts are not God's thoughts, but men's."
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 Then calling to Him the crowd and also His disciples, He said to them, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross, and so be my follower.
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 whoever is bent on securing his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, will secure 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 Why, what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
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 For what could a man give to buy back his life?
([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 Every one, however, who has been ashamed of me and of my teachings in this faithless and sinful age, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in His Father's glory 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!”
