Mark 8
1 In those days, there was another large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples and said to them:
2 “I have compassion on this crowd, because they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat.
3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way; and some of them have come from far away.”
4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy these people here in this desolate place?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”
6 Then he told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and kept giving them to his disciples to serve. And they served them to the crowd.
7 They also had a few small fish. After blessing them, he told them to serve these too.
8 They ate and were satisfied, and they gathered seven baskets of leftover pieces.
9 There were about four thousand people. Then he sent them away.
10 Immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came out and began arguing with him, asking him for a sign from heaven to test him.
12 He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13 Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
14 They had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 He warned them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16 They were discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17 Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Is your heart hardened?
18 Though you have eyes, do you not see? Though you have ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you gather?” They answered him, “Twelve.”
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you gather?” They said, “Seven.”
21 And he said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. He spit on his eyes, laid his hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Then he laid his hands on the man's eyes again. He could see clearly, was healed, and saw everything distinctly.
26 He sent him home, saying, “Don't even go into the village.”
27 Jesus and his disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 He asked them, “And you, who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
30 And he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, be killed, and rise again after three days.
32 He spoke about this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But he turned, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not thinking about the things of God, but the things of people.”
34 Calling the crowd to him along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 For what good is it for someone to gain the whole world and lose his life?
37 Or what could someone give in exchange for his life?
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
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