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1 Now Jesus went out from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many people heard him and they were amazed, saying, “Where did he get these things? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And what are these miracles that are being done by his hands?”
3 “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are his sisters not here with us?” They took offense at him.
4 Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own house.”
5 So he was unable to do any mighty work there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went around the villages teaching.
7 Then he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits,
8 and instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except only a staff— no bread, no bag, and no money in their belts—
9 but to wear sandals, and not to wear two tunics.
10 He also said to them, “Whenever you enter into a house, remain there until you go away from there.
11 Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet as a testimony against them.”
12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.
13 They cast out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
14 Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the former prophets.”
16 But when Herod heard this he said, “John, whom I beheaded— he has been raised.”
17 For Herod himself sent to have John arrested and he had him bound in prison on account of Herodias (the wife of his brother Philip), because he had married her.
18 For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have the wife of your brother.”
19 But Herodias held this against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not,
20 for Herod feared John; he knew that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. Listening to him made him greatly upset, yet he heard him gladly.
21 Then the opportunity came when Herod prepared his birthday dinner for his officials, and for his commanders, and for the leaders of Galilee.
22 Then the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced for them, and she pleased Herod and those reclining at table with him. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want and I will give it to you.”
23 He swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask?” She said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25 She immediately came back with haste to the king, and demanded, saying, “I desire that you give me at once, the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 Although the king became deeply grieved, he did not want to refuse her because of his oath and because of those reclining at table with him.
27 So the king immediately sent an executioner, commanding him to bring John’ s head. So he went and beheaded him in the prison.
28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
30 Then the apostles gathered together with Jesus and told him all that they had done and what they had taught.
31 Then he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
32 So they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
33 But people saw them leaving, and many recognized them. So they ran there together on foot from all the towns, and they arrived before them.
34 When they came ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.
35 When the hour was already late, his disciples came to him and said, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late.
36 Send them away so that they may go into the nearby countryside and villages to buy something to eat for themselves.”
37 But he answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 So he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five loaves and two fish.”
39 Then he commanded all the people to recline in groups on the green grass.
40 So they reclined in groups of hundreds and of fifties.
41 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples that they might set them before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
42 They all ate until they were satisfied.
43 Then they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces, and of the fish.
44 There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he sent the crowd away.
46 When they were gone, he went to the mountain to pray.
47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48 He saw them straining against the oars, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he wanted to pass by them.
49 But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought that he was a ghost and cried out,
50 because they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage! It is I! Do not fear!”
51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased blowing. They were completely amazed.
52 For they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over to the land, they came to Gennesaret and anchored there.
54 When they got out of the boat, the people recognized him immediately,
55 and they ran throughout that whole region and began to carry on their mats those who were sick to wherever they heard that he was.
56 And wherever he entered into villages, or into cities, or into the countryside, they were putting the sick in the marketplaces and were begging him that they might only touch the edge of his garment, and as many as touched him were healed.
The Gospel of Mark