Knox Bible

1

Once more, at this time, the multitude had grown in numbers, and had nothing to eat. And he called his disciples to him, and said to them,

2

I am moved with pity for the multitude; it is three days now since they have been in attendance on me, and they have nothing to eat.

3

If I send them back to their homes fasting, they will grow faint on their journey; some of them have come from far off.

4

His disciples answered him, How could anyone find bread to feed them, here in the desert?

5

And he asked them, How many loaves have you? Seven, they said.

6

And he gave word to the multitude to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, and when he had blessed and broken he gave these to his disciples to set before them; so they set them before the multitude.

7

And they had a few small fishes; these he blessed, and ordered that these, too, should be set before them;

8

and they ate, and had enough. When they picked up what was left of the broken pieces, it filled seven hampers;

9

about four thousand had eaten. And so he sent them home.✻

10

Thereupon he embarked, with his disciples, and went into the part round Dalmanutha.

11

Here the Pharisees came out and entered upon a dispute with him; to put him to the test, they asked him to shew them a sign from heaven.

12

And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, Why does this generation ask for a sign? Believe me, this generation shall have no sign given it.

13

And so he left them, and took ship again, and crossed to the further side.

14

They had forgotten to take bread with them, and had no more than one loaf in the boat;

15

and when he warned them, Look well, and avoid the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod,

16

they said anxiously to one another, We have brought no bread.

17

Jesus knew it, and said, What is this anxiety, that you have brought no bread with you? Have you no sense, no wits, even now? Is your heart still dull?

18

Have you eyes that cannot see, and ears that cannot hear; do you remember nothing?

19

When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They told him, Twelve.

20

And when I broke the seven loaves among the four thousand, how many hampers full of broken pieces did you take up then? And they told him, Seven.

21

Then he said to them, How is it that you still do not understand?✻

22

So they came to Bethsaida. And they brought to him a blind man, whom they entreated him to touch.

23

He took the blind man by the hand, and led him outside the village; then he spat into his eyes, and laid his hands on him, and asked him if he could see anything?

24

He looked up and said, I can see men as if they were trees, but walking.

25

Once more Jesus laid his hands upon his eyes, and he began to see right; and soon he recovered, so that he could see everything clearly.

26

Then he sent him back to his house; Go home, he said, and if thou shouldst enter the village, do not tell anyone of it.

27

Then Jesus went with his disciples into the villages round Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, Who do men say that I am?

28

They answered, John the Baptist, and others say Elias; others that thou art like one of the prophets.

29

Then he said to them, And what of you? Who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, Thou art the Christ.

30

And he strictly charged them not to tell anyone about him.

31

And now he began to make it known to them that the Son of Man must be much ill-used, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be put to death, and rise again after three days.

32

This he told them openly; whereupon Peter, drawing him to his side, fell to reproaching him.

33

But he turned about, and, seeing his disciples there, rebuked Peter; Back, Satan, he said, these thoughts of thine are man’s, not God’s.

34

And he called his disciples to him, and the multitude with them, and said to them, If any man has a mind to come my way, let him renounce self, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35

The man who tries to save his life will lose it; it is the man who loses his life for my sake and for the gospel’s sake, that will save it.

36

How is a man the better for it, if he gains the whole world at the expense of losing his own soul?

37

For a man’s soul, what price can be high enough?

38

If anyone is ashamed of acknowledging me and my words before this unfaithful and wicked generation, the Son of Man, when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels, will be ashamed to acknowledge him.

39

Believe me, there are those standing here who will not taste of death before they have seen the kingdom of God present in all its power.✻