Mark 6:14-44

The Death of John the Baptist

¹⁴ And the king Herod heard, (for his name became public,) and he said—'John the Baptist out of the dead was raised, and because of this the mighty powers are working in him.' ¹⁵ Others said—'It is Elijah,' and others said—'It is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.' ¹⁶ And Herod having heard, said—'He whom I did behead—John—this is he; he was raised out of the dead.' ¹⁷ For Herod himself, having sent forth, did lay hold on John, and bound him in the prison, because of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, because he married her, ¹⁸ for John said to Herod—'It is not lawful to thee to have the wife of thy brother;' ¹⁹ and Herodias was having a quarrel with him, and was willing to kill him, and was not able, ²⁰ for Herod was fearing John, knowing him a man righteous and holy, and was keeping watch over him, and having heard him, was doing many things, and hearing him gladly. ²¹ And a seasonable day having come, when Herod on his birthday was making a supper to his great men, and to the chiefs of thousands, and to the first men of Galilee, ²² and the daughter of that Herodias having come in, and having danced, and having pleased Herod and those reclining (at meat) with him, the king said to the damsel, 'Ask of me whatever thou wilt, and I will give to thee,' ²³ and he sware to her—'Whatever thou mayest ask me, I will give to thee—unto the half of my kingdom.' ²⁴ And she, having gone forth, said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for myself?' and she said, 'The head of John the Baptist;' ²⁵ and having come in immediately with haste unto the king, she asked, saying, 'I will that thou mayest give me presently, upon a plate, the head of John the Baptist.' ²⁶ And the king—made very sorrowful—because of the oaths and of those reclining (at meat) with him, would not put her away, ²⁷ and immediately the king having sent a guardsman, did command his head to be brought, ²⁸ and he having gone, beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head upon a plate, and did give it to the damsel, and the damsel did give it to her mother; ²⁹ and having heard, his disciples came and took up his corpse, and laid it in the tomb.

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

³⁰ And the apostles are gathered together unto Jesus, and they told him all, and how many things they did, and how many things they taught, ³¹ and he said to them, 'Come ye yourselves apart to a desert place, and rest a little,' for those coming and those going were many, and not even to eat had they opportunity, ³² and they went away to a desert place, in the boat, by themselves. ³³ And the multitudes saw them going away, and many recognised him, and by land from all the cities they ran thither, and went before them, and came together to him, ³⁴ and having come forth, Jesus saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion on them, that they were as sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach many things. ³⁵ And now the hour being advanced, his disciples having come near to him, say,—'The place is desolate, and the hour is now advanced, ³⁶ let them away, that, having gone away to the surrounding fields and villages, they may buy to themselves loaves, for what they may eat they have not.' ³⁷ And he answering said to them, 'Give ye them to eat,' and they say to him, 'Having gone away, may we buy two hundred denaries' worth of loaves, and give to them to eat?' ³⁸ And he saith to them, 'How many loaves have ye? go and see;' and having known, they say, 'Five, and two fishes.' ³⁹ And he commanded them to make all recline in companies upon the green grass, ⁴⁰ and they sat down in squares, by hundreds, and by fifties. ⁴¹ And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, having looked up to the heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves, and was giving to his disciples, that they may set before them, and the two fishes divided he to all, ⁴² and they did all eat, and were filled, ⁴³ and they took up of broken pieces twelve hand-baskets full, and of the fishes, ⁴⁴ and those eating of the loaves were about five thousand men.