Mark 6:19-41

¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him; but she couldn't,

²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a just and holy man. And consulting him he would do many things; indeed, he would hear him with pleasure.

²¹Then an opportune day came when on his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his courtiers, the military commanders, and the chief men of Galilee.

²²When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those reclining with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

²³He even swore to her, “Whatever you may ask me I will give you, up to half of my kingdom!”

²⁴So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

²⁵Hurrying in directly to the king she requested, saying, “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter!”

²⁶Though the king became very sorry, because of his oaths and of his guests he did not want to refuse her.

²⁷Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded the head to be brought. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,

²⁸brought the head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

²⁹Upon hearing of it, his disciples came, removed the corpse and placed it in a tomb.

³⁰Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and reported all to Him, both what they had done and what they had taught.

³¹Because so many were coming and going that they did not even have leisure to eat, He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

³²So they went away in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.

³³But many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and arrived before them, and came together to Him.

³⁴Well upon disembarking Jesus saw a large crowd and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things.

³⁵When it was late in the day, His disciples came to Him and said: “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.

³⁶Send them away so they may go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

³⁷But in reply He said to them, “You feed them!” They say to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and feed them?”

³⁸So He says to them: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they knew they said, “Five, and two fish.”

³⁹Then He directed them all to recline in groups on the green grass.

⁴⁰So they reclined in ‘plots’ of hundreds and of fifties.

⁴¹And taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples to serve the people; He also divided the two fish among them all.