Mark 6:30-53

³⁰The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.

³¹Then he said to them, “Come away by yourselves into a deserted place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

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

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

³⁴When they came ashore, he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

³⁵When the hour was late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place and the hour is already late.

³⁶Send them away so that they may go into the nearby countryside and villages to buy something to eat for themselves.”

³⁷But he answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Can we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”

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

³⁹He commanded all the people to sit down in groups upon the green grass.

⁴⁰They sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

⁴¹He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

⁴²They all ate until they were satisfied.

⁴³They took up broken pieces of bread, twelve baskets full, and also pieces of the fish.

⁴⁴There were five thousand men who ate the loaves.

⁴⁵Immediately 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.

⁴⁶When they were gone, he went up the mountain to pray.

⁴⁷Evening came, and the boat was now in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on land.

⁴⁸He saw that they 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.

⁴⁹But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought he was a ghost and cried out,

⁵⁰because they saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said to them, “Be courageous! It is I! Do not be afraid!”

⁵¹He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased blowing. They were completely amazed.

⁵²For they had not understood what the loaves meant. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored the boat.