Mark 8:1-26

¹In those days, the multitude being very large and not having anything to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them:

²“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me three days now and have nothing to eat.

³If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will give out on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

⁴His disciples answered Him, “From what source could anyone satisfy these people with bread here in a wilderness?”

⁵He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

⁶So He told the crowd to sit down on the ground; then taking the seven loaves and giving thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the crowd, and they did.

⁷They also had a few small fish; so blessing them He said to distribute them as well.

⁸Well they ate and were filled; they even took up seven hampers of broken pieces that were left over.

⁹Now those who had eaten were about four thousand; and He sent them away.

¹⁰Then He got right into the boat with His disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, requesting of Him a sign from heaven, by way of testing Him.

¹²But He sighed deeply in His spirit and said: “Why does this generation seek a sign? I tell you emphatically, no sign shall be given to this generation!”

¹³Turning His back on them, He got back into the boat and went off to the other side.

¹⁴(His disciples had forgotten to take bread; they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.)

¹⁵And He charged them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

¹⁶So they started reasoning among themselves, saying, “It's because we have no bread.”

¹⁷Being aware of it Jesus said to them: “Why are you reasoning because you have no bread? Do you still neither perceive nor understand? Do you still have hearts that have been hardened?

¹⁸Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear, and do you not remember?

¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you take up?” They say to Him, “Twelve.”

²⁰“And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many hampers full of pieces did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”

²¹So He said to them, “How is it that you still don't understand?”

²²Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him.

²³So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; then spitting into his eyes and laying hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

²⁴And looking up he said, “I do see men, only they look like walking trees.”

²⁵Then He put His hands on his eyes again, and made him look up; and he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

²⁶Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the village nor tell anyone in the village.”