Mark 8

8 ¹ In those days, when again a large crowd had gathered and had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, ² "My heart goes out to the crowd, because they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. ³ If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come a long distance."

⁴ And his disciples answered him, "How can anyone feed these people with bread here in the wilderness?"

⁵ And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."

⁶ So he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. ⁷ They also had a few small fish; and after blessing them, he told the disciples to set these before the people as well. ⁸ And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets of the leftover pieces. ⁹ About four thousand people were there. And he sent them away.

¹⁰ Then immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

A Generation Demanding Signs

¹¹ The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven to test him. ¹² And sighing deeply in his spirit, he said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." ¹³ And he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.

Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees

¹⁴ Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ And he warned them, "Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

¹⁶ And they began discussing with one another that they had no bread.

¹⁷ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you discussing that you have no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."

²⁰ "And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said, "Seven."

²¹ And he said to them, "Do you still not understand?"

A Blind Man Receives His Sight

²² And they came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. ²³ Taking the blind man by the hand, he led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"

²⁴ He looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking."

²⁵ Then Jesus laid his hands on the man's eyes again; and he looked intently, was restored, and saw everything clearly. ²⁶ And he sent him home, saying, "Do not even go into the village."

Who Do You Say I Am?

²⁷ Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"

²⁸ They told him, "John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."

²⁹ And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."

³⁰ And he sternly ordered them to tell no one about him.

The Son of Man Must Suffer

³¹ Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of our Father, but on the things of man."

³⁴ And calling the crowd to him along with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good does it do a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what can a person give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."