Mark 8

In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

1In those days a very large crowd was with Jesus. They had nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples, his close followers, and said to them,

2I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

2"I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days. Now they have nothing to eat."

3And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

3"If I send them home hungry, they will get weak on the way. Some of them came from far away."

4And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

4His followers answered, "Where can anyone get enough bread out here? This is empty land."

5And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

5Jesus asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They said, "Seven."

6And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

6He told the people to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and thanked God. He broke the bread into pieces. He gave the pieces to his followers to hand out. So they handed the bread to the people.

7And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

7They also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for them too. He told his followers to hand out the fish as well.

8So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

8The people ate until they were full. The pieces left over filled seven baskets.

NoteThe King James Bible says "broken meat." In 1611, "meat" meant food of any kind, not just animal meat. Here it means the leftover pieces of bread and fish.

9And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

9About four thousand people had eaten. Then Jesus sent them home.

10And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

10Right away he got into a boat with his followers. They went to the area called Dalmanutha.

11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

11Then the Pharisees came to Jesus and began to argue with him. The Pharisees were religious leaders who cared very much about rules. They wanted him to show them a sign from heaven. They were testing him.

12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

12Jesus let out a deep sigh. He said, "Why do the people of today keep asking for a sign? I tell you the truth. No sign will be given to them."

13And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

13So he left them. He got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

14His followers had forgotten to bring bread. They had only one loaf with them in the boat.

15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

15Jesus warned them, "Watch out. Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." Herod was the ruler of that land.

Note"Leaven" is yeast. It is a tiny bit of something that spreads all through the dough and changes the whole loaf.

16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

16They started talking to each other about it. They thought he said this because they had no bread.

17And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

17Jesus knew what they were saying. He asked, "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts still closed?"

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

18"You have eyes. Do you not see? You have ears. Do you not hear? Do you not remember?"

19When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

19"I broke five loaves for five thousand people. How many baskets of leftover pieces did you pick up?" They said, "Twelve."

20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

20"And I broke seven loaves for four thousand people. How many baskets of leftover pieces did you pick up?" They said, "Seven."

21And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

21Then he said to them, "How is it that you still do not understand?"

22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

22They came to the town of Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him.

23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

23Jesus took the blind man by the hand. He led him out of the town. He spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him. Then he asked, "Can you see anything?"

24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

24The man looked up. He said, "I can see people. But they look like trees walking around."

25After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

25Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes again. The man looked up, and his eyes were made well. Now he could see everything clearly.

26And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

26Jesus sent him home. He said, "Do not go back into the town."

27And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

27Jesus and his followers went to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"

28And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

28They answered, "Some say John the Baptist. Some say Elias, that is Elijah. Others say you are one of the prophets, men who told people what God said."

29And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

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

Note"Christ" is not a last name. It is a title. It means the chosen one that God promised to send.

30And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

30Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

31Then he began to teach them. He said the Son of Man must suffer many things. That was the name Jesus used for himself. The older leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law would turn against him. He would be killed. After three days he would rise again.

32And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

32He said all this plainly, so they could not miss it. Peter took him aside and began to tell him he was wrong.

33But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

33Jesus turned around and looked at his followers. He told Peter he was wrong. He said, "Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking about the things of God. You are thinking about the things of people."

34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

34Then Jesus called the crowd and his followers to him. He said, "Anyone who wants to come with me must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross and follow me."

NoteA cross was a heavy wooden beam. The Romans made a person carry his own cross to the place where he would be killed.

35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

35"Whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me and for the good news will save it."

36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

36"What good is it if a person gets the whole world but loses his soul?"

37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

37"Or what could a person give to buy his soul back?"

38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

38"Some people are ashamed of me and of my words. They live now among people who turn away from God and do wrong. The Son of Man will be ashamed of them too. He will come in his Father's glory with the holy angels."