Andrew

43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

NoteGalilee is the part of the country in the north. Jesus grew up there.

44Philip came from a town called Bethsaida. Andrew and Peter came from that same town.

Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

NoteBethsaida was a small fishing town beside a big lake.

5Jesus looked up and saw a big crowd coming to him. He said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread for all these people?"

When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6Jesus asked this to test Philip. He already knew what he was going to do.

And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

NoteIn the King James, "prove" means test. Jesus was testing Philip, not proving something.

7Philip answered, "Even eight months of pay would not buy enough bread. Not everyone would get even a little piece."

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

NoteThe King James says "two hundred pennyworth." A penny back then was a whole day's pay for a worker. So that much money was about eight months of work.

8Andrew was one of his disciples. He was Simon Peter's brother. Andrew said to Jesus,

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,

9"There is a boy here with five barley loaves and two small fish. But that is almost nothing for so many people."

There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

NoteBarley bread was the cheapest kind of bread. Poor families ate it. The loaves were small and flat, more like little round pancakes.

10Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place. So the men sat down. There were about five thousand of them.

And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

NoteOnly the men were counted. Women and children were there too. So the crowd was even bigger than five thousand.

11Jesus took the loaves and thanked God for them. He handed the food to his disciples. The disciples handed it out to the people sitting there. He did the same with the fish. Everyone got as much as they wanted.

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

NoteJewish people always thanked God before eating. Jesus was doing what everyone did at a meal.

12When they were full, he said to his disciples, "Pick up the leftover pieces. Do not waste any of it."

When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13So they picked the pieces up. The leftovers from the five barley loaves filled twelve baskets.

Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

NoteThese baskets were big ones. People carried them on trips to hold food.

14The people saw the sign that Jesus did. They said, "This really is the Prophet that God promised to send into the world."

Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

NoteA prophet is someone who tells people what God says. Long ago Moses promised that God would send one special Prophet. The people thought Jesus was that one.

20Some Greeks had come to worship at the holiday too.

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

NoteThese Greeks came from other lands. They were not Jewish, but they came to worship Israel's God.

21They came to Philip, one of Jesus' followers. He was from the town of Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."

The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

NoteGalilee was the part of the country where Jesus grew up. Bethsaida was a small fishing town beside a lake there.

22Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip both went and told Jesus.

Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

12Then they walked back to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives. It was close to the city, only a short walk away.

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

NoteThe Mount of Olives is a hill next to Jerusalem. Olive trees grew all over it. The King James calls the walk "a sabbath day's journey." The Sabbath was the day for resting. People were allowed to walk only a short way that day, about half a mile.

13They came into the city and went up to the room upstairs where they were staying. These men were there: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, and Thomas. Also Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

NoteThe room upstairs was on the top floor of a house. People used such rooms for guests and for meals. Simon was called a Zealot. Zealots were people who wanted the Roman soldiers out of their land.

14They all kept praying together, with one heart. The women were with them, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

NoteThe King James says "his brethren." Brethren is an old word for brothers.