FEEDING FOUR THOUSAND

8 Inv those days there was again a large crowd, and they had nothing to eat. He calledw the disciplesx and said to them, 2 “I have compassiony on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way,z and some of them have come a long distance.”

4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feedaa these people?”

5 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked them.

“Seven,” they said. 6 He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, brokeab them, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people. So they served them to the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish, and after he had blessed them, he said these were to be served as well. 8 They ate and were satisfied. Then they collected seven large baskets of leftover pieces. 9 About four thousand were there. He dismissed them.