Luke 9:1–23

COMMISSIONING THE TWELVE

9 Summoning the Twelve,w he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.x 2 Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.y

3 “Take nothing for the road,”z he told them, “no staff,aa no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5 If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”ab 6 So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

HEROD’S DESIRE TO SEE JESUS

7 Herod the tetrarchac heard about everything that was going on.ad He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, 8 some that Elijah had appeared,ae and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen.af 9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see him.ag

FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND

10 When the apostles returned,ah they reported to Jesus all that they had done.ai He took them along and withdrew privately to aC town called Bethsaida.aj 11 When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them,ak spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

12 Late in the day,al the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away,am so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

13 “You give them something to eat,” he told them.

“We have no more than five loavesan and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” 14 (For about five thousand men were there.)

Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit downD in groups of about fifty each.” 15 They did what he said, and had them all sit down. 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,ao he blessed and broke them.ap He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

PETER’S CONFESSION OF THE MESSIAH

18 While he was praying in privateaq and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

19 They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.”A,a

20 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”b

HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION PREDICTED

21 But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one,c 22 saying,d “It is necessary that the Son of Mane suffer many thingsf and be rejectedg by the elders, chief priests, and scribes,h be killed, and be raised the third day.”i

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow afterB me, let him deny himself,j take up his cross daily,C and follow me.k