Mark 7:24–8:13

A GENTILE MOTHER’S FAITH

24 He got up and departed fromba there to the region of Tyre.C,bb He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Instead, immediately after hearing about him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirita came and fell at his feet.b 26 The woman was a Gentile,D,c a Syrophoenician by birth, and she was asking him to cast the demond out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”e

28 But she replied to him, “Lord,f even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then he told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 30 When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

JESUS DOES EVERYTHING WELL

31 Again, leaving the region of Tyre,g he went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,h throughE the region of the Decapolis.i 32 They brought to him a deafj man who had difficulty speakingk and begged Jesus to lay his hand onl him. 33 So he took him away from the crowd in private. After putting his fingers in the man’s ears and spitting,m he touched his tongue. 34 Looking up to heaven,n he sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!”F (that is, “Be opened!”). 35 Immediately his ears were opened,o his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.p 36 He ordered them to tell no one,q but the more he ordered them, the more they proclaimed it.r

37 They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well.s He even makes the deaft hear and the mute speak.”u

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

THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND HEROD

11 Theac Phariseesad came and began to argue with him, demanding of him a signae from heavenaf to testag him. 12 Sighing deeply in his spirit,ah he said, “Why does this generationai demand a sign? Truly I tell you,aj no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.