Mark 6:6b–8:21

7 And he summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 And he commanded them that they take along nothing for the journey except only a staff—no bread, no traveler’s bag, no money in theirb belts—9 but to put on sandals and not to wear two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, as you* go out from there, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 And they went out and* proclaimed that people* should repent. 13 And they were expelling many demons and anointing many sick people with olive oil and healing them.*

Herod Kills John the Baptist

14 And King Herod heard it,* because his name had become known. And they were saying, “John, the one who baptizes, has been raised from the dead, and because of this these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and others were saying, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets.” 16 But when* Herod heard it,* he said, “John whom I beheaded—this one has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and* arrested John and bound him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not permitted for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias held a grudge against him and was wanting to kill him, and was not able to do so. 20 For Herod was afraid of John, because he* knew him to be a righteous and holy man and protected him. And when he* listened to him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he listened to him gladly. 21 And a suitable day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and military tribunes and the most prominent men of Galilee. 22 And whenc the daughter of Herodias herselfd came in and danced and pleasede Herod and ⌊his dinner guests⌋,f the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it* to you.” 23 And he swore to her,g “Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” 24 And she went out and* said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and* asked, saying, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 And although he* was deeply grieved, the king, because of hish oaths and ⌊dinner guests⌋,i did not want to refuse her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner and* ordered him* to bring his head. And he went and* beheaded him in the prison. 28 And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 And when* his disciples heard this,* they came and took away his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

The Feeding of Five Thousand

30 And the apostles regathered to Jesus and reported to him everything that they had done and that they had taught. 31 And he said to them, “You yourselves come privately to an isolated place and rest for a short time.” For those who were coming and going were many, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to an isolated place by themselves. 33 And many people saw them leaving and recognized them,* and ran there together by land from all the towns, and arrived ahead of them. 34 And getting out of the boat* he saw the large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep ⌊without⌋j a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. 35 And the hour had already become late when* his disciples came up to him, saying, “The place is desolate and the hour is already late. 36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding farms and villages and* purchase something to eat for themselves.” 37 But he answered and* said to them, “You give them something* to eat.” And they said to him, “Should we go and* purchase bread for two hundred denarii and give it* to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” And when they* found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 And he ordered them all to recline in groups on the green grass. 40 And they reclined in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish and* looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves and gave them* to his disciples so that they could set them* before them. And he distributed the two fish to them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they picked up the broken pieces, twelve baskets full, and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he* had said farewell to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. 47 And when* evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw them being beaten in their rowingk because the wind was against them. Around the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he was wanting to pass by them. 49 But when* they saw him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out. 50 For they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke with them and said to them, “Have courage, I am he! Do not be afraid!” 51 And he went up with them into the boat, and the wind abated. And ⌊they were extraordinarily⌋l astounded within themselves, 52 because they did not understand concerning the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Many Healed at Gennesaret

53 And after they* had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And as they were getting out of the boat, people* recognized him immediately. 55 They ran about through that whole region and began to carry around those ⌊who were sick⌋m on stretchers, wherever they heard that he was. 56 And wherever he would go, into villages or into towns or to farms, they would put those who were sick in the marketplaces and would implore him that if they could touch even the edge of his cloak. And all those who touched it were healed.

Human Traditions and God’s Commandments

7 And the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to him. 2 And they saw that some of his disciples were eating theira bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ⌊ritually⌋,b thus* holding fast to the traditions of the elders. 4 And when they comec from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions* which they have received and* hold fast to—for example,d the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)e 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat theirf bread with unclean hands?” 6 So he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with theirg lips,

but their heart is far, far away from me.

7 And they worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’h

8 Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keepi your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’j and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother ⌊must certainly die⌋k.’l 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to hism father or to hisn mother, “Whatever ⌊benefit you would have received⌋o from me is corban”p (that is, a gift to God), 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for hisq father or hisr mother, 13 thus* making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this.”

Defilement from Within

14 And summoning the crowd again, he said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside of a person that is able to defile him by* going into him. But the things that go out of a person are the things that defile a person.”s 17 And when he entered into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him? 19 For it does not enter into his heart but into hist stomach, and goes out into the latrine”—thus* declaring all foods clean. 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person, that defiles a person. 21 For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, ⌊envy⌋,u abusive speech, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

A Syrophoenician Woman’s Great Faith

24 And from there he set out and* went to the region of Tyre. And when he* entered into a house, he wanted no one to know, and yet he was not able to escape notice. 25 But immediately a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, when she* heard about him, came and* fell down at his feet, 26 Now the woman was a Greek—a Syrophoenician by nationality—and she was asking him that he would expel the demon from her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it* to the dogs!” 28 But she answered and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she* went to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.

A Man Deaf and Unable to Speak Healed

31 And again he went away from …