The Feeding of the Four Thousand

8:1 In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So1 Jesus2 called his disciples and said to them, 8:2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. 8:3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from a great distance.” 8:4 His disciples answered him, “Where can someone get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 8:5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” 8:6 Then3 he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So4 they served the crowd. 8:7 They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well. 8:8 Everyone5 ate and was satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 8:9 There were about four thousand6 who ate.7 Then he dismissed them.8 8:10 Immediately he got into a boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.9