‏ Mark 8

1In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him, and said to them, 2"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come a long distance." 4And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert?" 5And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." 6So he commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, he commanded that these also should be set before them. 8They ate, and were satisfied; and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 9About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away,

10he immediately got into the boat with his disciples, and went to the region of Dalmanutha. 11The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. 12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." 13And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side. 14Now the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he cautioned them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16And they discussed it with one another, saying, "It is because we have no bread." 17Being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." 20"And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of pieces did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." 21He said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

22And they came to Bethsaida; and some people brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. 23So he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands on him, he asked him "Do you see anything?" 24And he looked up and said, "I see men; but they look like trees, walking." 25Then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored, and saw everything clearly. 26And he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even go into the village."

27And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" 28They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." 30And he charged them to tell no one about him. 31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 34And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."