Feeding 5,000

¹³ When Jesus heard about it,^(A) He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ As He stepped ashore,^[a] He saw a huge crowd, felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.^(B)

¹⁵ When evening came, the disciples^(C) approached Him and said, “This place is a wilderness, and it is already late.^[b] Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

¹⁶ “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to Him.

¹⁸ “Bring them here to Me,” He said. ¹⁹ Then He commanded the crowds to sit down^[c] on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.^{(D) 20} Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces!^{(E) 21} Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

Feeding 5,000

¹⁰ When the apostles returned,^(A) they reported to Jesus all that they had done.^(B) He took them along and withdrew privately to a^[a] town called Bethsaida.^{(C) 11} When the crowds found out, they followed Him. He welcomed them,^(D) spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured^[b] those who needed healing.

¹² Late in the day,^[c](E) the Twelve approached and said to Him, “Send the crowd away,^(F) so 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 loaves^(G) and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ (For about 5,000 men were there.)

Then He told His disciples, “Have them sit down^[d] in groups of about 50 each.” ¹⁵ They did so, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,^(H) He blessed and broke them.^(I) He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up^[e] 12 baskets of leftover pieces.

The Fourth Sign: Feeding 5,000

6 After^(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee^(B) (or Tiberias^(C)). ² And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick. ³ So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. ⁵ Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him,^(D) He asked Philip,^(E) “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” ⁶ He asked this to test him,^(F) for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii^(G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew,^(H) Simon^(I) Peter’s^(J) brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.^{(K) 11} Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.^(L)

¹² When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”^{(M) 13} So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign^[a] He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet^(N) who was to come^(O) into the world!”^{(P) 15} Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,^(Q) He withdrew again^[b] to the mountain by Himself.