Font Size
Mark 6
International Children’s Bible
Mark 6
International Children’s Bible
Jesus Goes to His Hometown
6 Jesus left there and went back to his hometown. His followers went with him. 2 On the Sabbath day he taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him and were amazed. They said, “Where did this man get these teachings? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? And where did he get the power to work miracles? 3 He is only the carpenter. His mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us.” The people did not accept Jesus.
4 Jesus said to them, “Other people give honor to a prophet. But in his own town with his own people and in his own home, a prophet does not receive honor.” 5 Jesus was not able to work many miracles there. The only miracles he did were to heal some sick people by putting his hands on them. 6 Jesus was amazed that they had no faith.
Then Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught. 7 He called the 12 followers together and sent them out in groups of 2. He gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 This is what Jesus told them: “Take nothing for your trip except a walking stick. Take no bread, no bag, and no money in your pockets. 9 Wear sandals, and take only the clothes you are wearing. 10 When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any town refuses to accept you or its people refuse to listen to you, then leave that town. Shake its dust off your feet.[a] This will be a warning to them.”[b]
12 The followers went out and preached to the people to change their hearts and lives. 13 The followers forced many demons out and poured olive oil on many sick people and healed them.
How John the Baptist Was Killed
14 King Herod heard about Jesus, because Jesus was now well known. Some people said,[c] “He is John the Baptist. He is risen from death. That is the reason he can work these miracles.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”[d]
Other people said, “Jesus is a prophet. He is like the prophets who lived long ago.”
16 Herod heard all these things about Jesus. He said, “I killed John by cutting off his head. Now he has been raised from death!”
17 Herod himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John, and John was put in prison. Herod did this to please his wife, Herodias. Herodias was the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. But then Herod married her. 18 John told Herod that it was not lawful for him to be married to his brother’s wife. 19 So Herodias hated John and wanted to kill him. But she could not because of Herod. 20 Herod was afraid to kill John because he knew John was a good and holy man. So Herod protected John. Also, Herod enjoyed listening to John preach. But John’s preaching always bothered him.
21 Then the perfect time came for Herodias to cause John’s death. It happened on Herod’s birthday. Herod gave a dinner party for the most important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most important people in Galilee. 22 The daughter of Herodias[e] came to the party and danced. When she danced, Herod and the people eating with him were very pleased.
So King Herod said to the girl, “I will give you anything you want.” 23 He promised her, “Anything you ask for I will give to you. I will even give you half of my kingdom.”
24 The girl went to her mother and asked, “What should I ask the king to give me?”
Her mother answered, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist.”
25 Quickly the girl went back to the king. She said to him, “Please give me the head of John the Baptist. Bring it to me now on a platter.”
26 The king was very sad. But he had promised to give the girl anything she wanted. And the people eating there with him had heard his promise. So Herod could not refuse what she asked. 27 Immediately the king sent a soldier to bring John’s head. The soldier went and cut off John’s head in the prison 28 and brought it back on a platter. He gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 John’s followers heard about what happened. So they came and got John’s body and put it in a tomb.
More Than 5,000 People Fed
30 The apostles that Jesus had sent out to preach returned. They gathered around him and told him about all the things they had done and taught. 31 Crowds of people were coming and going. Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. He said to them, “Come with me. We will go to a quiet place to be alone. There we will get some rest.”
32 So they went in a boat alone to a place where there were no people. 33 But many people saw them leave and recognized them. So people from all the towns ran to the place where Jesus was going. They got there before Jesus arrived. 34 When he landed, he saw a great crowd waiting. Jesus felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.
35 It was now late in the day. Jesus’ followers came to him and said, “No one lives in this place. And it is already very late. 36 Send the people away. They need to go to the farms and towns around here to buy some food to eat.”
37 But Jesus answered, “You give them food to eat.”
They said to him, “We can’t buy enough bread to feed all these people! We would all have to work a month to earn enough money to buy that much bread!”
38 Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have now? Go and see.”
When they found out, they came to him and said, “We have five loaves and two fish.”
39 Then Jesus said to the followers, “Tell all the people to sit in groups on the green grass.” 40 So all the people sat in groups. They sat in groups of 50 or groups of 100. 41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for the bread. He divided the bread and gave it to his followers for them to give to the people. Then he divided the two fish among them all. 42 All the people ate and were satisfied. 43 The followers filled 12 baskets with the pieces of bread and fish that were not eaten. 44 There were about 5,000 men there who ate.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45 Then Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go to Bethsaida on the other side of the lake. Jesus said that he would come later. He stayed there to tell the people they could go home. 46 After sending them away, he went into the hills to pray.
47 That night, the boat was in the middle of the lake. Jesus was alone on the land. 48 He saw the followers working hard to row the boat because the wind was blowing against them. At some time between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. He continued walking until he was almost past the boat. 49 But when his followers saw him walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost and cried out. 50 They all saw him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke to them and said, “Have courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.” 51 Then he got into the boat with them. And the wind became calm. The followers were greatly amazed. 52 They had seen Jesus make more bread from the five loaves. But they did not understand what it meant. Their minds were closed.
53 When they had crossed the lake, they came to shore at Gennesaret. They tied the boat there. 54 When they got out of the boat, the people saw Jesus and immediately recognized him. 55 They ran to tell others everywhere in that area that Jesus was there. They brought sick people on mats to every place Jesus went. 56 Jesus went into towns and cities and farms around that area. And everywhere he went, the people brought the sick to the marketplaces. They begged him to let them just touch the edge of his coat. And all who touched him were healed.
Footnotes
- 6:11 Shake . . . feet. A warning. It showed that they were finished talking to these people.
- 6:11 them Some Greek copies continue, “I tell you the truth, on the Judgment Day it will be better for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the people of that town.” See Matthew 10:15.
- 6:14 Some people said Some Greek copies read “He said.”
- 6:15 Elijah A man who spoke for God. He lived hundreds of years before Christ.
- 6:22 The . . . Herodias Some Greek copies read “His daughter Herodias.”
Mark 6
New International Version
Mark 6
New International Version
A Prophet Without Honor(A)
6 Jesus left there and went to his hometown,(B) accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came,(C) he began to teach in the synagogue,(D) and many who heard him were amazed.(E)
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,[a] Judas and Simon?(F) Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.(G)
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”(H) 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on(I) a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(J)
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.(K) 7 Calling the Twelve to him,(L) he began to send them out two by two(M) and gave them authority over impure spirits.(N)
8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet(O) as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent.(P) 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil(Q) and healed them.
John the Baptist Beheaded(R)(S)
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[b] “John the Baptist(T) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”(U)
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,(V) like one of the prophets of long ago.”(W)
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.(X) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(Y) 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.(Z) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[c]; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet(AA) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.(AB) 22 When the daughter of[d] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”(AC)
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(AD)(AE)
30 The apostles(AF) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.(AG) 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,(AH) he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat(AI) to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.(AJ) So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”(AK)
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages[e]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”(AL)
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.(AM) Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
Jesus Walks on the Water(AN)(AO)
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat(AP) and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,(AQ) while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.(AR)
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.(AS) They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(AT) 51 Then he climbed into the boat(AU) with them, and the wind died down.(AV) They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.(AW)
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.(AX) 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,(AY) and all who touched it were healed.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.