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They departed and went through the villages proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
Herod’s confusion
7 Herod the ruler heard about everything that was happening. He was confused because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead,
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others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.
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Herod said, "I beheaded John, so now who am I hearing about?" Herod wanted to see him.
Jesus feeds the five thousand
10 When the apostles returned, they described for Jesus what they had done. Taking them with him, Jesus withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida.
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When the crowds figured it out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about God's kingdom, and healed those who were sick.
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When the day was almost over, the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so that they can go to the nearby villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in a deserted place."
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He replied, "
You give them something to eat." But they said, "We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people."
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(They said this because about five thousand men were present.) Jesus said to his disciples, "
Seat them in groups of about fifty."