Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.
31
And he said to them,
"Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and
1they had no leisure even to eat.
32
2And they went away in
3the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
33
Now many saw them going and
4recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34
When he went ashore he
5saw a great crowd, and
6he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
35
And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.
36
7Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37
But he answered them,
8"You give them something to eat." And
9they said to him,
10"Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"
38
And he said to them,
"How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said,
11"Five, and two fish."
39
Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.
40
So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
41
And taking the five loaves and the two fish he
12looked up to heaven and
13said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all.
42
And they all ate and were satisfied.
43
And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.
44
And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.