11
But the immense crowd, aware of this, followed Him; and receiving them kindly He proceeded to speak to them of the Kingdom of God, and those who needed to be restored to health, He cured.
12
Now when the day began to decline, the Twelve came to Him and said, "Send the people away, that they may go to the villages and farms round about and find lodging and a supply of food; because here we are in an uninhabited district."
13
"You yourselves," He said, "must give them food." "We have nothing," they replied, "but five loaves and a couple of fish, unless indeed we were to go and buy provisions for all this host of people."
14
(For there were about 5,000 adult men.) But He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in parties of about fifty each."
15
They did so, making them all, without exception, sit down.
16
Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven He blessed them and broke them into portions which He gave to the disciples to distribute to the people.
17
So they ate and were fully satisfied, all of them; and what they had remaining over was gathered up, twelve baskets of fragments.
18
One day when He was praying by Himself the disciples were present; and He asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?"
19
"John the Baptist," they replied; "but others say Elijah; and others that some one of the ancient Prophets has come back to life."
20
"But you," He asked, "who do you say that I am?" "God's Anointed One," replied Peter.
21
And Jesus strictly forbad them to tell this to any one;