1
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them,
2
"I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.
3
If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance."
4
His disciples replied, "How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?"
5
He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."
6
Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd.
7
They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed.
8
They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
9
Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.
10
And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.