39
Then Jesus told his followers to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.
40
So they sat in groups of fifty or a hundred.
41
Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and, looking up to heaven, he thanked God for the food. 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 twelve baskets with the leftover pieces of bread and fish.
44
There were five thousand men who ate.
45
Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida across the lake. He stayed there to send the people 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, and Jesus was alone on the land.
48
He saw his followers struggling hard to row the boat, because the wind was blowing against them. Between three and six o'clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water, and he wanted to walk past the boat.
49
But when they saw him walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost and cried out.