¹In those days , when there was a very great multitude , and they had nothing to eat , Jesus called his disciples to himself and said to them ,

²“ I have compassion on the multitude , because they have stayed with me now three days and have nothing to eat .

³If I send them away fasting to their home , they will faint on the way , for some of them have come a long way .”

⁴His disciples answered him , “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place ?”

⁵He asked them , “ How many loaves do you have ?”

They said , “Seven .”

⁶He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground , and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks , he broke them and gave them to his disciples to serve , and they served the multitude .

⁷They also had a few small fish . Having blessed them , he said to serve these also .

⁸They ate and were filled . They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over .

⁹Those who had eaten were about four thousand . Then he sent them away.

¹⁰Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha .

¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to question him , seeking from him a sign from heaven and testing him .

¹²He sighed deeply in his spirit and said , “ Why does this generation seek a sign ? Most certainly I tell you , no sign will be given to this generation .”[#8:12 The word translated “generation” here (genea) could also be translated “people”, “race”, or “family”.]

¹³He left them , and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side .

¹⁴They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them .

¹⁵He warned them , saying , “ Take heed : beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod .”

¹⁶They reasoned with one another, saying , “It ’s because we have no bread.”

¹⁷Jesus , perceiving it , said to them , “ Why do you reason that it ’ s because you have no bread? Don’ t you perceive yet or understand ? Is your heart still hardened ?

¹⁸Having eyes , don’t you see? Having ears , don’t you hear? Don’t you remember ?

¹⁹When I broke the five loaves amongst the five thousand , how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up ?”

They told him , “Twelve .”

²⁰“ When the seven loaves fed the four thousand , how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up ?”

They told him , “Seven .”

²¹He asked them , “Don’t you understand yet ?”

²²He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him .

²³He took hold of the blind man by the hand , and brought him out of the village . When he had spat on his eyes , and laid his hands on him , he asked him if he saw anything .

²⁴He looked up , and said , “I see men , but I see them like walking trees .”

²⁵Then again he laid his hands on his eyes . He looked intently , and was restored, and saw everyone clearly .

²⁶He sent him away to his house , saying , “Don’ t enter into the village , nor tell anyone in the village .”

²⁷Jesus went out , with his disciples , into the villages of Caesarea Philippi . On the way he asked his disciples , “ Who do men say that I am ?”

²⁸They told him , “John the Baptiser, and others say Elijah , but others , one of the prophets .”

²⁹He said to them , “ But who do you say that I am ?”

Peter answered , “You are the Christ .”

³⁰He commanded them that they should tell no one about him .

³¹He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things , and be rejected by the elders , the chief priests, and the scribes , and be killed, and after three days rise again .

³²He spoke to them openly . Peter took him and began to rebuke him .

³³But he , turning around and seeing his disciples , rebuked Peter , and said , “ Get behind me , Satan ! For you have in mind not the things of God , but the things of men .”

³⁴He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them , “ Whoever wants to come after me , let him deny himself , and take up his cross , and follow me .

³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it ; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it .

³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life ?

³⁷For what will a man give in exchange for his life ?

³⁸For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation , the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father ’s glory with the holy angels.”