Read the Bible

¹ He went out from there. He came into his own country, and his talmidim followed him. ² When the Shabbat had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands? ³ Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Miryam, and brother of Ya`akov, Yosi, Yehudah, and Shim`on? Aren't his sisters here with us?" They were offended by him. ⁴ Yeshua said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house." ⁵ He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and healed them. ⁶ He marveled because of their unbelief. He went around the villages teaching.

⁷ He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He charged them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, ⁹ but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. ¹⁰ He said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. ¹¹ Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sedom and `Amorah in the day of judgment than for that city!" ¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.

¹⁴ King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "Yochanan the immerser has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers work in him." ¹⁵ But others said, "It is Eliyah." Others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets." ¹⁶ But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is Yochanan, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead." ¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent out and arrested Yochanan, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Pilipos's wife, for he had married her. ¹⁸ For Yochanan said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn't, ²⁰ for Herod feared Yochanan, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly. ²¹ When a convenient day had come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of the Galil; ²² and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those reclining with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." ²³ He swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom." ²⁴ She went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" She said, "The head of Yochanan the immerser." ²⁵ She came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of Yochanan the immerser on a platter." ²⁶ The king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he didn't wish to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent forth a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring Yochanan's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his talmidim heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

³⁰ The apostles gathered themselves together to Yeshua, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught. ³¹ He said to them, "You come apart into a desert place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. ³² They went away in the boat to a desert place by themselves. ³³ They saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him. ³⁴ Yeshua came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. ³⁵ When it was late in the day, his talmidim came to him, and said, "This place is a desert, and it is late in the day. ³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat." ³⁷ But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?" ³⁸ He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see." When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish." ³⁹ He commanded those that all should sit down by companies on the green grass. ⁴⁰ They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his talmidim to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate, and were filled. ⁴³ They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish. ⁴⁴ Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

⁴⁵ Immediately he made his talmidim enter into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Beit-Tzaidah, while he himself sent the multitude away. ⁴⁶ After he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ When evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them; and about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them, ⁴⁹ but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, "Cheer up! It is I! Don't be afraid." ⁵¹ He went up to them into the boat; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves, and marveled; ⁵² for they hadn't understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. ⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Ginosar, and moored to the shore. ⁵⁴ When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, ⁵⁵ and ran around that whole region, and began to carry around those who were sick, on their mats, to where they heard he was. ⁵⁶ Wherever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the tzitzit of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.