Bible Reading Plan

Matthew 14

Chapter 14

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹ At that time^(a) Herod the tetrarch^(b) heard the report about Jesus. ² "This is John the Baptist!" he told his servants. "He has been raised from the dead, and that's why supernatural powers are at work in him."^(c)

³ For Herod had arrested John, chained^[a] him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,^{(d) 4} since John had been telling him, "It's not lawful^(e) for you to have her!" ⁵ Though he wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd, since they regarded him as a prophet.^(f)

⁶ But when Herod's birthday celebration came, Herodias's daughter danced before them^[b] and pleased Herod. ⁷ So he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. ⁸ And prompted by her mother, she answered, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter!" ⁹ Although the king regretted it, he commanded that it be granted because of his oaths and his guests. ¹⁰ So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹² Then his disciples came, removed the corpse,^[c] buried it, and went and reported to Jesus.

Feeding 5,000

¹³ When Jesus heard about it,^(g) He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ As He stepped ashore,^[d] He saw a huge crowd, felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.^(h)

¹⁵ When evening came, the disciples⁽ⁱ⁾ approached Him and said, "This place is a wilderness, and it is already late.^[e] Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

¹⁶ "They don't need to go away," Jesus told them. "You give them something to eat."

¹⁷ "But we only have five loaves and two fish here," they said to Him.

¹⁸ "Bring them here to Me," He said. ¹⁹ Then He commanded the crowds to sit down^[f] on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.^{(j) 20} Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces!^{(k) 21} Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

Walking on the Water

²² Immediately^(l) He^[g] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. ²³ After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.^{(m) 24} But the boat was already over a mile^[h] from land,^[i] battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. ²⁵ Around three in the morning,^[j] He came toward them walking on the sea.^{(n) 26} When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ Immediately Jesus spoke to them. "Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." ^(o)

²⁸ "Lord, if it's You," Peter answered Him, "command me to come to You on the water."

²⁹ "Come!" He said.

And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strength of the wind,^[k] he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" ^{(p) 32} When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, "Truly You are the Son of God!"^(q)

Miraculous Healings

³⁴ Once they crossed over,^(r) they came to land at Gennesaret.^{(s) 35} When the men of that place recognized Him, they alerted^[l] the whole vicinity and brought to Him all who were sick. ³⁶ They were begging Him that they might only touch the tassel on His robe. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.^(t)

Mark 6

Chapter 6

Rejection at Nazareth

¹ He^(a) went away from there and came to His hometown,^(b) and His disciples^(c) followed Him. ² When the Sabbath^(d) came, He began to teach^(e) in the synagogue,^(f) and many who heard Him were astonished. "Where did this man get these things?" they said. "What is this wisdom^(g) given to Him, and how are these miracles^(h) performed by His hands? ³ Isn't this the carpenter,⁽ⁱ⁾ the son of Mary,^(j) and the brother of James,^(k) Joses, Judas,^(l) and Simon? And aren't His sisters here with us?" So they were offended^(m) by Him.

⁴ Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet⁽ⁿ⁾ is not without honor^(o) except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household." ⁵ So He was not able to do any miracles^[a](p) there, except that He laid His hands on^(q) a few sick^(r) people and healed^(s) them. ⁶ And He was amazed^(t) at their unbelief.^(u)

Commissioning the Twelve

Now He was going around the villages in a circuit, teaching.^{(v) 7} He^(w) summoned^(x) the Twelve^(y) and began to send^(z) them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean^(aa) spirits.^{(ab) 8} He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a walking stick: no bread, no traveling bag,^(ac) no money in their belts. ⁹ They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt.^{(ad) 10} Then He said to them, "Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹ If any place does not welcome^(ae) you and people refuse to listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet^(af) as a testimony^(ag) against them." ^[b]

¹² So they went out and preached^(ah) that people should repent.^{(ai) 13} And they were driving out many demons,^(aj) anointing^(ak) many sick^(al) people with olive oil,^(am) and healing them.^(an)

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹⁴ King^(ao) Herod^(ap) heard of this, because Jesus' name^(aq) had become well known. Some^[c] said, "John the Baptist^(ar) has been raised from the dead,^(as) and that's why supernatural powers^(at) are at work^(au) in him." ¹⁵ But others said, "He's Elijah."^(av) Still others said, "He's a prophet^[d]—like one of the prophets."^(aw)

¹⁶ When Herod^(ax) heard of it, he said, "John,^(ay) the one I beheaded, has been raised!"^{(az) 17} For^(ba) Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain^(bb) him in prison on account of Herodias,^(bc) his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married.^{(bd) 18} John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful^(be) for you to have your brother's wife!"^{(bf) 19} So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill^(bg) him. But she could not, ²⁰ because Herod was in awe^(bh) of^[e] John and was protecting him, knowing he was a righteous^(bi) and holy^(bj) man. When Herod heard him he would be very disturbed,^[f](bk) yet would hear him gladly.^(bl)

²¹ Now an opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet^(bm) for his nobles,^(bn) military commanders,^(bo) and the leading men of Galilee.^{(bp) 22} When Herodias's own daughter^[g] came in and danced,^(bq) she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I'll give it to you." ²³ So he swore^(br) oaths^(bs) to her: "Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom."^(bt)

²⁴ Then she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?"

"John the Baptist's^(bu) head!" she said.

²⁵ Immediately she hurried to the king and said, "I want you to give me John the Baptist's^(bv) head on a platter^(bw)—right now!"

²⁶ Though the king was deeply distressed,^(bx) because of his oaths^(by) and the guests^[h] he did not want to refuse^(bz) her. ²⁷ The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John's head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples^[i](ca) heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.^(cb)

Feeding 5,000

³⁰ The^(cc) apostles^(cd) gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while." For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³² So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, ³³ but many saw them leaving and recognized them. People ran there by land from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.^{[j] 34} So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion^(ce) on them, because they were like sheep^(cf) without a shepherd. Then He began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When it was already late, His disciples^(cg) approached Him and said, "This place is a wilderness,^(ch) and it is already late! ³⁶ Send them away, so they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat."

³⁷ "You give them something to eat," He responded.

They said to Him, "Should we go and buy 200 denarii^(ci) worth of bread and give them something to eat?"

³⁸ And He asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go look."

When they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."

³⁹ Then He instructed them to have all the people sit down^[k] in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² Everyone ate and was filled.^{(cj) 43} Then they picked up 12 baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who ate the loaves were 5,000 men.

Walking on the Water

⁴⁵ Immediately^(ck) He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida,^(cl) while He dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain^(cm) to pray.^{(cn) 47} When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ He saw them being battered^(co) as they rowed,^[l] because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning^[m] He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹ When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost^(cp) and cried out; ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were terrified.^(cq) Immediately He spoke with them and said, "Have courage!^(cr) It is I.^(cs) Don't be afraid." ^{(ct) 51} Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded,^{[n] 52} because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.^(cu)

Miraculous Healings

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret^(cv) and beached the boat. ⁵⁴ As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Him. ⁵⁵ They hurried throughout that vicinity and began to carry the sick^(cw) on mats to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ Wherever He would go, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him that they might touch just the tassel^(cx) of His robe.^(cy) And everyone who touched it was made well.

Luke 9:1-17