1 IN those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called together his disciples and said to them,

2 "I have compassion on the crowd because they have already spent three days with me and they have nothing to eat.

3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way. Some of them are from a long way off."

4 His disciples answered, "Where will any one be able to get bread to supply these people here in the uninhabited country?"

5 He asked them, "How many loaves have you?" They said, "Seven."

6 He told the people to recline on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and, after giving thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed to the people.

7 They had also a few small fishes. These he blessed and told the disciples to distribute them.

8 All ate and were satisfied, and they picked up of the fragments that were left over seven basketfuls.

9 There were about four thousand men. Then he dismissed them.

10 At once he got into a boat with the disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

11 The Pharisees came out and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, in order to test him.

12 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? In truth I tell you no sign will be given to this generation."

13 Then he left them and got into the boat again and went away across the lake.

14 They had forgotten to take bread, and except one loaf they had none with them in the boat.

15 Jesus warned them, "Beware, be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."

16 They began to talk among themselves about their lack of bread.

17 He perceived it, and said to them, "Why are you talking about your lack of bread? Do you not yet know or understand? Have you dull minds?

18 You have eyes; can you not see? You have ears; can you not hear? Do you not remember

19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of fragments you picked up?" They said, "Twelve."

20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand how many basketfuls of fragments you picked up?" They said, "Seven."

21 He said, "Do you not understand even yet?"

22 They came to Bethsaida. There some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.

23 Taking hold of the blind man's hand, he led him out of the village. Then, after spitting in his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"

24 He looked up and said, "I see the people; I see them like trees, walking around."

25 Again Jesus put his hand on his eyes, and he looked and was restored and saw everything clearly.

26 Then Jesus sent him away home, saying, "Do not go into the village."

27 Jesus went away with his disciples to the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the road he asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?"

28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; others say one of the prophets."

29 He asked them, "But you, who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."

30 He gave them strict orders not to tell any one about him.

31 Then he began and taught them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders and the high priests and the scribes, and to be put to death, and after three days to rise again.

32 He spoke about this frankly. But Peter took him and began to reprove him.

33 He turned and looked at his disciples and reproved Peter with the words, "Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God's thoughts, but men's thoughts."

34 Then he called the crowd along with his disciples and said to them, "If any one wishes to come after me, let him disown himself and take up his cross and follow me.

35 Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of the good news will save it.

36 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

37 For what could a man give to buy back his soul?

38 Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy angels."