1 Tendo Jesus saído dali, foi para a sua terra, e seus discípulos acompanharam-no.2 Chegando o sábado, começou a ensinar na sinagoga; e muitos, ao ouvi-lo, se admiravam, dizendo: Donde lhe vêm estas coisas, e que sabedoria é esta que lhe é dada? que significam tais milagres operados pela sua mão?3 Não é este o carpinteiro, filho de Maria, irmão de Tiago, de José, de Judas e de Simão? e suas irmãs não estão aqui entre nós? Ele lhes servia de pedra de tropeço.4 Jesus lhes disse: um profeta não deixa de receber honra senão na sua terra, entre os seus parentes e na sua casa.5 Não podia fazer ali nenhum milagre, a não ser que pôs as mãos sobre alguns enfermos e os curou,6 e admirou-se por causa da incredulidade do povo. Ele andava pelas aldeias circunvizinhas ensinando.7 Jesus chamou os doze e começou a enviá-los dois a dois, e deu-lhes autoridade sobre os espíritos imundos;8 ordenou-lhes que nada levassem para o caminho, exceto bordão; nem pão, nem alforge, nem dinheiro na bolsa;9 mas que fossem calçados de sandálias, e que não vestissem duas túnicas.10 Disse mais: Em qualquer casa onde entrardes, hospedai-vos aí até que vos retireis.11 Se algum lugar não vos receber, nem os homens vos ouvirem, saindo dali, sacudi o pó dos vossos pés em testemunho contra eles.12 Eles saindo, pregaram ao povo que se arrependesse;13 expeliam muitos demônios, ungiam com óleo a muitos enfermos e os curavam.14 O rei Herodes soube disto (porque o nome de Jesus já se tornara conhecido), e alguns diziam: É João Batista que tem ressuscitado dentre os mortos, por isso virtudes sobrenaturais nele operam.15 Outros diziam: É Elias; outros ainda: É profeta como um dos profetas.16 Mas Herodes, ouvindo isto, dizia: É João, a quem eu mandei degolar, e que ressurgiu.17 Pois o próprio Herodes mandara prender a João e acorrentá-lo no cárcere por causa de Herodias, mulher de seu irmão Filipe (Herodes se havia casado com ela);18 porque João lhe dizia: Não te é lícito ter a mulher de teu irmão.19 Herodias o odiava e queria matá-lo, mas não podia;20 porque Herodes temia a João, sabendo que era homem reto e santo, e o retinha em segurança. Ao ouvi-lo, ficava muito perplexo, e o escutava de boa vontade.21 Oferecendo-se uma ocasião favorável, quando Herodes no seu aniversário natalício deu um banquete aos seus dignitários, aos oficiais militares e aos principais da Galiléia,22 a filha da própria Herodias, tendo entrado, dançou e agradou a Herodes e aos seus convivas. O rei disse à moça: Pede-me o que quiseres, e eu to darei;23 e jurou-lhe: Se me pedires ainda mesmo a metade do meu reino, eu ta darei.24 Ela saiu e perguntou a sua mãe: Que pedirei? Esta respondeu: A cabeça de João Batista.25 No mesmo instante voltando apressadamente para o rei, disse: Quero que sem demora me dês num prato a cabeça de João Batista.26 O rei, embora muito triste, contudo por causa do juramento e também dos convivas não lha quis recusar.27 Imediatamente o rei enviou um soldado da sua guarda com a ordem de trazer a cabeça de João. O soldado foi degolá-lo no cárcere,28 trouxe a cabeça num prato e a deu à moça; e a moça a deu a sua mãe.29 Sabendo disto, vieram os seus discípulos, levaram-lhe o corpo e depositaram-no em um túmulo.30 Reunindo-se os apóstolos com Jesus, contaram-lhe tudo quanto haviam feito e ensinado.31 Ele lhes disse: Vinde a um lugar solitário, à parte, e descansai um pouco. Pois eram muitos os que vinham e iam, e nem tinham tempo para comer.32 Então foram sós na barca a um lugar deserto.33 Muitos os viram partir, e os reconheceram; correram para lá, a pé, de todas as cidades, e ali chegaram primeiro do que eles.34 Ao desembarcar, viu Jesus uma grande multidão de homens e compadeceu-se deles, porque eram como ovelhas sem pastor; e começou a ensinar-lhes muitas coisas.35 Como a hora fosse já adiantada, chegaram-se a ele seus discípulos, dizendo: Este lugar é deserto, e já é muito tarde;36 despede-os, para que vão aos sítios e às aldeias circunvizinhas comprar para si alguma comida.37 Mas Jesus disse: Dai-lhes vós de comer. Deveremos, disseram eles, ir comprar duzentos denários de pão e dar-lhes de comer?38 Ele lhes perguntou: Quantos pães tendes? ide ver. Depois de se terem informado, responderam: Cinco pães e dois peixes.39 Então mandou aos discípulos que a todos fizessem sentar em grupos sobre a relva verde.40 Sentaram-se em turmas de cem e de cinqüenta.41 Ele tomou os cinco pães e os dois peixes e, erguendo os olhos ao céu, deu graças e, partindo os pães, entregou-os aos discípulos para eles distribuírem; e repartiu por todos os dois peixes.42 Todos comeram e se fartaram;43 e recolheram doze cestos cheios de pedaços de pão e de peixe.44 Os que comeram os pães, foram cinco mil.45 Em seguida obrigou os seus discípulos a embarcar e passar adiante para o outro lado, a Betsaida, enquanto ele despedia a multidão.46 Depois de se haver despedido do povo, foi ao monte para orar.47 À tardinha achava-se a barca no meio do mar, e ele sozinho em terra.48 Vendo-os embaraçados em remar (porque o vento lhes era contrário), pela quarta vigília da noite foi ter com eles, andando sobre o mar; e queria passar-lhes adiante.49 Porém eles, vendo-o andar sobre o mar, pensaram que era um fantasma, e gritaram;50 porque todos o viram e se perturbaram. Mas no mesmo instante falando com eles, disse: Tende ânimo, sou eu; não temais.51 Entrou na barca para ir ter com eles, e cessou o vento. Eles se encheram de grande pasmo,52 porque não haviam compreendido o milagre dos pães, ao contrário o seu coração estava endurecido.53 Depois de feita a travessia, chegaram à terra de Genesaré, e ali atracaram.54 Quando desembarcaram, o povo logo reconheceu a Jesus e,55 correndo por toda aquela região, começaram a trazer nos leitos os que se achavam doentes, para onde ouviam dizer que ele estava.56 Onde quer que ele entrava, fosse nas aldeias, ou nas cidades, ou nos campos, punham os doentes nas praças, e lhe rogavam que os deixasse tocar ao menos na fímbria da sua capa; e todos os que nela tocaram, ficavam sãos.

1 Jesus left that place and went back to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were utterly amazed. They said, "Where did this man get all these things? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What great miracles are being done by his hands!3 This is the builder, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, isn't it? His sisters are here with us, aren't they?" And they were offended by him.4 Jesus was telling them,"A prophet is without honor only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own home."5 He couldn't perform a miracle there except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.6 He was utterly amazed at their unbelief. Then he went around to the villages and continued teaching.7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.8 He instructed them to take nothing along on the trip except a walking stick—no bread, no traveling bag, nothing in their moneybag.9 They could wear sandals but not take along an extra shirt.10 He told them repeatedly,"Whenever you go into a home, stay there until you leave that place.11 If any place will not welcome you and thepeoplerefuse to listen to you, when you leave, shake its dust off your feet as a testimony against them."12 So they went and preached that people should repent.13 They also kept driving out many demons and pouring oil on many who were sick and healing them.14 King Herod heard about this, because Jesus’ name had become well-known. He was saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That's why these miracles are at work in him."15 Others were saying, "He is Elijah." Still others were saying, "He is a prophet like one of the other prophets."16 But when Herod heard about it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!"17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For Herod had married her.18 John had been telling Herod, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."19 So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she couldn't do it20 because Herod was afraid of John. He knew that John was a righteous and holy man, and so he protected him. Whenever he listened to John, he did much of what he said. In fact, he liked listening to him.21 An opportunity came during Herod's birthday celebration, when he gave a banquet for his top officials, military officers, and the most important people of Galilee.22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. So the king told the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you."23 He swore with an oath to her, "I'll give you anything you ask for, up to half of my kingdom."24 So she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?"Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."25 Immediately the girl hurried back to the king with her request, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."26 The king was deeply saddened, yet because of his oaths and his guests he was reluctant to refuse her.27 So without delay the king sent a soldier and ordered him to bring John's head. The soldier went and beheaded him in prison.28 Then he brought John's head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.29 When John's disciples heard about this, they came and carried off his body and laid it in a tomb.30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught.31 He said to them,"Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while." For so many people were coming and going that they didn't even have time to eat.32 So they went away in a boat to a deserted place by themselves.33 But many people saw them leave and recognized them. So they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.34 When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.35 When it was quite late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and it's already late.36 Send the crowds away so that they can go to the neighboring farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat."37 But he answered them,"You give them something to eat."They said to him, "Should we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"38 He asked them,"How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and see."They found out and told him, "Five loaves and two fish."39 Then he ordered them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed them. Then he broke the loaves in pieces and kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.42 All of them ate and were filled.43 Then the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of leftover bread and fish.44 There were 5,000 men who had eaten the loaves.45 Jesus immediately had his disciples get into a boat and cross to Bethsaida ahead of him, while he sent the crowd away.46 After saying goodbye to them, he went up on a hillside to pray.47 When evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the sea, while he was alone on the land.48 He saw that they were straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he came to them, walking on the sea. He intended to go up right beside them,49 but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and began to scream.50 All of them saw him and were terrified. Immediately he said to them,"Have courage! It is I. Stop being afraid!"51 Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped blowing. The disciples were utterly astounded,52 for they didn't understand the significance of the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.53 When they had crossed over, they came ashore at Gennesaret and anchored the boat.54 As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus.55 They ran all over the countryside and began carrying the sick on their cots to any place where they heard he was.56 Wherever he went, whether into villages, towns, or farms, people would place their sick in the marketplaces and beg him to let them touch even the tassel of his garment, and all who touched it were healed.