Mark 8
A Blind Man Who Saw Men Like Trees
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The Feeding of the Four Thousand
8:1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, He called the disciples to Him and said to them,
8:2“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already remained with Me for three days and have nothing to eat.
8:3If I send them home fasting, they will collapse on the way; and some of them have come from far away.”
8:4His disciples answered Him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy these people here in a wilderness?”
8:5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”
8:6He instructed the crowd to recline on the ground. Taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks, broke them, and kept giving them to His disciples to set before the people; they set them before the crowd.
8:7They also had a few small fish. He blessed them and said to set these before them as well.
8:8They ate and were satisfied. They took up seven hampers of leftover pieces.
8:9There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them.
8:10Immediately He boarded the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees Seek a Sign
8:11The Pharisees came out and began disputing with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him.
8:12He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
8:13Leaving them, He boarded again and went away to the other side.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod
8:14They had forgotten to take bread, and had only one loaf with them in the boat.
8:15He warned them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
8:16They reasoned with one another that they had no bread.
8:17Aware of this, He said to them, “Why are you reasoning that you have no bread? Do you not yet grasp or understand? Is your heart hardened?
8:18Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember,
8:19when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces you took up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
8:20“And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many hampers full of pieces did you take up?” They said to Him, “Seven.”
8:21He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
The Blind Man at Bethsaida
8:22They came to Bethsaida. People brought Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him.
8:23Taking the blind man by the hand, He led him out of the village. He spat into his eyes, laid His hands on him, and asked him, “Do you see anything?”
8:24He looked up and said, “I see people, for I see them like trees, walking.”
8:25Then He laid His hands on his eyes again. The man saw clearly and was restored, and could see everything distinctly.
8:26He sent him home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
Peter’s Confession
8:27Jesus and His disciples went out to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?”
8:28They answered Him, saying, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
8:29He asked them, “But you—who do you say that I am?” Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ.”
8:30He strictly warned them to tell no one about Him.
The Son of Man Must Suffer
8:31He began teaching them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, be killed, and rise after three days.
8:32He spoke this word openly. Peter took Him aside and began rebuking Him.
8:33But He turned, saw His disciples, and rebuked Peter, saying, “Go behind Me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on God’s things, but on human things.”
Taking Up the Cross
8:34Calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, “If anyone wants to come behind Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.
8:35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the good news will save it.
8:36For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
8:37For what can a person give in exchange for his life?
8:38Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.