Mark 6 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Jesus left there and went back to his home town. His followers went with him.

² On the Sabbath day {\cf2\super [60]} Jesus taught in the synagogue. {\cf2\super [61]} Many people heard him teach and were amazed. These people said, “Where did this man get this teaching? How did he get this wisdom? Who gave it to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles {\cf2\super [62]} ? \{Surely, not from God!\}

³ He is only the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us.” The people did not accept Jesus.

⁴ Jesus said to the people, “Other people give honor to a prophet. {\cf2\super [63]} But in his own town with his own people and in his own home, a prophet does not get honor.”

⁵ Jesus was not able to do many miracles {\cf2\super [64]} in that town. The only miracles he did were to heal some sick people by putting his hands on them.

⁶ Jesus was very surprised because those people did not have faith. Then Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught.

⁷ Jesus called the twelve followers together. Jesus sent them out in groups of two. Jesus gave them power over evil spirits.

⁸ This is what Jesus told his followers: “Take nothing for your trip. Take only a stick for walking. Take no bread, no bag, and no money in your pockets.

⁹ Wear shoes, and take only the clothes you are wearing.

¹⁰ When you enter a house, stay in that house until you leave that town.

¹¹ If any town refuses to accept you or refuses to listen to you, then leave that town. Shake their dust off your feet. {\cf2\super [65]} This will be a warning to them.”

¹² The followers left there and went to other places. They talked to the people and told them to change their hearts and lives.

¹³ The followers forced many demons {\cf2\super [66]} out of people. And the followers put olive oil on {\cf2\super [67]} sick people and healed them.

¹⁴ King Herod {\cf2\super [68]} heard about Jesus, because Jesus was now famous. Some people said, “\{He (Jesus) is\} John the Baptizer. He is risen from death. That is why he can do these miracles. {\cf2\super [69]} ”

¹⁵ Other people said, “He is Elijah. {\cf2\super [70]} ”

¹⁶ Herod {\cf2\super [72]} heard these things about Jesus. He said, “I killed John by cutting off his head. Now John has been raised from death!”

¹⁷ Herod {\cf2\super [73]} himself had ordered his soldiers to arrest John. So John was put into prison. Herod did this to please his wife, Herodias. Herodias was the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother. But then Herod married Herodias.

¹⁸ John told Herod that it was not right for him to be married to his brother’s wife.

¹⁹ So Herodias hated John. She wanted to kill him. But Herodias was not able to persuade Herod to kill John.

²⁰ Herod was afraid to kill John. Herod knew that all the people thought John was a good and holy man. So Herod protected John. Herod enjoyed listening to John preach. But John’s message always bothered Herod.

²¹ Then the right time came for Herodias to cause John’s death. It happened on Herod’s {\cf2\super [74]} birthday. Herod gave a dinner party for the most important government leaders, the commanders of his army, and the most important people in Galilee.

²² The daughter of Herodias came to the party and danced. When she danced, Herod and the people eating with him were very pleased.

²³ Herod promised her, “Anything you ask for I will give to you. I will even give you half of my kingdom.”

²⁴ The girl went to her mother and asked, “What should I ask King Herod {\cf2\super [76]} to give me?”

²⁵ Quickly the girl went back in to the king. The girl said to the king, “Please give me the head of John the Baptizer. Bring it to me now on a plate.”

²⁶ King Herod {\cf2\super [77]} was very sad. But he had promised to give the girl anything she wanted. And the people eating there with Herod heard his promise. So Herod did not want to refuse the thing she asked for.

²⁷ So the king sent a soldier to cut off John’s head and bring it. So the soldier went and cut off John’s head in the prison.

²⁸ Then the soldier brought John’s head back on a plate. He gave the head to the girl. Then the girl gave the head to her mother.

²⁹ John’s followers heard about what happened. So they came and got John’s body. They put it in a tomb {\cf2\super [78]} (grave).

³⁰ The apostles {\cf2\super [79]} \{that Jesus sent out\} came back to Jesus. They gathered around Jesus and told him about all the things they did and taught.

³¹ Jesus and his followers were in a very busy place. There were many, many people. Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. Jesus said to his followers, “Come with me. We will go to a quiet place to be alone. There we will get some rest.”

³² So Jesus and his followers went away alone. They went in a boat to a place where there were no people.

³³ But many people saw them leave. The people knew it was Jesus. So people from all the towns ran to the place where Jesus was going. The people were there before Jesus arrived.

³⁴ When Jesus arrived there, he saw many people waiting. Jesus felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd \{to care for them\}. So Jesus taught the people many things.

³⁵ It was now late in the day. So Jesus’ followers came to him. They said, “No people live in this place. And it is already very late.

³⁶ So send the people away. They need to go to the farms and towns around here to buy some food to eat.”

³⁷ But Jesus answered, “You give them some food to eat.”

³⁸ Jesus asked the followers, “How many loaves of bread do you have now? Go and see.”

³⁹ Then Jesus said to the followers, “Tell all the people to sit in groups on the green grass.”

⁴⁰ So all the people sat in groups. There were about 50 or 100 people in each group.

⁴¹ Jesus took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up to the sky and thanked God for the bread. Then Jesus divided the bread and gave it to his followers. Jesus told his followers to give the bread to the people. Then Jesus divided the two fish and gave the fish to the people.

⁴² All the people ate and were full.

⁴³ After the people finished eating, the followers filled twelve baskets with the pieces of bread and fish that were not eaten.

⁴⁴ There were about 5,000 men there that ate.

⁴⁵ Then Jesus told the followers to get into the boat. Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake to Bethsaida. Jesus said that he would come later. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home.

⁴⁶ After Jesus said good-bye to the people, he went into the hills to pray.

⁴⁷ That night, the boat was still in the middle of the lake. Jesus was alone on the land.

⁴⁸ Jesus saw the boat far away on the lake. He saw the followers working hard to row the boat. The wind was blowing against them. Sometime between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus went to the boat. Jesus was walking on the water. Jesus continued walking until he was almost past the boat.

⁴⁹ But the followers saw Jesus walking on the water. They thought he was a ghost. The followers shouted with fear.

⁵⁰ All the followers saw Jesus and were very afraid. But Jesus spoke to the followers and said, “Don’t worry! It’s me! Don’t be afraid.”

⁵¹ Then Jesus got into the boat with the followers. And the wind became calm. The followers were completely amazed.

⁵² They still didn’t understand \{his power\}. It was like the miracle he did with the bread. They still didn’t understand what that meant.

⁵³ Jesus and his followers went across the lake. They came to shore at Gennesaret. They tied the boat there.

⁵⁴ When they were out of the boat, the people saw Jesus. They knew who he was.

⁵⁵ The people ran \{to tell other people\} everywhere in that area \{that Jesus was there\}. The people brought sick people on beds to every place Jesus went.

⁵⁶ Jesus went into towns and cities and farms around that area. And every place Jesus went, the people brought sick people to the market places. They begged Jesus to let them touch any part of his coat. And all the people that touched him were healed.