Mark 8 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Another time there were many people \{with Jesus\}. The people had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his followers to him. Jesus said,

² “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days. And now they have nothing to eat.

³ I should not send them home hungry. If they leave without eating, they will faint while going home. Some of these people live a long way from here.”

⁴ Jesus’ followers answered, “But we are far away from any towns. Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people?”

⁵ Then Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”

⁶ Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then Jesus took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Jesus divided the bread and gave the pieces to his followers. Jesus told the followers to give the bread to the people. The followers obeyed him.

⁷ The followers also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for the fish and told the followers to give the fish to the people.

⁸ All the people ate and were full. Then the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten.

⁹ There were about 4,000 men that ate. After they ate, Jesus told them to go home.

¹⁰ Then Jesus went in a boat with his followers to the area of Dalmanutha.

¹¹ The Pharisees {\cf2\super [93]} came to Jesus and asked him questions. They wanted to test Jesus. So they asked Jesus to do a miracle {\cf2\super [94]} to show that he was from God.

¹² Jesus made a sad sound like he was troubled. He said, “Why do you people ask to see a miracle as proof? I tell you the truth. No proof like that will be given to you.”

¹³ Then Jesus left the Pharisees. Jesus went in the boat to the other side of the lake.

¹⁴ The followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. They forgot to bring more bread.

¹⁵ Jesus warned them, “Be careful! Guard against the yeast {\cf2\super [95]} of the Pharisees {\cf2\super [96]} and the yeast of Herod. {\cf2\super [97]} ”

¹⁶ The followers discussed the meaning of this. They said, “He said this because we have no bread.”

¹⁷ Jesus knew that the followers were talking about this. So Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? You still don’t see or understand? Are you not able to understand?

¹⁸ Do you have eyes that can’t see? Do you have ears that can’t hear? Remember what I did before, when we did not have enough bread?

¹⁹ I divided five loaves of bread for 5,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”

²⁰ “And remember that I divided seven loaves of bread for 4,000 people. Remember how many baskets you filled with pieces of food that were not eaten?”

²¹ Then Jesus said to them, “\{You remember these things I did,\} but you still don’t understand?”

²² Jesus and his followers came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch the man.

²³ So Jesus held the blind man’s hand and led him out of the village. Then Jesus spit on the man’s eyes. Jesus put his hands on the blind man and asked him, “Can you see now?”

²⁴ The blind man looked up and said, “Yes, I see people. They look like trees walking around.”

²⁵ Again Jesus put his hands on the blind man’s eyes. Then the man opened his eyes wide. His eyes were healed, and he was able to see everything clearly.

²⁶ Jesus told him to go home. Jesus said, “Don’t go into the town.”

²⁷ Jesus and his followers went to the towns in the area of Caesarea Philippi. While they were traveling, Jesus asked the followers, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸ The followers answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Other people say you are Elijah. {\cf2\super [98]} And other people say that you are one of the prophets. {\cf2\super [99]} ”

²⁹ Then Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”

³⁰ Jesus told the followers, “Don’t tell any person who I am.”

³¹ Then Jesus began to teach his followers that the Son of Man {\cf2\super [101]} must suffer many things. Jesus taught that the Son of Man would not be accepted by the older Jewish leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. Jesus taught that the Son of Man must be killed and then rise from death after three days.

³² Jesus told them everything that would happen. He did not keep anything secret. Peter spoke to Jesus alone. Peter criticized Jesus for saying \{those things\}.

³³ But Jesus turned and looked at his followers. Then he criticized Peter. Jesus said to Peter, “Go away from me, Satan {\cf2\super [102]} ! You don’t care about the things of God. You care only about things that people think are important.”