Mar 8 | ESV | STEP | In those days , when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat , he called his disciples to him and said to them ,

1 ^aIn those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, 2 ^b“I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” 4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, ^c“Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and ^dhaving given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And ^ehaving blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And ^fthey ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, ^gseven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into ^hthe boat with his disciples and went to the district of ⁱDalmanutha. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts Magadan, or Magdala}

The Pharisees Demand a Sign

11 ^kThe Pharisees came and began to argue with him, ^lseeking from him ^ma sign from heaven ⁿto test him. 12 And ^ohe sighed deeply ^pin his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And ^qhe left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; ^rbeware of ^sthe leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of ^tHerod.” ^{▼▼Some manuscripts the Herodians} 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And ^vJesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? ^wDo you not yet perceive ^xor understand? ^yAre your hearts hardened? 18 ^zHaving eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke ^aathe five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And ^abthe seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22 And they came ^acto Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And ^adhe took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when ^aehe had ^afspit on his eyes and ^aglaid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus ^{▼▼Greek he} laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, ^ai“Do not even enter the village.”

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

27 ^ajAnd Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, ^ak“John the Baptist; and others say, ^alElijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, ^am“You are ^anthe Christ.” 30 ^aoAnd he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 ^apAnd he began to teach them that ^aqthe Son of Man must ^arsuffer many things and ^asbe rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and ^atafter three days rise again. 32 And he said this ^auplainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ^av“Get behind me, Satan! For you ^aware not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him ^axdeny himself and ^aytake up his cross and follow me. 35 For ^azwhoever would save his life ^{▼▼The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and once in verse 36 and once in verse 37} will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake ^bband the gospel’s will save it. 36 ^bcFor what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For ^bdwhat can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For ^bewhoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this ^bfadulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed ^bgwhen he comes in the glory of his Father with ^bhthe holy angels.”