6:30

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.

6:31

He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

6:32

And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

6:33

Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.

6:34

As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

6:35

When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late;

6:36

send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat."

6:37

But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii ^F50 worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?"

6:38

And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." When they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish."

6:39

Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass.

6:40

So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties.

6:41

Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all.

6:42

And all ate and were filled;

6:43

and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.

6:44

Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

FOOTNOTES:
F50: The denarius was the usual day's wage for a laborer

6:30

The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught.

6:31

Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.

6:32

So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves.

6:33

Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them.

6:34

When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke - like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

6:35

When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough - it was now quite late in the day - they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late.

6:36

Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper."

6:37

Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them." They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?"

6:38

But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory." That didn't take long. "Five," they said, "plus two fish."

6:39

Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred - they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass!

6:40

 

6:41

He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish.

6:42

They all ate their fill.

6:43

The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers.

6:44

More than five thousand were at the supper.