A Prophet Without Honor
1Jesus left there and went to his hometown of Nazareth. His disciples went with him. 2When the Sabbath day came, he began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were amazed.
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these remarkable miracles he is doing? 3Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son? Isn’t this the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were not pleased with him at all.
4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own town. He doesn’t receive any honor among his relatives or in his own home.” 5Jesus placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them. But he could not do any other miracles there. 6He was amazed because they had no faith.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7He called the 12 disciples to him. Then he began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits.
8Here is what he told them to do. “Take only a walking stick for your trip. Do not take bread or a bag. Take no money in your belts. 9Wear sandals. But do not take extra clothes. 10When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. 11Some places may not welcome you or listen to you. If they don’t, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a witness against the people living there.”
12They went out. And they preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13They drove out many demons. They poured olive oil on many sick people and healed them.
John the Baptist’s Head Is Cut Off
14King Herod heard about this. Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That is why he has the power to do miracles.”
15Others said, “He is Elijah.”
Still others claimed, “He is a prophet. He is like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16But when Herod heard this, he said, “I had John’s head cut off. And now he has been raised from the dead!”
17In fact, it was Herod himself who had given orders to arrest John. He had him tied up and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. But now Herod was married to her. 18John had been saying to Herod, “It is against the Law for you to be married to your brother’s wife.” 19Herodias couldn’t forgive John for saying that. She wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20because Herod was afraid of John. So he kept John safe. Herod knew John was a holy man who did what was right. When Herod heard him, he was very puzzled. But he liked to listen to John.
21Finally the right time came. Herod gave a banquet on his birthday. He invited his high officials and military leaders. He also invited the most important men in Galilee. 22Then the daughter of Herodias came in and danced. She pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want. I’ll give it to you.” 23And he gave her his promise. He said to her, “Anything you ask for I will give you. I’ll give you up to half my kingdom.”
24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25At once the girl hurried to ask the king. She said, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a big plate right now.”
26The king was very upset. But he thought about his promise and his dinner guests. So he did not want to say no to the girl. 27He sent a man right away to bring John’s head. The man went to the prison and cut off John’s head. 28He brought it back on a big plate. He gave it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29John’s disciples heard about this. So they came and took his body. Then they placed it in a tomb.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
30The apostles gathered around Jesus. They told him all they had done and taught. 31But many people were coming and going. So they did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said to his apostles, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place. You need to get some rest.”
32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a quiet place. 33But many people who saw them leaving recognized them. They ran from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35By that time it was late in the day. His disciples came to him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “It’s already very late. 36Send the people away. Then they can go to the nearby countryside and villages to buy something to eat.”
37But Jesus answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s pay! Should we go and spend that much on bread? Are we supposed to feed them?”
38“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five loaves and two fish.”
39Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups of 100s and 50s. 41Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to his disciples to pass around to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42All of them ate and were satisfied. 43The disciples picked up 12 baskets of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44The number of men who had eaten was 5,000.
Jesus Walks on the Water
45Right away Jesus made his disciples get into the boat. He had them go on ahead of him to Bethsaida. Then he sent the crowd away. 46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was alone on land. 48He saw the disciples pulling hard on the oars. The wind was blowing against them. Shortly before dawn, he went out to them. He walked on the lake. When he was about to pass by them, 49they saw him walking on the lake. They thought he was a ghost, so they cried out. 50They all saw him and were terrified.
Right away Jesus said to them, “Be brave! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51Then he climbed into the boat with them. The wind died down. And they were completely amazed. 52They had not understood about the loaves. They were stubborn.
53They went across the lake and landed at Gennesaret. There they tied up the boat. 54As soon as Jesus and his disciples got out, people recognized him. 55They ran through that whole area to bring to him those who were sick. They carried them on mats to where they heard he was. 56He went into the villages, the towns and the countryside. Everywhere he went, the people brought the sick to the market areas. Those who were sick begged him to let them touch just the edge of his clothes. And all who touched his clothes were healed.
拿撒勒人厭棄耶穌
1耶穌帶著門徒離開那地方，回到自己的家鄉。 2到了安息日，祂開始在會堂裡教導人，眾人聽了都很驚奇，說：「這個人從哪裡學來這些本領？祂怎麼會有這種智慧？祂怎麼能行這樣的神蹟？ 3這不是那個木匠嗎？祂不是瑪麗亞的兒子嗎？祂不是雅各、約西、猶大、西門的大哥嗎？祂的妹妹們不也住在我們這裡嗎？」他們就對祂很反感。
4耶穌對他們說：「先知到處受人尊敬，只有在本鄉、本族、本家例外。」 5耶穌不能在那裡行任何神蹟，只把手按在幾個病人身上，醫治了他們。 6他們的不信令耶穌詫異，於是祂就去周圍的村莊教導人。
差遣十二使徒
7耶穌召集了十二個使徒，差遣他們兩個兩個地出去，賜給他們制伏污鬼的權柄， 8又吩咐他們除了手杖之外，不用帶食物和背囊，腰包裡也不要帶錢， 9只穿一雙鞋子和一套衣服就夠了。 10祂說：「你們無論到哪裡，就住在那些接待你們的人家裡，一直住到離開。 11如果某地方的人不接待你們，不聽你們傳的道，你們在離開之前要跺掉腳上的塵土，作為對他們的警告！」
12使徒便出去傳道，勸人悔改， 13趕出許多鬼，為許多病人抹油，治好他們。
施洗者約翰遇害
14耶穌聲名遠播，希律王也聽說了祂的事。有人說：「施洗者約翰從死裡復活了，所以能夠行這些神蹟。」
15也有人說：「祂是先知以利亞。」
還有人說：「祂是個先知，跟古代的一位先知相似。」
16希律聽到這些議論，就說：「祂一定是被我斬了頭的約翰從死裡復活了。」 17原來希律娶了他兄弟腓力的妻子希羅底，並為她的緣故而派人逮捕了約翰，把他關押在監牢裡。 18因為約翰屢次對希律說：「你娶弟弟的妻子不合法。」
19希羅底對約翰懷恨在心，想要殺掉他，只是不能得逞。 20因為希律知道約翰是個公義聖潔的人，所以敬畏他，並對他加以保護。儘管約翰所講的道理令他困惑不安，他仍然喜歡聽。
21機會終於來了。希律在自己的生日那天設宴招待文武百官和加利利的顯要。 22希羅底的女兒進來跳舞，甚得希律和客人的歡心。王對她說：「你想要什麼，只管說。」 23王還對她起誓說：「無論你要什麼，哪怕是我的半壁江山，我都會給你。」
24她便出去問她母親：「我應該要什麼呢？」
她母親說：「要施洗者約翰的頭！」
25她馬上回去對王說：「願王立刻把施洗者約翰的頭放在盤子裡送給我。」
26王聽了這個請求，感到十分為難，但因為在賓客面前起了誓言，就不好拒絕。 27他立刻命令衛兵進監牢砍了約翰的頭， 28放在盤子裡送給這女子，她又轉送給她母親。 29約翰的門徒聽到這個消息，就來把約翰的屍體領回去，安葬在墳墓裡。
耶穌使五千人吃飽
30使徒們聚集在耶穌身邊，向祂報告事工和傳道的經過。 31耶穌對他們說：「你們私下跟我到僻靜的地方去歇一會兒吧。」因為當時來來往往找他們的人實在太多，他們連吃飯的時間都沒有。
32他們乘船悄悄地到了一處僻靜的地方。 33可是有許多人看見他們離開，認出了他們，便從各城鎮步行趕往那裡，比他們先到達。 34耶穌一下船，看見這一大群人好像沒有牧人的羊，心裡憐憫他們，於是教導了他們許多道理。
35天色晚了，門徒過來對耶穌說：「時候已經不早了，這裡又是荒郊野外， 36請遣散眾人，好讓他們到周圍的村莊去自己買些吃的。」
37耶穌說：「你們給他們吃的吧。」
門徒說：「我們哪來這麼多錢買東西給他們吃啊？」
38耶穌說：「看看你們有多少餅。」
他們察看後，說：「有五個餅和兩條魚。」
39耶穌吩咐門徒叫大家分組坐在草地上。 40於是眾人坐下，有的五十人一組，有的一百人一組。 41耶穌拿起那五個餅、兩條魚，舉目望著天祝謝後，掰開遞給門徒，讓他們分給眾人。祂又照樣把那兩條魚分給眾人。 42大家都吃了，並且吃飽了。 43門徒把剩下的碎餅、碎魚收拾起來，裝滿了十二個籃子。 44當時吃餅的男人有五千。
耶穌在湖面上行走
45隨後，耶穌催門徒上船，叫他們先渡到湖對岸的伯賽大，祂則遣散眾人。 46祂辭別了眾人後，就上山去禱告。 47到了晚上，門徒的船在湖中心，耶穌獨自留在岸上。 48大約凌晨三點鐘，祂看見門徒在逆風中搖櫓，非常吃力，就從水面上朝門徒走去，想要從他們旁邊經過。 49門徒看見有人在湖面上走，以為是幽靈，嚇得驚叫起來。 50全船的人看見祂，都嚇壞了，耶穌立刻對他們說：「放心吧，是我，不要怕！」
51耶穌上了船，來到他們那裡，風便停了。門徒心裡十分驚奇， 52因為他們仍然不明白耶穌分餅那件事的意義，心裡還是愚頑。 53他們渡到湖對岸，來到革尼撒勒，在那裡靠岸， 54剛一下船，眾人立刻認出了耶穌。 55他們跑遍那一帶地方，用墊子把生病的人抬來，聽到耶穌在哪裡，就把病人抬到哪裡。 56耶穌不論到哪一個城市、鄉鎮和村莊，人們總是把病人抬到街市上，求耶穌讓他們摸一摸祂衣裳的穗邊，所有摸過的病人都好了。
