JESUS FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND WITH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES.
And the apostles, when they were returned, gathered themselves together
unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what
they had taught. And he said unto them,
Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.
For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as
to eat. After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is
_the sea_ of Tiberias, by ship privately, into a desert place belonging
to the city called Bethsaida. And the people saw them departing, and
many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent
them, and came together unto him, because they saw his miracles which he
did on them that were diseased.
And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with
compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a
shepherd: and he began to teach them many things; and spake unto them of
the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted
up _his_ eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto
Philip,
Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient
for them, that every one of them may take a little. And when it was
evening, his disciples, the twelve, came unto him, and said, This is a
desert place, and now the time _is_ far passed: send them away, that
they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and buy
themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat: for we are here in a
desert place. But Jesus said unto them,
They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of
bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them,
How many loaves have ye? go and see.
And when they knew, one of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's
brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley
loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? We have
no more but five loaves and two fishes: except we should go and buy meat
for all this people. For they were about five thousand men. He said,
Bring them hither to me.
And he said to his disciples,
Make them sit down by fifties in a company upon the green
grass.
Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in ranks, by
hundreds, and by fifties, in number about five thousand. And when Jesus
had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, and when he had given
thanks, looking up to heaven, he blessed them and brake the loaves, and
gave the loaves to _his_ disciples, and the disciples to the multitude
that were set down: and likewise the two fishes divided he among them
all; as much as they would. And they did all eat, and were filled. When
they were filled, he said unto his disciples,
Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
Therefore they gathered _them_ together, and filled twelve baskets with
the fragments of the five barley loaves, and of the fishes, which
remained over and above unto them that had eaten. And they that had
eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.