PART VI.

FROM THE GENERAL RETURN OF THE TWELVE, TO OUR LORD'S DEPARTURE FROM GALILEE.

SECT. I.

Herod hears of Jesus, after the Death of John the Baptist : The remainder of the Apostles rejoin our Lord.

MATT. xiv. 1-12. MARK vi. 14-30. LUKE ix. 7-10.

And Herod

Now king Herod, the tetrarch, heard the report of all the things done by Jesus: (for his name was spread abroad :) and he was perplexed, because it was said by some, that John had been raised from the dead; but by others, that Elijah had appeared; and by others, that a prophet, one of the ancients, had arisen again. said, "John have I beheaded, but who is this, I hear such things?" and he sought to see him. And he said unto his servants, "This is John the Baptist, whom I beheaded he hath been raised from the dead; and therefore mighty works are wrought by him.2

1

about whom

For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold on John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother: because he had married her. For John kept saying unto Herod, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife." Therefore Herodias was enraged against him, and would have put him to death;

1 Or, attendants, or, courtiers. 2 Or, mighty powers operate by him. 3 v. H. n.

but could not': for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and preserved him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when he desired to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they accounted him as a prophet.

And a convenient day having come, when Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, and commanders, and the chief men of Galilee; and the daughter of that Herodias having come in, and danced in the midst of his court, and pleased Herod and them that were at table with him, the king said unto the damsel, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee." And he sware unto her, "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom." And she went forth and said unto her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist." And she came in straightway, with haste, to the king, and asked, saying, "I desire that thou forthwith give me on a dish the head of John the Baptist." And the king became very sorrowful; yet for the sake of his oath1 and of those who were at table with him, he did not choose to reject her. And straightway the king sent one of his guards, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a dish, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel carried it to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his buried it in a tomb, and went and told Jesus.

2

corpse, and

And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus; and they told him all things, both whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.

1 [Or, oaths.] 2 Or, a spearman.

SECT. II.

The Miracle of the Five Thousand, near Bethsaida1 in Philip's Dominions.

MATT. xiv. 13-21. MARK vi, 31-44. LUKE ix. 10-17. JOHN vi. 1-13.

And a great

WHEN Jesus heard these things, he said unto them, "Come ye yourselves privately to a desert place, and rest a little while; for there were many coming and going, and they had not leisure even to eat. And they went away by vessel, privately, to a desert place of a city called Bethsaida, beyond the sea of Galilee, that is of Tiberias. And the people saw them departing; and many knew it, and ran together thither on foot, from all the cities. multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were sick. (Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was nigh.) And when Jesus came out of the vessel, he saw a great multitude; and he was moved with compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. And Jesus went up the mountain, and there sat with his disciples. And he received the multitudes, and he began to teach them many things, and spake unto them concerning the kingdom of God; and them that had need of healing, he cured.

Now the day began to decline; and when now much time had passed, when it was evening, his disciples 2 came to him, saying, “This is a desert place, and now much time has already past: send the multitudes away, that they may go into the fields and the villages round about, and lodge, and buy themselves provisions; for they have nothing to eat." But Jesus answered, and said unto them, "They

1 v. H. n. 2 M., Mk.: the twelve, L.

need not go away; give ye them to eat." And they say unto him, "Should we go and buy loaves for two hundred denarii, and give them to eat? But he saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye? Go and see." And when they knew, one of his disciples, (Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,) saith unto him, "There is a lad here, who hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are these among so many?" And he said, "Bring them hither to me." And he commanded his disciples to make all the people place themselves by companies, upon the green grass. (Now there was much grass in the place.) And they placed themselves on the ground in regular bodies,2 by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed: and when he had given thanks, he brake the loaves, and distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that had placed themselves on the ground; and in like manner of the fishes, he divided among all, as much as they chose. And they all ate, and were filled. Now when they were satisfied, he said unto his disciples, "Gather together the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." They therefore gathered them together, and filled up twelve baskets with fragments, from the five barley loaves, and of the fishes, which remained unto them that had eaten. Now they that ate were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

1 v. M., Mk., and L.: When Jesus therefore lifted up his eyes, and saw that a great multitude was coming unto him, he saith unto Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?" (Now this he said to try him: for he himself knew what he was about to do.) Philip answered him, "Loaves worth two hundred denarii are not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little," J. 2 v. H. n.

SECT. III.

During the following Night, Jesus walks on the Sea; and the next Day works Miracles in the Land of Gennesaret.

MATT. XIV. 22-36. MARK vi. 45-56. JOHN vi. 14-21.

THE men therefore having seen the miracle which Jesus did, said, “This is, in truth, the prophet that was coming into the world." Jesus therefore knowing that they were about to come and take him by force, that they might make him a king, straightway constrained his disciples to enter into the vessel, and to go before unto the other side, to Bethsaida,1 while he sent away the multitudes. And when he had dismissed the multitudes, he withdrew again to the mountain,1 apart, to pray and when evening was come, he was there alone.

Now when evening came, his disciples went down unto the sea, and having entered into the vessel, they were going to the other side of the sea, to Capernaum.1 And darkness had now come on, and Jesus had not come to them. And a great wind blowing, the sea was much agitated. But the vessel was now in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land; and he saw them tossed about in rowing: for the wind was contrary unto them. When they had therefore rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, about the fourth watch of the night, he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. And when the disciples perceive Jesus walking on the sea, and coming nigh unto the ship, they supposed it was a spirit, and they were afraid, saying, "It is a spirit!" and they cried out through fear, (for they all saw him, and were troubled.)

1 v. H. n.