32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people;(A) they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them(B) and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.(C) 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.

The Demand for a Sign(D)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(E) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(F)

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a](G) A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(H) Jesus then left them and went away.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.

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