8:1  IN THOSE days when [again] an immense crowd had gathered and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and told them,

8:2  I have pity {and} sympathy for the people {and} My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left] to eat;

8:3  And if I send them away to their homes hungry, they will be feeble through exhaustion {and} faint along the road; and some of them have come a long way.

8:4  And His disciples replied to Him, How can anyone fill {and} satisfy [these people] with loaves of bread here in [this] desolate {and} uninhabited region?

8:5  And He asked them, How many loaves have you? They said, Seven.

8:6  And He commanded the multitude to recline upon the ground, and He [then] took the seven loaves [of bread] and, having given thanks, He broke them and kept on giving them to His disciples to put before [the people], and they placed them before the crowd.

8:7  And they had a few small fish; and when He had praised God {and} given thanks {and} asked Him to bless them [to their use], He ordered that these also should be set before [them].

8:8  And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven [large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

8:9  And there were about 4,000 people. And He dismissed them,

8:10  And at once He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha (or Magdala).

8:11  The Pharisees came and began to argue with {and} question Him, demanding from Him a sign (an attesting miracle from heaven) [maliciously] to test Him.

8:12  And He groaned {and} sighed deeply in His spirit and said, Why does this generation demand a sign? Positively I say to you, no sign shall be given this generation.

8:13  And He went away {and} left them and, getting into the boat again, He departed to the other side.

8:14  Now they had [completely] forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.

8:15  And Jesus [repeatedly and expressly] charged {and} admonished them, saying, Look out; keep on your guard {and} beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod {and the Herodians}.

8:16  And they discussed it {and} reasoned with one another, It is because we have no bread.

8:17  And being aware [of it], Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning {and} saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness?

8:18  Having eyes, do you not see [with them], and having ears, do you not hear {and} perceive {and} understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember?

8:19  When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many [small hand] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? They said to Him, Twelve.

8:20  And [when I broke] the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many [large provision] baskets full of broken pieces did you take up? And they said to Him, Seven.

8:21  And He kept repeating, Do you not yet understand?

8:22  And they came to Bethsaida. And [people] brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him.

8:23  And He caught the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you [possibly] see anything?

8:24  And he looked up and said, I see people, but [they look] like trees, walking.

8:25  Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently [that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects], and he was restored and saw everything distinctly [even what was at a distance].

8:26  And He sent him away to his house, telling [him], Do not [even] enter the village {or tell anyone there.}

8:27  And Jesus went on with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, Who do people say that I am?

8:28  And they answered [Him], John the Baptist; and others [say], Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.

8:29  And He asked them, But who do you yourselves say that I am? Peter replied to Him, You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

8:30  And He charged them sharply to tell no one about Him.

8:31  And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must of necessity suffer many things and be tested {and} disapproved {and} rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be put to death, and after three days rise again [from death].

8:32  And He said this freely (frankly, plainly, and explicitly, making it unmistakable). And Peter took Him by the hand {and} led Him aside and then [facing Him] began to rebuke Him.

8:33  But turning around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God's side, but that of men].

8:34  And Jesus called [to Him] the throng with His disciples and said to them, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me].

8:35  For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel's will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal kingdom of God].

8:36  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]?

8:37  For what can a man give as an exchange (a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [in the eternal kingdom of God]?

8:38  For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous (unfaithful) and [preeminently] sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory (splendor and majesty) of His Father with the holy angels.