¹In those days when there was a very large crowd, and they didn't have anything to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself and said to them, ²“I feel compassion for the crowd, because they have remained with me for three days now and do not have anything to eat. ³And if I send them off to their home fasting, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.” ⁴At this his disciples answered him, “How can anyone feed these people with bread here in the desert?” ⁵Then he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” ⁶And he instructed the crowd to recline on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, and he gave thanks, and he broke them and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served them to the crowd. ⁷And they had a few small fish, and he blessed them and told them to serve them as well. ⁸So they ate and were satisfied, and they picked up seven hampers of surplus pieces. ⁹Now those who ate were about four thousand. And he sent them off. ¹⁰Then he immediately boarded a boat with his disciples and went to the regions of Dalmanutha. ¹¹And the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with him, seeking a sign from him from heaven, putting him to the test, ¹²at which he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation keenly seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, there certainly will not be a sign given to this generation.” ¹³Then he left them and again boarded a boat and departed to the other side. ¹⁴Now they had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have any with them in the boat except for one loaf, ¹⁵and he instructed them and said, “Watch out, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” ¹⁶At this they argued among themselves and said, “It is because we haven't got any bread.” ¹⁷But Jesus was aware of that and said to them, “Why are you arguing because you haven't got any bread? Don't you discern or understand yet? Do you still have a hardened heart? ¹⁸Do you not see, although you have eyes? And do you not hear, although you have ears? And do you not remember? ¹⁹When I broke five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketsful of pieces did you pick up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” ²⁰“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many hampers full of pieces did you pick up?” And they said, “Seven.” ²¹And he said to them, “How come you do not understand?” ²²Then he came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man to him and pleaded with him to touch him. ²³Then he took hold of the blind man's hand and led him out of the village, and he spat into his eyes and put his hands on him, and he asked him if he could see anything. ²⁴And he looked up and said, “I can see men, inasmuch as I can see them walking around looking like trees.” ²⁵Then he put his hands on his eyes again and enabled him to see again, and he was restored, and he saw everyone clearly. ²⁶And he sent him off to his house, and he said, “Do not go into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.” ²⁷Then Jesus went out, as did his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he questioned his disciples and said to them, “Who do men say I am?” ²⁸They replied, “ ‘John the Baptist’, whereas others say, ‘Elijah’, and others, ‘One of the prophets.’ ” ²⁹Then he said to them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter answered and said to him, “You are the Christ.” ³⁰Then he warned them not to tell anyone about himself. ³¹Next he began to teach them that the son of man had to suffer many things, and to be rejected by the elders and the senior priests and the scribes, and to be killed, and to rise again after three days. ³²Indeed, he would make the assertion openly. Then Peter took him aside, and he began to remonstrate with him. ³³But he turned around and looked at his disciples, and he remonstrated with Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. For you are not mindful of the affairs of God, but those of men.” ³⁴Then he called the crowd to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Let whoever wishes to follow me deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but it is whoever loses his own life for my sake and that of the gospel who will save it. ³⁶For in what way does it benefit a man if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his own life? ³⁷Or what will a man give in exchange for his own life? ³⁸For as for whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man will be in turn ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels.”

Reference(s) in Chapter 8: v.18 ↔ Jeremiah 5:21.