27. At once he ordered a guard to cut off John's head there in prison.
28. The guard put the head on a dish and took it to the girl. Then she gave it to her mother.
29. When John's followers learnt that he had been killed, they took his body and put it in a tomb.
30. After the apostles returned to Jesus, they told him everything they had done and taught.
31. But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let's go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.”
32. They left in a boat for a place where they could be alone.
33. But many people saw them leave and worked out where they were going. So people from every town ran on ahead and got there first.
34. When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd that was like sheep without a shepherd. He felt sorry for the people and started teaching them many things.
35. That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it is already late.
36. Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the farms and villages near here and buy something to eat.”
37. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat.”But they asked him, “Don't you know that it would take almost a year's wages to buy all these people something to eat?”
38. Then Jesus said, “How much bread do you have? Go and see!”They found out and answered, “We have five small loaves of bread and two fish.”
39. Jesus told his disciples to make the people sit down on the green grass.
40. They sat down in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty.
41. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up towards heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples to give to the people. He also divided the two fish, so that everyone could have some.