World English Bible · Under Rome
Mark 8
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In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, called his to himself and said to them, "I have on , because they have stayed with me now three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away to their home, they will faint on , for some of them have come a long way." His answered him, "From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?" He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven." He commanded to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his to , and they . They also had small fish. Having them, he said to these also. They ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. 9Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away. Immediately he entered into the boat with his and came into the region of Dalmanutha. The came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from and him. He sighed deeply in his and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation." He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. They forgot to take bread; and they didn't have more than one loaf in the boat with them. He warned them, saying, "Take heed: beware of the of the and the of ." They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have ." , perceiving it, said to them, "Why do you reason that it's because you have ? Don't you perceive yet or understand? Is still hardened? Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Twelve." "When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They told him, "Seven." He asked them, "Don't you understand yet?" He came to . They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and on him, he asked him if he saw anything. He looked up, and said, "I see men, but I see them like walking trees." Then again he on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. He sent him away to his house, saying, "Don't enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village." went out, with his , into the villages of . On he asked his , "Who do men say that I am?" They told him, ", and others say , but others, one of ." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" answered, "You are ." He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. He began to teach them that must suffer many things, and be rejected by the , the , and the , and be killed, and after three days . He spoke to them openly. took him and began to rebuke him. But he, turning around and seeing his , rebuked , and said, "Get behind me, ! For you have in not the things of , but the things of men." He called to himself with his and said to them, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his , and follow me. For whoever wants to his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the will it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what will a man give in exchange for his life? For whoever will be of me and of my words in this adulterous and generation, also will be of him when he comes in his with the ."
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.