8 ¹ THERE WAS ANOTHER OCCASION about this time when a huge crowd had collected, and, as they had no food, Jesus called his disciples and said to them, 8 ² 'I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 8 ³ If I send them home unfed, they will turn faint on the way; some of them have come from a distance.' 8 ⁴ The disciples answered, 'How can anyone provide all these people with bread in this lonely place?' 8 ⁵ 'How many loaves have you?' he asked; and they answered, 'Seven.' 8 ⁶ So he ordered the people to sit down on the ground; then he took the seven loaves, and, after giving thanks to God, he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples to distribute; and they served it out to the people. 8 ⁷ They had also a few small fishes, which she blessed and ordered them to distribute. 8 ⁸ They all ate to their hearts' content, and seven baskets were filled with the scraps that were left. 8 ⁹ The people numbered about four thousand. 8 ¹⁰ Then he dismissed them; and, without delay, got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. Some witnesses give: Magedan; others give: Magdala.