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When
the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done.
Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a
town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and
followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom
of God, and healed those who needed healing.
Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send
the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and
countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote
place here."
He replied, "You give them something to eat."
They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two
fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." (About
five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups
of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat
down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to
heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the
disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were
satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken
pieces that were left over.
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