Jesus went up into a mountain, and there the multitude flocked to Him, bringing their sick and lame, and laying them at His feet. He healed them all; and the people, heathen as they were, glorified the God of Israel. For three days they continued to throng about the Saviour, sleeping at night in the open air, and through the day pressing eagerly to hear the words of Christ, and to see His works. At the end of three 405 days their food was spent. Jesus would not send them away hungry, and He called upon His disciples to give them food. Again the disciples revealed their unbelief. At Bethsaida they had seen how, with Christ's blessing, their little store availed for the feeding of the multitude; yet they did not now bring forward their all, trusting His power to multiply it for the hungry crowds. Moreover, those whom He fed at Bethsaida were Jews; these were Gentiles and heathen. Jewish prejudice was still strong in the hearts of the disciples, and they answered Jesus, "Whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?" But obedient to His word they brought Him what they had,--seven loaves and two fishes. The multitude were fed, seven large baskets of fragments remaining. Four thousand men, besides women and children, were thus refreshed, and Jesus sent them away with glad and grateful hearts.

Jesus gik op i bjergene, og der flokkedes mængden om ham og medbragte deres syge og lamme og lagde dem ved hans fødder. Han helbredte dem alle, og skønt folket var hedninger, priste de Israels Gud. I tre dage vedblev de med at stimle sammen om Frelseren, sov om natten under åben himmel og trængtes om dagen om ham for at høre Kristi ord og for at se hans gerninger. Da de tre dage var gået, havde de ikke mere mad. Jesus ville ikke sende dem sultne bort, og han kaldte sine disciple til sig, for at de skulle give dem mad. Atter blev disciplenes vantro afsløret. De havde ved Betsajda set, hvordan deres lille forråd ved Kristi velsignelse havde været tilstrækkeligt til at mætte de mange mennesker. Alligevel kom de ikke frem med alt, hvad de havde, i tillid til hans magt til at mangedoble det til de sultne skarer. Desuden var det jøder, han havde mættet ved Betsajda; her drejede det sig om fremmede og hedninger. De jødiske fordomme var stadig stærke hos disciplene, og de svarede Jesus: "Hvorfra skal man kunne få brød nok til at mætte dem alle her i en ørken?" Men de adlød hans ord og bragte ham, hvad de havde: syv brød og to fisk. Skaren blev mættet, og syv store kurve med levninger blev tilovers. Således blev fire tusinde mænd foruden kvinder og børn mættede, og Jesus sendte dem bort, glade og taknemmelige.