The Second Prediction of the Passion. 30^g They left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it.^h 31He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” 32But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.

The Greatest in the Kingdom.^* 33They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”ⁱ 34But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. 35Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”^j 36Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, 37“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”^k

6I will be like the dew for Israel:^f

he will blossom like the lily;

He will strike root like the Lebanon cedar,

7and his shoots will go forth.^g

His splendor will be like the olive tree

and his fragrance like Lebanon cedar.^h

8Again they will live in his shade;

they will raise grain,

They will blossom like the vine,

and his renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.

9Ephraim! What more have I to do with idols?ⁱ

I have humbled him, but I will take note of him.

I am like a verdant cypress tree.^*

From me fruit will be found for you!

10^* Who is wise enough to understand these things?^j

Who is intelligent enough to know them?

Straight are the paths of the LORD,^k

the just walk in them,^l

but sinners stumble in them.

Saul’s Baptism. 10ⁱ There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying,^j 12and [in a vision] he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” 13But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones^* in Jerusalem.^k 14And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.”^l 15But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,^m 16and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” 17So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” 18Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, 19and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.^*

The Return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand.^g 10When the apostles returned, they explained to him what they had done. He took them and withdrew in private to a town called Bethsaida. 11The crowds, meanwhile, learned of this and followed him. He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. 12As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, “Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” 13^h He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” 14Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of [about] fifty.” 15They did so and made them all sit down. 16Then taking^* the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.ⁱ 17They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.