Multiplication of the Loaves.^* 1^a After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee [of Tiberias].^* 2A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4The Jewish feast of Passover was near.^b 5^* When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip,^c “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6^* He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages^* worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit].”^d 8One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves^* and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”^e 10Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass^* in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.^f 11Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.^g 12When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets^* with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet,^* the one who is to come into the world.”^h 15Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.ⁱ

Rites at Gilgal. 1When all the kings of the Amorites to the west of the Jordan and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they crossed over, their hearts melted and they were utterly dispirited because of the Israelites.

2^a On this occasion the LORD said to Joshua: Make flint knives and circumcise Israel for the second time. 3So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth.^* 4This was the reason for the circumcision: Of all the people who had come out of Egypt, every male of military age had died in the wilderness^b during the journey after they came out of Egypt. 5Though all the men who came out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness during the journey after the departure from Egypt were circumcised. 6Now the Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness, until all the warriors among the people that came forth from Egypt died off because they had not listened to the voice of the LORD. For the LORD swore^c that he would not let them see the land he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7^d It was the children God raised up in their stead whom Joshua circumcised, for these were yet with foreskins, not having been circumcised on the journey. 8When the circumcision of the entire nation was complete, they remained in camp where they were, until they recovered. 9Then the LORD said to Joshua: Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.^e Therefore the place is called Gilgal^* to the present day.

4Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their fruits. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters. Increase there; do not decrease. 7Seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you; pray for it to the LORD, for upon its welfare your own depends.^b 8For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners who are among you; do not listen to those among you who dream dreams,^c 9for they prophesy lies to you in my name; I did not send them—oracle of the LORD.^d

10For thus says the LORD: Only after seventy years have elapsed for Babylon will I deal with you and fulfill for you my promise to bring you back to this place.^e 11For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. 12When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you.^f 13When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, 14I will let you find me—oracle of the LORD—and I will change your lot; I will gather you together from all the nations and all the places to which I have banished you—oracle of the LORD—and bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you.^g

The Flesh and the Spirit.^* 1Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.^a 3For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,^b 4so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.^c 5For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. 6The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.^d 7For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;^e 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.^f 9But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.^g 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.^h 11If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.