Not counting women and children, there were about five thousand men who ate.

Not counting children and women, ¹  there were four thousand men who ate. ² 

He called a child, had him stand among them,

Now ¹  people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, ²  but the disciples scolded those who brought them. ³ 

“Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.”

saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”

And they began making fun of him. ¹  But he put them all outside ²  and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions ³  and went into the room where the child was. ⁴ 

Then he got up, took the child and his mother during ¹  the night, and went to Egypt.

So ¹  he got up and took the child and his mother and returned to the land of Israel.

And whoever welcomes ¹  a child like this in my name welcomes me.

When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.”

Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

And you, child, ¹  will be called the prophet ²  of the Most High. ³  For you will go before ⁴  the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁵ 

When ¹  they saw him, ²  they related what they had been told ³  about this child,

And the child grew and became strong, ¹  filled with wisdom, ²  and the favor ³  of God ⁴  was upon him.

But when Jesus discerned their innermost thoughts, ¹  he took a child, had him stand by ²  his side,

So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, ¹  do you?” ²  They replied, ³  “No.”

Brothers and sisters, ¹  do not be children in your thinking. Instead, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

“To ¹  what should I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, ²