John 6:1-71

6  After these things Jesus departed across the sea of Galʹi·lee, or Ti·beʹri·as.+  But a great crowd kept following him, because they were beholding the signs he was performing upon those who were ill.+  So Jesus went up into a mountain,+ and there he was sitting with his disciples.  Now the passover,+ the festival of the Jews, was near.  When, therefore, Jesus raised his eyes and observed that a great crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip: “Where shall we buy loaves for these to eat?”+  However, he was saying this to test him, for he himself knew what he was about to do.  Philip answered him: “Two hundred de·narʹi·i* worth of loaves is not enough for them, so that each one may get a little.”+  One of his disciples, Andrew the brother of Simon Peter, said to him:  “Here is a little boy that has five barley loaves+ and two small fishes. But what are these among so many?”+ 10  Jesus said: “HAVE the men recline as at meal.”+ Now there was a lot of grass in the place. Therefore the men reclined, about five thousand in number.+ 11  So Jesus took the loaves and, after giving thanks, he distributed them to those reclining, likewise also as much of the small fishes as they wanted.+ 12  But when they had their fill+ he said to his disciples: “Gather together the fragments that remain over, so that nothing is wasted.” 13  Therefore they gathered them together, and they filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.+ 14  Hence when the men saw the signs he performed, they began to say: “This is for a certainty the prophet+ that was to come into the world.” 15  Therefore Jesus, knowing they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew+ again into the mountain all alone. 16  When evening fell, his disciples went down to the sea,+ 17  and, boarding a boat, they set out across the sea for Ca·perʹna·um. Well, by now it had grown dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18  Also, the sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.+ 19  However, when they had rowed about three or four miles,* they beheld Jesus walking upon the sea and getting near the boat; and they became fearful.+ 20  But he said to them: “It is I; have no fear!”+ 21  Therefore they were willing to take him into the boat, and directly the boat was at the land to which they were trying to go.+ 22  The next day the crowd that was standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no boat there except a little one, and that Jesus had not entered into the boat with his disciples but that only his disciples had left; 23  but boats from Ti·beʹri·as arrived near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord* had given thanks. 24  Therefore when the crowd saw that neither Jesus was there nor his disciples, they boarded their little boats and came to Ca·perʹna·um to look+ for Jesus. 25  So when they found him across the sea they said to him: “Rabbi,+ when did you get here?” 26  Jesus answered them and said: “Most truly I say to YOU, YOU are looking for me, not because YOU saw signs, but because YOU ate from the loaves and were satisfied.+ 27  Work, not for the food that perishes,+ but for the food that remains for life everlasting,+ which the Son of man will give YOU; for upon this one the Father, even God, has put his seal [of approval].”+ 28  Therefore they said to him: “What shall we do to work the works of God?” 29  In answer Jesus said to them: “This is the work of God, that YOU exercise faith+ in him whom that One sent forth.”+ 30  Therefore they said to him: “What, then, are you performing as a sign,+ in order for us to see [it] and believe you? What work are you doing? 31  Our forefathers ate the manna+ in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”+ 32  Hence Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Moses did not give YOU the bread from heaven, but my Father does give YOU the true bread from heaven.+ 33  For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34  Therefore they said to him: “Lord, always give us this bread.”+ 35  Jesus said to them: “I am the bread of life. He that comes to me will not get hungry at all, and he that exercises faith in me will never get thirsty at all.+ 36  But I have said to YOU, YOU have even seen me* and yet do not believe.+ 37  Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the one that comes to me I will by no means drive away;+ 38  because I have come down from heaven+ to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me.+ 39  This is the will of him that sent me, that I should lose nothing out of all that he has given me but that I should resurrect+ it at the last day. 40  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone that beholds the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life,+ and I will resurrect him at the last day.”+ 41  Therefore the Jews began to murmur at him because he said: “I am the bread that came down from heaven”;+ 42  and they began saying:+ “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph,+ whose father and mother we know? How is it that now he says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43  In answer Jesus said to them: “Stop murmuring among yourselves. 44  No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him;+ and I will resurrect him in the last day.+ 45  It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught* by Jehovah.’*+ Everyone that has heard from the Father and has learned comes to me.+ 46  Not that any man has seen the Father,+ except he who is from God; this one has seen the Father.+ 47  Most truly I say to YOU, He that believes has everlasting life.+ 48  “I am the bread+ of life. 49  YOUR forefathers ate the manna+ in the wilderness and yet died. 50  This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51  I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever; and, for a fact, the bread that I shall give is my flesh+ in behalf of the life of the world.”+ 52  Therefore the Jews began contending with one another, saying: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53  Accordingly Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Unless YOU eat the flesh+ of the Son of man and drink his blood,+ YOU have no life+ in yourselves. 54  He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I shall resurrect+ him at the last day; 55  for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56  He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me,* and I in union with him.+ 57  Just as the living+ Father sent me forth and I live because of the Father, he also that feeds on me, even that one will live because of me.+ 58  This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not as when YOUR forefathers ate and yet died. He that feeds on this bread will live forever.”+ 59  These things he said as he was teaching in public assembly at Ca·perʹna·um. 60  Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?”+ 61  But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them: “Does this stumble+ YOU? 62  What, therefore, if YOU should behold the Son of man ascending to where he was before?+ 63  It is the spirit that is life-giving;+ the flesh is of no use at all. The sayings that I have spoken to YOU are* spirit+ and are life.+ 64  But there are some of YOU that do not believe.” For from [the] beginning Jesus knew who were the ones not believing and who was the one that would betray him.+ 65  So he went on to say: “This is why I have said to YOU, No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”+ 66  Owing to this many of his disciples went off to the things behind+ and would no longer walk with him.+ 67  Therefore Jesus said to the twelve: “YOU do not want to go also, do YOU?” 68  Simon Peter+ answered him: “Lord, whom shall we go away to?+ You have sayings of everlasting life;+ 69  and we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”+ 70  Jesus answered them: “I chose YOU twelve,+ did I not? Yet one of YOU is a slanderer.”*+ 71  He was, in fact, speaking of Judas [the son] of Simon Is·carʹi·ot; for this one was going to betray+ him, although one of the twelve.

Footnotes

A denarius was a Roman silver coin that weighed 3.85 g (0.124 oz t).
Lit., “about twenty-five or thirty stadia.” A stadium equaled one eighth of a Roman mile, 185 m (606.75 English ft).
Or, “Master.”
“Me,” P66,​75BD; אASyc,s omit.
Or, “be those taught.”
See App 1D.
“In union with me.” Or, “in me.” Gr., en e·moiʹ.
Or, “mean.” See Mt 12:7 ftn.
Or, “is a devil.” Gr., di·aʹbo·losʹ e·stin.