John, 6

1. After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias,

2. and large crowds followed him because of the miraculous signs they saw when he healed the sick.

3. So he went up into the hills and sat down there with his disciples.

4. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

5. Then lifting up his eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to him and said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?"

6. He said this to test Philip, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

7. Philip answered him, "Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece."

8. Then one of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said,

9. "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?"

10. Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." There was plenty of grass there so the people, about five thousand men, sat down to rest.

11. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish and gave them as much as they wanted.

12. And when they had eaten enough, he told his disciples, "Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost."

13. So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is with pieces of the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.

14. When the people saw this sign that Jesus had just given, they said, "This is really the Prophet, he who is to come into the world."

15. Jesus realized that they would come and take him by force to make him king; so he fled to the hills by himself.

16. When evening came, the disciples went down to the shore.

17. After a while they got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the sea, for it was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them.

18. But the sea was getting rough because a strong wind was blowing.

19. They had rowed about three or four miles, when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and he was drawing near to the boat. They were frightened,

20. but he said to them, "It is Me; don't be afraid."

21. They wanted to take him into the boat, but immediately the boat was at the shore to which they were going.

22. Next day the people who had stayed on the other side realized that only one boat had been there and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples; rather, the disciples had gone away alone.

23. Bigger boats from Tiberias came near the place where all these people had eaten the bread.

24. When they saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

25. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Master, when did you come here?"

26. Jesus answered, "Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen through the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied.

27. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for he is the one the Father has marked."

28. Then the Jews asked him, "What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?"

29. And Jesus answered them, "The work God wants is this: that you believe in the One whom God has sent."

30. They then said, "Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe you. What sign do you perform?

31. Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says: They were given bread from heaven to eat."

32. Jesus then said to them, "Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

33. The bread God gives is the One who comes from heaven and gives life to the world."

34. And they said to him, "Give us this bread always."

35. Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty.

36. Nevertheless, as I said, you refuse to believe, even when you have seen.

37. Yet, all that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I shall not turn away.

38. For I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the One who sent me.

39. And the will of him who sent me is that I lose nothing of what he has given me, but instead that I raise it up on the last day.

40. This is the will of the Father, that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall live with eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day."

41. The Jews murmured because Jesus had said, "I am the bread which comes from heaven."

42. And they said, "This man is the son of Joseph, isn't he? We know his father and mother. How can he say that he has come from heaven?"

43. Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.

44. No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day.

45. It has been written in the Prophets: They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me.

46. For no one has seen the Father except the One who comes from God; he has seen the Father.

47. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

48. I am the bread of life.

49. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died.

50. But here you have the bread which comes from heaven so that you may eat of it and not die.

51. I am the living bread which has come from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread I shall give is my flesh and I will give it for the life of the world."

52. The Jews were arguing among themselves, "How can this man give us flesh to eat?"

53. So Jesus replied, "Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

54. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood live with eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day.

55. My flesh is really food and my blood is drink.

56. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, live in me and I in them.

57. Just as the Father, who is life, sent me and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats me will have life from me.

58. This is the bread which came from heaven; unlike that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever."

59. Jesus spoke in this way in Capernaum when he taught them in the synagogue.

60. After hearing this, many of Jesus' followers said, "This language is very hard! Who can accept it?"

61. Jesus was aware that his disciples were murmuring about this and so he said to them, "Does this offend you?

62. Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?

63. It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh cannot help. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

64. But among you there are some who do not believe." From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray him.

65. So he added, "As I have told you, no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father."

66. After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him.

67. Jesus asked the Twelve, "Will you also go away?"

68. Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

69. We now believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

70. Jesus said to them, "I chose you, the Twelve, did I not? Yet one of you is a devil."

71. Jesus spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. He, one of the Twelve, was to betray him.