John 6

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

1 After this, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (or, Lake Tiberias, as it is also called). 2 A large crowd followed him, because they had seen his miracles of healing the sick. 3 Jesus went up a hill and sat down with his disciples. 4 The time for the Passover Festival was near. 5 Jesus looked around and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, so he asked Philip, “Where can we buy enough food to feed all these people?” (

6 He said this to test Philip; actually he already knew what he would do.)

7 Philip answered, “For everyone to have even a little, it would take more than two hundred silver coinst to buy enough bread.”
8 Another one of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter's brother, said,

9 “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But they will certainly not be enough for all these people.”
10 “Make the people sit down,” Jesus told them. (There was a lot of grass there.) So all the people sat down; there were about five thousand men. 11 Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, and they all had as much as they wanted. 12 When they were all full, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces left over; let us not waste a bit.”

13 So they gathered them all and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left over from the five barley loaves which the people had eaten.
14 Seeing this miracle that Jesus had performed, the people there said, “Surely this is the Prophett who was to come into the world!”

15 Jesus knew that they were about to come and seize him in order to make him king by force; so he went off again to the hills by himself.

Jesus Walks on the Water

16 When evening came, Jesus' disciples went down to the lake, 17 got into a boat, and went back across the lake toward Capernaum. Night came on, and Jesus still had not come to them. 18 By then a strong wind was blowing and stirring up the water. 19 The disciples had rowed about three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the water, coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 “Don't be afraid,” Jesus told them, “it is I!”

21 Then they willingly took him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached land at the place they were heading for.

The People Seek Jesus

22 Next day the crowd which had stayed on the other side of the lake realized that there had been only one boat there. They knew that Jesus had not gone in it with his disciples, but that they had left without him. 23 Other boats, which were from Tiberias, came to shore near the place where the crowd had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

24 When the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they got into those boats and went to Capernaum, looking for him.

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Teacher, when did you get here?”
26 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: you are looking for me because you ate the bread and had all you wanted, not because you understood my miracles.

27 Do not work for food that spoils; instead, work for the food that lasts for eternal life. This is the food which the Son of Man will give you, because God, the Father, has put his mark of approval on him.”

28 So they asked him, “What can we do in order to do what God wants us to do?”

29 Jesus answered, “What God wants you to do is to believe in the one he sent.”
30 They replied, “What miracle will you perform so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

31 Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, just as the scripture says, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus said. “What Moses gave you was nott the bread from heaven; it is my Father who gives you the real bread from heaven.

33 For the bread that God gives is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they asked him, “give us this bread always.”
35 “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty. 36 Now, I told you that you have seen me but will not believe. 37 Everyone whom my Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me, 38 because I have come down from heaven to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And it is the will of him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them all to life on the last day.

40 For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day.”
41 The people started grumbling about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

42 So they said, “This man is Jesus son of Joseph, isn't he? We know his father and mother. How, then, does he now say he came down from heaven?”
43 Jesus answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44 People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me; and I will raise them to life on the last day. 45 The prophets wrote, ‘Everyone will be taught by God.’ Anyone who hears the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 This does not mean that anyone has seen the Father; he who is from God is the only one who has seen the Father. 47 I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died. 50 But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die.

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.”

52 This started an angry argument among them. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.
53 Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them to life on the last day. 55 For my flesh is the real food; my blood is the real drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. 57 The living Father sent me, and because of him I live also. In the same way whoever eats me will live because of me.

58 This, then, is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread that your ancestors ate, but then later died. Those who eat this bread will live forever.”

59 Jesus said this as he taught in the synagogue in Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

60 Many of his followers heard this and said, “This teaching is too hard. Who can listen to it?”
61 Without being told, Jesus knew that they were grumbling about this, so he said to them, “Does this make you want to give up? 62 Suppose, then, that you should see the Son of Man go back up to the place where he was before? 63 What gives life is God's Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God's life-giving Spirit. 64 Yet some of you do not believe.” (Jesus knew from the very beginning who were the ones that would not believe and which one would betray him.)

65 And he added, “This is the very reason I told you that no people can come to me unless the Father makes it possible for them to do so.”
66 Because of this, many of Jesus' followers turned back and would not go with him any more.

67 So he asked the twelve disciples, “And you—would you also like to leave?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

69 And now we believe and know that you are the Holy One who has come from God.”
70 Jesus replied, “I chose the twelve of you, didn't I? Yet one of you is a devil!”

71 He was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For Judas, even though he was one of the twelve disciples, was going to betray him.

John 6

1 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.2 And a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick.3 And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.4 Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.5 Jesus therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great multitude cometh unto him, saith unto Philip, Whence are we to buy bread, that these may eat?6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.7 Philip answered him, Two hundred shillings’ worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little.8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,9 There is a lad here, who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?10 Jesus said, Make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.11 Jesus therefore took the loaves; and having given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down; likewise also of the fishes as much as they would.12 And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost.13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which remained over unto them that had eaten.14 When therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said, This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world.15 Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew again into the mountain himself alone.16 And when evening came, his disciples went down unto the sea;17 and they entered into a boat, and were going over the sea unto Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.18 And the sea was rising by reason of a great wind that blew.19 When therefore they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the boat: and they were afraid.20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat: and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.22 On the morrow the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus entered not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone23 (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks):24 when the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.25 And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled.27 Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him the Father, even God, hath sealed.28 They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.30 They said therefore unto him, What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou?31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.32 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven.33 For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world.34 They said therefore unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.35 Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.36 But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not.37 All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.38 For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.39 And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.41 The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, I am the bread which came down out of heaven.42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say, I am come down out of heaven?43 Jesus answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.44 No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day.45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me.46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father.47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life.48 I am the bread of life.49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.50 This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.52 The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?53 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves.54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day.55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him.57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me.58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it?61 But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, Doth this cause you to stumble?62 What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?63 It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him.65 And he said, For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father.66 Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.67 Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, Would ye also go away?68 Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.69 And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.70 Jesus answered them, Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?71 Now he spake of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.