1 After this, Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A great multitude was following Him, because they were seeing the signs that He was performing on those who were sick. 3 Jesus went up on a mountain side, and sat down with His disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Feast was near. 5 Jesus looked up, and saw that a great multitude was coming to Him, so He asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for He knew what He would do.

7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii*One denarius was the usual wage for one day of labor. worth of bread wouldn’t even be enough for everyone to receive a little!” 8 One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what is that among so many people?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there, so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down. He did likewise with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were filled, He told His disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces, so that nothing may be wasted.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.

14 When the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 When Jesus perceived that they meant to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by Himself.

16 When evening came, Jesus’ disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 The sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,†25 to 30 stadia equals about 3 to 4 miles or about 5 to 6 kilometers. they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat. They were terrified, 20 but He told them, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly took Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

22 The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not gone in the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away alone. 23 Then some other boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the crowd 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 sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27  Don’t labor for perishable food, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

28 Then they asked Him, “What must we do to do God’s works?”

29 Jesus answered them, “This is God’s work, that you believe in Him who He has sent.”

30 Therefore they asked Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness. As it’s written, ‘He gave them bread from Heaven to eat.’ ”‡Exodus 16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24-25

32 Jesus told them, “Most assuredly, I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from Heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. 33  For God’s bread is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread forever.”

35 Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36  As I told you, you have seen me, and yet you still don’t believe. 37  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38  I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. 39  This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all He has given me I should lose none, but should raise them up at the last day. 40  This is also the will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise them up at the last day.”

41 The Jews then grumbled about Jesus, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from Heaven.” 42 They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He claim, ‘I have come down from Heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44  No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45  It’s written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’§Isaiah 54:13 Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46  Nobody has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He has seen the Father. 47  Most assuredly, I tell you, everyone who believes in me has everlasting life. 48  I am the bread of life. 49  Your forefathers ate manna in the wilderness, but they died. 50  This is the bread which comes down from Heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51  I am the living bread that came down from Heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 Therefore the Jews argued among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

53 Then Jesus told them, “Most assuredly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person up at the last day, 55  for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56  One who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in that person. 57  Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58  This is the bread which came down from Heaven, not like the manna your forefathers ate, and died. A person who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue**A synagogue is a Jewish congregation. “Synagogue” also refers to the place where they gather to worship God. at Capernaum.

60 Therefore when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can stand to hear it?”

61 Jesus, aware that his disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? 62  What if you saw the Son of Man ascend to where He was before? 63  The Spirit gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and life. 64  Yet there are some of you who don’t believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning who didn’t believe, and who would betray Him. 65 He said, “For this reason I have told you, that no one can come to me, unless it has been granted by the Father.”

66 Because of this, many of His disciples turned back and didn’t walk with him any more. 67 Then Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you want to go away, too?”

68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, who will we go to? You have words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

70 Jesus answered, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, yet one of you is a slanderer††Literally, a devil (diabolos) — one prone to slander, and accusing falsely.?” 71 He was speaking of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.