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John 6

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John 6

Feeding the Five Thousand

1After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tibe'ri-as. 2And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3Jesus went up into the hills, and there sat down with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" 6This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7Philip answered him, "Two hundred denariia would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" 10Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." 13So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. 14When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!"

15Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by himself.

Jesus Walks on the Water

16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Caper'na-um. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles,b they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, 20but he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." 21Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

The Bread from Heaven

22On the next day the people who remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23However, boats from Tibe'ri-as came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caper'na-um, seeking Jesus.

25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." 28Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " 32Jesus then said to them, "Truly, 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. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." 34They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."

35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

41The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" 43Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."

52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; 54he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever." 59This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.

The Words of Eternal Life

60Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that should betray him. 65And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

66After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67Jesus said to the twelve, "Will you also go away?" 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." 70Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" 71He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was to betray him.