Five Thousand Men Fed

After these things (A)Jesus went away to the other side of (B)the Sea of Galilee (or (C)Tiberias). A large crowd was following Him, because they were watching the [a](D)signs which He was performing on those who were sick. But (E)Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now (F)the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. So Jesus, after raising His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to (G)Philip, “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?” But He was saying this only to (H)test him, for He Himself knew what He intended to do. (I)Philip answered Him, “(J)Two hundred [b]denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, for each to receive just a little!” One of His (K)disciples, (L)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two (M)fish; but what are these for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline to eat.” Now there was (N)plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about [c](O)five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and (P)after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the (Q)fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, He *said to His (R)disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve (S)baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Therefore when the people saw the [d]sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the (T)Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

15 So Jesus, aware that they [e]intended to come and take Him by force (U)to make Him king, (V)withdrew again to (W)the mountain by Himself, alone.

16 Now when evening came, His (X)disciples went down to the sea, 17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea (Y)to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 In addition, the sea began getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing. 19 Then, when they had rowed about [f]twenty-five or thirty stadia, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat; and they were frightened. 20 But He *said to them, “It is I; [g](Z)do not be afraid.” 21 So they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22 The next day (AA)the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus (AB)had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone. 23 Other small boats came from (AC)Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the (AD)Lord (AE)had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and (AF)came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “(AG)Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Words to the People

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you (AH)seek Me, not because you saw [h](AI)signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not (AJ)work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for (AK)eternal life, which (AL)the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, (AM)has set His [i]seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is (AN)the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He (AO)has sent.” 30 So they said to Him, “(AP)What then are You doing as a (AQ)sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 31 (AR)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘(AS)He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is [j]that which (AT)comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always (AU)give us this bread.”

35 Jesus said to them, (AV)I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me (AW)will never be thirsty. 36 But (AX)I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. 37 (AY)Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. 38 For (AZ)I have come down from heaven, (BA)not to do My own will, but (BB)the will of Him who (BC)sent Me. 39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of (BD)everything that He has given Me I will (BE)lose nothing, but will (BF)raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who (BG)sees the Son and (BH)believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will (BI)raise him up on the last day.”

Words to the Jews

41 (BJ)So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that (BK)came down out of heaven.” 42 And they were saying, “(BL)Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother (BM)we know? How does He now say, (BN)I have come down out of heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me (BO)draws him; and I will (BP)raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written (BQ)in the Prophets: ‘(BR)And they shall all be (BS)taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46 (BT)Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes (BU)has eternal life. 48 (BV)I am the bread of life. 49 (BW)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that (BX)comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and (BY)not die. 51 (BZ)I am the living bread that (CA)came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, (CB)he will live forever; and the bread which I will give (CC)for the life of the world also is (CD)My flesh.”

52 (CE)Then the Jews (CF)began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of (CG)the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will (CH)raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood (CI)remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the (CJ)living Father (CK)sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that (CL)came down out of heaven, not as (CM)the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread (CN)will live forever.”

Words to the Disciples

59 These things He said (CO)in the synagogue as He taught (CP)in Capernaum.

60 So then many of His (CQ)disciples, when they heard this, said, “(CR)This statement is very [k]unpleasant; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, (CS)aware that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, “Is this [l](CT)offensive to you? 62 What then if you see (CU)the Son of Man (CV)ascending to where He was before? 63 (CW)It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; (CX)the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. 64 But there are (CY)some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus (CZ)knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and (DA)who it was who would [m]betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have (DB)told you that no one can come to Me unless (DC)it has been granted him from the Father.”

Peter’s Confession of Faith

66 As a result of this many of His (DD)disciples (DE)left, and would no longer walk with Him. 67 So Jesus said to (DF)the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?” 68 (DG)Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (DH)words of eternal life. 69 And we have already believed and have come to know that You are (DI)the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, (DJ)Did I Myself not choose you, (DK)the twelve? And yet one of you is (DL)a devil.” 71 Now He meant Judas (DM)the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, (DN)one of (DO)the twelve, [n]was going to betray Him.

Footnotes

  1. John 6:2 I.e., confirming miracles
  2. John 6:7 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  3. John 6:10 I.e., 5,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 14:21
  4. John 6:14 I.e., confirming miracle
  5. John 6:15 Or were about
  6. John 6:19 Possibly 3-4 miles or 4.8-6.4 km; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
  7. John 6:20 Or stop being afraid
  8. John 6:26 I.e., confirming miracles
  9. John 6:27 I.e., of identification or authenticity
  10. John 6:33 Or He who comes
  11. John 6:60 Or hard
  12. John 6:61 Or shocking
  13. John 6:64 Or hand Him over
  14. John 6:71 Or was intending to

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand(A)

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs(B) he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside(C) and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival(D) was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip,(E) “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,(F) spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”(G)

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,(H) and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign(I) Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”(J) 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king(K) by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.(L)

Jesus Walks on the Water(M)

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[b] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water;(N) and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”(O) 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake(P) realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.(Q) 23 Then some boats from Tiberias(R) landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.(S) 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi,(T) when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,(U) not because you saw the signs(V) I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures(W) to eternal life,(X) which the Son of Man(Y) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal(Z) of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe(AA) in the one he has sent.”(AB)

30 So they asked him, “What sign(AC) then will you give that we may see it and believe you?(AD) What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna(AE) in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c](AF)

32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven(AG) and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”(AH)

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am(AI) the bread of life.(AJ) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes(AK) in me will never be thirsty.(AL) 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me(AM) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven(AN) not to do my will but to do the will(AO) of him who sent me.(AP) 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,(AQ) but raise them up at the last day.(AR) 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son(AS) and believes in him shall have eternal life,(AT) and I will raise them up at the last day.”

41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,(AU) whose father and mother we know?(AV) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”(AW)

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,(AX) and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[d](AY) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;(AZ) only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.(BA) 48 I am the bread of life.(BB) 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.(BC) 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,(BD) which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread(BE) that came down from heaven.(BF) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”(BG)

52 Then the Jews(BH) began to argue sharply among themselves,(BI) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh(BJ) of the Son of Man(BK) and drink his blood,(BL) you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.(BM) 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.(BN) 57 Just as the living Father sent me(BO) and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”(BP) 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples(BQ) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”(BR)

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?(BS) 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man(BT) ascend to where he was before!(BU) 63 The Spirit gives life;(BV) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known(BW) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.(BX) 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”(BY)

66 From this time many of his disciples(BZ) turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.(CA)

68 Simon Peter answered him,(CB) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.(CC) 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”(CD)

70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you,(CE) the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”(CF) 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,(CG) who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)(CH)

Footnotes

  1. John 6:7 Greek take two hundred denarii
  2. John 6:19 Or about 5 or 6 kilometers
  3. John 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25
  4. John 6:45 Isaiah 54:13
  5. John 6:63 Or are Spirit; or are spirit