John

The Gospel according to Saint John, chapter 6, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 6 New English Translation

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

   1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). 2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. 3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside and sat down there with his disciples. 4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover was near. ) 5 Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?" 6 (Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do. ) 7 Philip replied, "Two hundred silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little." 8 One of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 "Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?"
   10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." (Now there was a lot of grass in that place. ) So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, "Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted." 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves left over by the people who had eaten.
   14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, "This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone.

Walking on Water

   16 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake to Capernaum. (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. ) 18 By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. 19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, approaching the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid." 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.
   22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake realized that only one small boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 But some boats from Tiberias came to shore near the place where they had eaten the bread after the LORD had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

Jesus' Discourse About the Bread of Life

   25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus replied, "I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. 27 Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life - the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him."
   28 So then they said to him, "What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?" 29 Jesus replied, "This is the deed God requires - to believe in the one whom he sent." 30 So they said to him, "Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
   32 Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the solemn truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread all the time!"
   35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me - that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father - for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
   41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began complaining about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven, " 42 and they said, "Isn't this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" 43 Jesus replied, "Do not complain about me to one another. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God - he has seen the Father. ) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
   52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of 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 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 resides in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate, but then later died. The one who eats this bread will live forever."

Many Followers Depart

   59 Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, said, "This is a difficult saying! Who can understand it?" 61 When Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about this, he said to them, "Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him. ) 65 So Jesus added, "Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come."

Peter's Confession

   66 After this many of his disciples quit following him and did not accompany him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "You don't want to go away too, do you?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "LORD, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!" 70 Jesus replied, "Didn't I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?" 71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, for Judas, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. )

King James Version

   1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
   2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
   3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
   4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
   5 ¶ When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we 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 pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
   8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
   9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
   10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
   11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
   12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
   13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
   14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
   15 ¶ When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
   16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
   17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
   18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
   19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
   20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
   21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
   22 ¶ The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
   23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
   24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
   25 And when they had 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 the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
   27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
   28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might 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 sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
   31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
   32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
   33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
   34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
   35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
   36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
   37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
   38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
   39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
   40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
   41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.
   42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?
   43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
   44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
   45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
   46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
   47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
   48 I am that bread of life.
   49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
   50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
   51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
   52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
   53 Then Jesus 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 no life in you.
   54 Whoso 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, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
   57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
   58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of 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 had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
   61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
   62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
   63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they 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 should betray him.
   65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
   66 ¶ From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
   67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
   68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
   69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
   70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
   71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.