Bible Gateway passage: John 6 - New International Version (2024)

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(A)

6Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ²and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs^(B) he had performed by healing the sick. ³Then Jesus went up on a mountainside^(C) and sat down with his disciples. ⁴The Jewish Passover Festival^(D) was near.

⁵When 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?” ⁶He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,^(F) spoke up, ⁹“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”^(G)

¹⁰Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹Jesus 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.

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

¹⁴After 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)

¹⁶When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷where 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. ¹⁸A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. ¹⁹When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[b] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water;^(N) and they were frightened. ²⁰But 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.

²²The 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

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

²⁶Jesus 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. ²⁷Do 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.”

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

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

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

³²Jesus 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. ³³For 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)

³⁵Then 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. ³⁷All those the Father gives me^(AM) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸For 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.”

⁴¹At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴²They 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. ⁴⁵It 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. ⁴⁶No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;^(AZ) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷Very 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. ⁵¹I 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)

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

⁵³Jesus 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. ⁵⁴Whoever 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. ⁵⁶Whoever 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. ⁵⁸This 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

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

⁶¹Aware 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. ⁶⁴Yet 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)

⁶⁶From 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)

⁶⁸Simon 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)

⁷⁰Then 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)