² In the desert the whole community grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(B) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(C) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(D)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(E) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(F) them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice^(G) as much as they gather on the other days.”

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the grumbling^(A) of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”^(B)

¹³ That evening quail^(C) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew^(D) around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost^(E) on the ground appeared on the desert floor. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know^(F) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread^(G) the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer^[a](H) for each person you have in your tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.^(I) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”^(J)

²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.^(K) So Moses was angry^(L) with them.

²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. ²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice^(M) as much—two omers^[b] for each person—and the leaders of the community^(N) came and reported this to Moses. ²³ He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath^(O) to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

²⁴ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. ²⁵ “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. ²⁶ Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,^(P) there will not be any.”

²⁷ Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna.^[a](A) It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Jesus the Bread of Life

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

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,^(B) not because you saw the signs^(C) 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^(D) to eternal life,^(E) which the Son of Man^(F) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal^(G) 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^(H) in the one he has sent.”^(I)

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

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^(N) and gives life to the world.”

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

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(P) the bread of life.^(Q) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(R) in me will never be thirsty.^(S)

⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(A) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(B) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(C) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(D) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(E) that came down from heaven.^(F) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(G)