⁹ The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees^(A) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life^(B) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.^(C)

¹⁰ A river^(D) watering the garden flowed from Eden;^(E) from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,^(F) where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin^[a](G) and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.^{[b] 14} The name of the third river is the Tigris;^(H) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.^(I)

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden^(J) to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;^{(K) 17} but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,^(L) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”^(M)

¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.^(A) Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water^(B) welling up to eternal life.”^(C)

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

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

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^(G) and gives life to the world.”

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

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(I) the bread of life.^(J) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(K) in me will never be thirsty.^{(L) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(M) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(N) not to do my will but to do the will^(O) of him who sent me.^{(P) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(Q) but raise them up at the last day.^{(R) 40} For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(S) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(T) 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,^(U) whose father and mother we know?^(V) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”^(W)

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(X) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[b](Y) 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;^(Z) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(AA) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(AB) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(AC) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(AD) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(AE) that came down from heaven.^(AF) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(AG)

⁵² Then the Jews^(AH) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(AI) “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^(AJ) of the Son of Man^(AK) and drink his blood,^(AL) 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.^{(AM) 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.^{(AN) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(AO) 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.”^{(AP) 59} He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

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

⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?^{(AS) 62} Then what if you see the Son of Man^(AT) ascend to where he was before!^{(AU) 63} The Spirit gives life;^(AV) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[c] and life.

²⁸ I give them eternal life,^(A) and they shall never perish;^(B) no one will snatch them out of my hand.^(C)

²² And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,^(A) knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life^(B) and eat, and live forever.”