The Beginning

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(A)

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

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

⁷ 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!”

⁸ Another 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)

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)

16 “All this^(A) I have told you so that you will not fall away.^{(B) 2} They will put you out of the synagogue;^(C) in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.^{(D) 3} They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.^{(E) 4} I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember^(F) that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,^{(G) 5} but now I am going to him who sent me.^(H) None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’^{(I) 6} Rather, you are filled with grief^(J) because I have said these things. ⁷ But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate^(K) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.^{(L) 8} When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ about sin,^(M) because people do not believe in me; ¹⁰ about righteousness,^(N) because I am going to the Father,^(O) where you can see me no longer; ¹¹ and about judgment, because the prince of this world^(P) now stands condemned.

¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.^{(Q) 13} But when he, the Spirit of truth,^(R) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.^(S) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine.^(T) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy

¹⁶ Jesus went on to say, “In a little while^(U) you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”^(V)

¹⁷ At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’^(W) and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”^{(X) 18} They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

¹⁹ Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? ²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn^(Y) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.^{(Z) 21} A woman giving birth to a child has pain^(AA) because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief,^(AB) but I will see you again^(AC) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.^{(AD) 23} In that day^(AE) you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.^{(AF) 24} Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive,^(AG) and your joy will be complete.^(AH)

²⁵ “Though I have been speaking figuratively,^(AI) a time is coming^(AJ) when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name.^(AK) I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me^(AL) and have believed that I came from God.^{(AM) 28} I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”^(AN)

²⁹ Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.^{(AO) 30} Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe^(AP) that you came from God.”^(AQ)

³¹ “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. ³² “A time is coming^(AR) and in fact has come when you will be scattered,^(AS) each to your own home. You will leave me all alone.^(AT) Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.^(AU)

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.^(AV) In this world you will have trouble.^(AW) But take heart! I have overcome^(AX) the world.”