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48 I am the bread that gives life.

49 Your fathers ate bread in the desert long ago, but they died.

50 Here is bread that comes down from heaven. The person who eats this bread will never die.

51 I am the bread that gives life. I came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live for ever. I will give bread so that the world may live. I am that bread.'

52 The leaders of the Jews began to quarrel with each other about what Jesus said. They said, `How can he give us himself to eat?'

53 Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. If you do not eat the Son of Man and do not drink his blood, you will not have life.

54 Anyone who eats me and drinks my blood will live for ever. I will raise him up at the last day.

55 I am real food, and my blood is real drink.

56 Anyone who eats me and drinks my blood is in me and I in him.

57 My Father is living. He sent me. I have my life from him. In the same way, the person who eats of me will live because of me.

58 This bread which came down from heaven is not like the bread that your fathers ate. They ate bread but they died. Anyone who eats this bread from heaven will live for ever.'

59 Jesus was in the meeting house in Capernaum when he was teaching people these things.

60 Many of his disciples heard it. They said, `This is a hard teaching. Who can listen to it?'

61 But Jesus knew that his disciples did not like what he said. He asked, `Is this hard for you?

62 What would you do if you saw the Son of Man go up to the place where he came from?

63 It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh does not help. The words I say to you are Spirit and life.

64 But even so, some of you do not believe me.' Jesus knew right from the beginning which ones of them would not believe. He knew who was going to give him over to people who hated him.

65 Then Jesus said, `That is why I said to you, "No one can come to me unless my Father lets him come." '

66 After that, many of the followers of Jesus left him and stopped travelling around with him.

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