The Bread from Heaven

²² On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except ^[a]that one ^[b]which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— ²³ however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— ²⁴ when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, ^(A)seeking Jesus. ²⁵ And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ^27 (B)Do not labor for the food which perishes, but ^(C)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, ^(D)because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

²⁸ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, ^(E)“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

³⁰ Therefore they said to Him, ^(F)“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? ^31 (G)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ^(H)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

³² Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but ^(I)My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

^34 (J)Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

³⁵ And Jesus said to them, ^(K)“I am the bread of life. ^(L)He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never ^(M)thirst. ^36 (N)But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet ^(O)do not believe. ^37 (P)All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and ^(Q)the one who comes to Me I will ^[c]by no means cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, ^(R)not to do My own will, ^(S)but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of the Father who sent Me, ^(T)that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ⁴⁰ And this is the will of Him who sent Me, ^(U)that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Rejected by His Own

⁴¹ The Jews then ^[d]complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” ⁴² And they said, ^(V)“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus therefore answered and said to them, ^[e]“Do not murmur among yourselves. ^44 (W)No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me ^(X)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the prophets, ^(Y)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ ^(Z)Therefore everyone who ^[f]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. ^46 (AA)Not that anyone has seen the Father, ^(AB)except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(AC)he who believes ^[g]in Me has everlasting life. ^48 (AD)I am the bread of life. ^49 (AE)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ^50 (AF)This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread ^(AG)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and ^(AH)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

⁵² The Jews therefore ^(AI)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless ^(AJ)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ^54 (AK)Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is ^[h]food indeed, and My blood is ^[i]drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood ^(AL)abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. ^58 (AM)This is the bread which came down from heaven—not ^(AN)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

⁵⁹ These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Turn Away

^60 (AO)Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a ^[j]hard saying; who can understand it?”

⁶¹ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples ^[k]complained about this, He said to them, “Does this ^[l]offend you? ^62 (AP)What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? ^63 (AQ)It is the Spirit who gives life; the ^(AR)flesh profits nothing. The ^(AS)words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ⁶⁴ But ^(AT)there are some of you who do not believe.” For ^(AU)Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He said, “Therefore ^(AV)I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

^66 (AW)From that time many of His disciples went ^[m]back and walked with Him no more. ⁶⁷ Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

⁶⁸ But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^(AX)the words of eternal life. ^69 (AY)Also we have come to believe and know that You are the ^[n]Christ, the Son of the living God.”

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, ^(AZ)“Did I not choose you, the twelve, ^(BA)and one of you is a devil?” ⁷¹ He spoke of ^(BB)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would ^(BC)betray Him, being one of the twelve.

Defilement Comes from Within^(A)

7 Then ^(B)the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. ² Now ^[a]when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with ^(C)unwashed hands, ^[b]they found fault. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ^[c]in a special way, holding the ^(D)tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

^5 (E)Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you ^(F)hypocrites, as it is written:

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—^[d]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

⁹ He said to them, “All too well ^(H)you ^[e]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ^(I)‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ^(J)‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, ^(K)“Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

^14 (L)When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and ^(M)understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that ^(N)defile a man. ^16 (O)If^[f] anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

^17 (P)When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. ¹⁸ So He said to them, ^(Q)“Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, ^[g]thus purifying all foods?” ²⁰ And He said, ^(R)“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. ^21 (S)For from within, out of the heart of men, ^(T)proceed evil thoughts, ^(U)adulteries, ^(V)fornications, murders, ²² thefts, ^(W)covetousness, wickedness, ^(X)deceit, ^(Y)lewdness, an evil eye, ^(Z)blasphemy, ^(AA)pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Defilement Comes from Within^(A)

15 Then ^(B)the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ^2 (C)“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³ He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, saying, ^(D)‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ^(E)‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, ^(F)“Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— ⁶ then he need not honor his father ^[a]or mother.’ Thus you have made the ^[b]commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. ^7 (G)Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

^10 (J)When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: ^11 (K)Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

¹³ But He answered and said, ^(L)“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone. ^(M)They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

^15 (N)Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

¹⁶ So Jesus said, ^(O)“Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not yet understand that ^(P)whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? ¹⁸ But ^(Q)those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. ^19 (R)For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. ²⁰ These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”