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

⁵² Then the Jews^(G) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(H) “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^(I) of the Son of Man^(J) and drink his blood,^(K) 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.^{(L) 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.^{(M) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(N) 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.”^(O)

Manna and Quail

16 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,^(A) which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.^{(B) 2} In the desert the whole community grumbled^(C) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(D) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(E) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(F)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(G) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(H) 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^(I) as much as they gather on the other days.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt,^{(J) 7} and in the morning you will see the glory^(K) of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling^(L) against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”^{(M) 8} Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling^(N) against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”^(O)

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory^(P) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.^(Q)

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the grumbling^(R) 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.’”^(S)

¹³ That evening quail^(T) came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew^(U) around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost^(V) 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^(W) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread^(X) the Lord has given you to eat.