²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. ²⁷ After the time of mourning^(A) was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased^(B) the Lord.

Nathan Rebukes David^(C)

12 The Lord sent Nathan^(D) to David.^(E) When he came to him,^(F) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³ but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

⁴ “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

⁵ David^(G) burned with anger^(H) against the man^(I) and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives,^(J) the man who did this must die! ⁶ He must pay for that lamb four times over,^(K) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!^(L) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed^(M) you^(N) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave your master’s house to you,^(O) and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. ⁹ Why did you despise^(P) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down^(Q) Uriah^(R) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed^(S) him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, the sword^(T) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household^(U) I am going to bring calamity on you.^(V) Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.^{(W) 12} You did it in secret,^(X) but I will do this thing in broad daylight^(Y) before all Israel.’”

¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned^(Z) against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away^(AA) your sin.^(AB) You are not going to die.^(AC)

² In the desert the whole community grumbled^(A) against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(B) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(C) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(D)

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven^(E) for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test^(F) them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

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^(A) of the Lord appearing in the cloud.^(B)

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

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

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

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4 As a prisoner^(A) for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy^(B) of the calling^(C) you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another^(D) in love.^{(E) 3} Make every effort to keep the unity^(F) of the Spirit through the bond of peace.^{(G) 4} There is one body^(H) and one Spirit,^(I) just as you were called to one hope when you were called^(J); ⁵ one Lord,^(K) one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all,^(L) who is over all and through all and in all.^(M)

⁷ But to each one of us^(N) grace^(O) has been given^(P) as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended^(S) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)^{(T) 11} So Christ himself gave^(U) the apostles,^(V) the prophets,^(W) the evangelists,^(X) the pastors and teachers,^{(Y) 12} to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ^(Z) may be built up^{(AA) 13} until we all reach unity^(AB) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(AC) and become mature,^(AD) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants,^(AF) tossed back and forth by the waves,^(AG) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^{(AH) 15} Instead, speaking the truth in love,^(AI) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^(AJ) that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows^(AK) and builds itself up^(AL) in love,^(AM) as each part does its work.

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,^(A) when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,^(B) not because you saw the signs^(C) 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^(D) to eternal life,^(E) which the Son of Man^(F) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal^(G) 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^(H) in the one he has sent.”^(I)

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

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^(N) and gives life to the world.”

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

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(P) the bread of life.^(Q) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(R) in me will never be thirsty.^(S)