¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know^(A) what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread^(B) the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer^[a](C) for each person you have in your tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.^(D) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”^(E)

²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.^(F) So Moses was angry^(G) with them.

²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. ²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice^(H) as much—two omers^[b] for each person—and the leaders of the community^(I) came and reported this to Moses. ²³ He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath^(J) to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

²⁴ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. ²⁵ “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. ²⁶ Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,^(K) there will not be any.”

²⁷ Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. ²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you^[c] refuse to keep my commands^(L) and my instructions? ²⁹ Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna.^[d](M) It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

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)

Instructions for Christian Living

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer^(A) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.^{(B) 18} They are darkened in their understanding^(C) and separated from the life of God^(D) because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.^{(E) 19} Having lost all sensitivity,^(F) they have given themselves over^(G) to sensuality^(H) so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off^(I) your old self,^(J) which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;^{(K) 23} to be made new in the attitude of your minds;^{(L) 24} and to put on^(M) the new self,^(N) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.^(O)