The Bread of Life

²² The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea knew there had been only one boat.^[a](A) They also knew that Jesus had not boarded the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone off alone. ²³ Some boats from Tiberias^(B) came near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord gave thanks. ²⁴ When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

²⁵ When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi,^(C) when did You get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “I assure you: You are looking for Me, not because you saw^[b] the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Don’t work for the food that perishes^(D) but for the food that lasts for eternal life,^(E) which the Son of Man^(F) will give you, because God the Father^(G) has set His seal of approval on Him.”

²⁸ “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.

²⁹ Jesus replied, “This is the work^(H) of God—that you believe in the One He has sent.”^(I)

³⁰ “What sign then are You going to do so we may see and believe You?” they asked. “What are You going to perform? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna^(J) in the wilderness,^(K) just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”^[c](L)[d]

³² Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Moses^(M) didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the real bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always!”

³⁵ “I am^(N) the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to Me^(O) will ever be hungry,^(P) and no one who believes in Me^(Q) will ever be thirsty^(R) again. ³⁶ But as I told you, you’ve seen Me,^[e] and yet you do not believe. ³⁷ Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.^{(S) 38} For I have come down from heaven,^(T) not to do My will, but the will of Him^(U) who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of Him who sent Me: that I should lose none of those He has given Me but should raise^(V) them up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father:^(W) that everyone who sees the Son^(X) and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise^(Y) him up on the last day.”

⁴¹ Therefore the Jews started complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph,^(Z) whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws^[f] him, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets:^(AA) And they will all be taught by God.^(AB)[g] Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father^(AC) comes to Me— ⁴⁶ not that anyone has seen the Father^(AD) except the One who is from God.^(AE) He has seen the Father.^(AF)

⁴⁷ “I assure you: Anyone who believes^[h] has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna^(AG) in the wilderness,^(AH) and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.^{(AI) 51} I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live^(AJ) forever.^(AK) The bread that I will give for the life^(AL) of the world is My flesh.”^(AM)

⁵² At that, the Jews argued^(AN) among themselves,^(AO) “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man^(AP) and drink His blood,^(AQ) you do not have life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood^(AR) has eternal life, and I will raise^(AS) him up on the last day, ⁵⁵ because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. ⁵⁶ The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him.^{(AT) 57} Just as the living^(AU) Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live^(AV) because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna^[i] your fathers ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”^(AW)

⁵⁹ He said these things while teaching in the synagogue^(AX) in Capernaum.^(AY)

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept^[j] it?”

⁶¹ Jesus, knowing in Himself^(AZ) that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man^(BA) ascending^(BB) to where He was before? ⁶³ The Spirit^(BC) is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning^(BD) those who would not^[k] believe and the one who would betray^(BE) Him.) ⁶⁵ He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me^(BF) unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him. ⁶⁷ Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve,^(BG) “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter^(BH) answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!”^[l](BI)

⁷⁰ Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve?^(BJ) Yet one of you is the Devil!”^{(BK) 71} He was referring to Judas,^(BL) Simon Iscariot’s son,^[m][n] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray^(BM) Him.

The Traditions of the Elders

7 The^(A) Pharisees^(B) and some of the scribes^(C) who had come from Jerusalem^(D) gathered around Him. ² They observed that some of His disciples were eating their bread with unclean^(E)—that is, unwashed—hands. ³ (For the Pharisees, in fact all the Jews, will not eat unless they wash their hands ritually, keeping the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace,^(F) they do not eat unless they have washed.^(G) And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, jugs, copper utensils, and dining couches.^[a](H)) ⁵ Then the Pharisees^(I) and the scribes^(J) asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders,^(K) instead of eating bread with ritually unclean^[b] hands?”

⁶ He answered them, “Isaiah^(L) prophesied^(M) correctly about you hypocrites,^(N) as it is written:^(O)

⁸ Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”^{[d] 9} He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain^[e] your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses^(U) said:

¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit^(X) you might have received from me is Corban’” (that is, a gift^(Y) committed to the temple), ¹² “you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. ¹³ You revoke God’s word^(Z) by your tradition that you have handed^(AA) down. And you do many other similar things.” ¹⁴ Summoning^(AB) the crowd again, He told them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:^{(AC) 15} Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. [¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!]”^[h]

¹⁷ When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable. ¹⁸ And He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him? ¹⁹ For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach^(AD) and is eliminated.”^[i] (As a result, He made all foods clean.^[j](AE)) ²⁰ Then He said, “What comes out of a person—that defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities,^(AF) thefts, murders,^{(AG) 22} adulteries,^(AH) greed,^(AI) evil actions, deceit,^(AJ) promiscuity,^(AK) stinginess,^[k] blasphemy,^(AL) pride,^(AM) and foolishness.^{(AN) 23} All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

The Tradition of the Elders

15 Then^(A) Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked,^{(B) 2} “Why do Your disciples^(C) break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat!”^[a](D)

³ He answered them, “And why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said:^[b]

⁵ But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple”— ⁶ he does not have to honor his father.’^[e] In this way, you have revoked God’s word^[f] because of your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:

Defilement Is from Within

¹⁰ Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: ¹¹ It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles^(H) a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”^(I)

¹² Then the disciples came up and told Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?”

¹³ He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.^{(J) 14} Leave them alone! They are blind guides.^[i] And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”^(K)

¹⁵ Then Peter replied to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”^(L)

¹⁶ “Are even you still lacking in understanding?” He^[j] asked. ¹⁷ “Don’t you realize^[k] that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?^{[l] 18} But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.^{(M) 19} For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,^(N) blasphemies.^{(O) 20} These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”^(P)