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John 6:25-71
New Century Version
John 6:25-71
New Century Version
Jesus, the Bread of Life
25 When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Teacher, when did you come here?”
26 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you aren’t looking for me because you saw me do miracles. You are looking for me because you ate the bread and were satisfied. 27 Don’t work for the food that spoils. Work for the food that stays good always and gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give you this food, because on him God the Father has put his power.”
28 The people asked Jesus, “What are the things God wants us to do?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: Believe the One he sent.”
30 So the people asked, “What miracle will you do? If we see a miracle, we will believe you. What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert. This is written in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”[a]
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven; it is my Father who is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 God’s bread is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 The people said, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you before, you have seen me and still don’t believe. 37 The Father gives me the people who are mine. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them. 38 I came down from heaven to do what God wants me to do, not what I want to do. 39 Here is what the One who sent me wants me to do: I must not lose even one whom God gave me, but I must raise them all on the last day. 40 Those who see the Son and believe in him have eternal life, and I will raise them on the last day. This is what my Father wants.”
41 Some people began to complain about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that comes down from heaven.” 42 They said, “This is Jesus, the son of Joseph. We know his father and mother. How can he say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 But Jesus answered, “Stop complaining to each other. 44 The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’[b] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread that gives life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but still they died. 50 Here is the bread that comes down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give up so that the world may have life.”
52 Then the evil people began to argue among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
53 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. Otherwise, you won’t have real life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day. 55 My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. 57 The living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father. So whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 I am not like the bread your ancestors ate. They ate that bread and still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said all these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 When the followers of Jesus heard this, many of them said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”
61 Knowing that his followers were complaining about this, Jesus said, “Does this teaching bother you? 62 Then will it also bother you to see the Son of Man going back to the place where he came from? 63 It is the Spirit that gives life. The flesh doesn’t give life. The words I told you are spirit, and they give life. 64 But some of you don’t believe.” (Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would turn against him.) 65 Jesus said, “That is the reason I said, ‘If the Father does not bring a person to me, that one cannot come.’”
66 After Jesus said this, many of his followers left him and stopped following him.
67 Jesus asked the twelve followers, “Do you want to leave, too?”
68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, who would we go to? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One from God.”
70 Then Jesus answered, “I chose all twelve of you, but one of you is a devil.”
71 Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Judas was one of the twelve, but later he was going to turn against Jesus.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 6:31 ‘He gave . . . eat.’ Quotation from Psalm 78:24.
- 6:45 ‘They . . . God.’ Quotation from Isaiah 54:13.
John 6:25-71
New International Version
John 6:25-71
New International Version
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) 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me(T) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven(U) not to do my will but to do the will(V) of him who sent me.(W) 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,(X) but raise them up at the last day.(Y) 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son(Z) and believes in him shall have eternal life,(AA) and I will raise them up at the last day.”
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,(AB) whose father and mother we know?(AC) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”(AD)
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,(AE) and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[b](AF) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;(AG) only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.(AH) 48 I am the bread of life.(AI) 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.(AJ) 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,(AK) which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread(AL) that came down from heaven.(AM) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”(AN)
52 Then the Jews(AO) began to argue sharply among themselves,(AP) “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(AQ) of the Son of Man(AR) and drink his blood,(AS) 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.(AT) 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.(AU) 57 Just as the living Father sent me(AV) 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.”(AW) 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Desert Jesus
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples(AX) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”(AY)
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?(AZ) 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man(BA) ascend to where he was before!(BB) 63 The Spirit gives life;(BC) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[c] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known(BD) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.(BE) 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”(BF)
66 From this time many of his disciples(BG) turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.(BH)
68 Simon Peter answered him,(BI) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.(BJ) 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”(BK)
70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you,(BL) the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”(BM) 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,(BN) who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)(BO)
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