³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am^(A) the bread of life.^(B) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(C) in me will never be thirsty.^{(D) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(E) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(F) not to do my will but to do the will^(G) of him who sent me.^{(H) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(I) but raise them up at the last day.^{(J) 40} For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(K) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(L) 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,^(M) whose father and mother we know?^(N) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”^(O)

⁴³ “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(P) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’^[a](Q) 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;^(R) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(S) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(T) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(U) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(V) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(W) that came down from heaven.^(X) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”^(Y)

⁵² Then the Jews^(Z) began to argue sharply among themselves,^(AA) “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^(AB) of the Son of Man^(AC) and drink his blood,^(AD) 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.^{(AE) 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.^{(AF) 57} Just as the living Father sent me^(AG) 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.”^{(AH) 59} He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of his disciples^(AI) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”^(AJ)

⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?^{(AK) 62} Then what if you see the Son of Man^(AL) ascend to where he was before!^{(AM) 63} The Spirit gives life;^(AN) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[b] and life. ⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known^(AO) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.^{(AP) 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.”^(AQ)

⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples^(AR) turned back and no longer followed him.

⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.^(AS)

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him,^(AT) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.^{(AU) 69} We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”^(AV)

⁷⁰ Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you,^(AW) the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”^{(AX) 71} (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,^(AY) who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)^(AZ)