Five Thousand Men Fed

After these things (A)Jesus went away to the other side of (B)the Sea of Galilee (or (C)Tiberias). A large crowd was following Him, because they were watching the [a](D)signs which He was performing on those who were sick. But (E)Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. Now (F)the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. So Jesus, after raising His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to (G)Philip, “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?” But He was saying this only to (H)test him, for He Himself knew what He intended to do. (I)Philip answered Him, “(J)Two hundred [b]denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, for each to receive just a little!” One of His (K)disciples, (L)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two (M)fish; but what are these for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline to eat.” Now there was (N)plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about [c](O)five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and (P)after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the (Q)fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, He *said to His (R)disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve (S)baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Therefore when the people saw the [d]sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the (T)Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

15 So Jesus, aware that they [e]intended to come and take Him by force (U)to make Him king, (V)withdrew again to (W)the mountain by Himself, alone.

16 Now when evening came, His (X)disciples went down to the sea, 17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea (Y)to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 In addition, the sea began getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing. 19 Then, when they had rowed about [f]twenty-five or thirty stadia, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat; and they were frightened. 20 But He *said to them, “It is I; [g](Z)do not be afraid.” 21 So they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

22 The next day (AA)the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus (AB)had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone. 23 Other small boats came from (AC)Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the (AD)Lord (AE)had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and (AF)came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “(AG)Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Words to the People

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you (AH)seek Me, not because you saw [h](AI)signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not (AJ)work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for (AK)eternal life, which (AL)the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, (AM)has set His [i]seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is (AN)the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He (AO)has sent.” 30 So they said to Him, “(AP)What then are You doing as a (AQ)sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 31 (AR)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘(AS)He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is [j]that which (AT)comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always (AU)give us this bread.”

35 Jesus said to them, (AV)I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me (AW)will never be thirsty. 36 But (AX)I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. 37 (AY)Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. 38 For (AZ)I have come down from heaven, (BA)not to do My own will, but (BB)the will of Him who (BC)sent Me. 39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of (BD)everything that He has given Me I will (BE)lose nothing, but will (BF)raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who (BG)sees the Son and (BH)believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will (BI)raise him up on the last day.”

Words to the Jews

41 (BJ)So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that (BK)came down out of heaven.” 42 And they were saying, “(BL)Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother (BM)we know? How does He now say, (BN)I have come down out of heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me (BO)draws him; and I will (BP)raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written (BQ)in the Prophets: ‘(BR)And they shall all be (BS)taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. 46 (BT)Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes (BU)has eternal life. 48 (BV)I am the bread of life. 49 (BW)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that (BX)comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and (BY)not die. 51 (BZ)I am the living bread that (CA)came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, (CB)he will live forever; and the bread which I will give (CC)for the life of the world also is (CD)My flesh.”

52 (CE)Then the Jews (CF)began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of (CG)the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will (CH)raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood (CI)remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the (CJ)living Father (CK)sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that (CL)came down out of heaven, not as (CM)the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread (CN)will live forever.”

Words to the Disciples

59 These things He said (CO)in the synagogue as He taught (CP)in Capernaum.

60 So then many of His (CQ)disciples, when they heard this, said, “(CR)This statement is very [k]unpleasant; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, (CS)aware that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, “Is this [l](CT)offensive to you? 62 What then if you see (CU)the Son of Man (CV)ascending to where He was before? 63 (CW)It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; (CX)the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. 64 But there are (CY)some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus (CZ)knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and (DA)who it was who would [m]betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have (DB)told you that no one can come to Me unless (DC)it has been granted him from the Father.”

Peter’s Confession of Faith

66 As a result of this many of His (DD)disciples (DE)left, and would no longer walk with Him. 67 So Jesus said to (DF)the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?” 68 (DG)Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (DH)words of eternal life. 69 And we have already believed and have come to know that You are (DI)the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, (DJ)Did I Myself not choose you, (DK)the twelve? And yet one of you is (DL)a devil.” 71 Now He meant Judas (DM)the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, (DN)one of (DO)the twelve, [n]was going to betray Him.

Footnotes

  1. John 6:2 I.e., confirming miracles
  2. John 6:7 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  3. John 6:10 I.e., 5,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 14:21
  4. John 6:14 I.e., confirming miracle
  5. John 6:15 Or were about
  6. John 6:19 Possibly 3-4 miles or 4.8-6.4 km; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
  7. John 6:20 Or stop being afraid
  8. John 6:26 I.e., confirming miracles
  9. John 6:27 I.e., of identification or authenticity
  10. John 6:33 Or He who comes
  11. John 6:60 Or hard
  12. John 6:61 Or shocking
  13. John 6:64 Or hand Him over
  14. John 6:71 Or was intending to

After these things Jesus went away beyond the sea of Galilee (of Tiberias),

and there was following him a great multitude, because they were seeing his signs that he was doing on the ailing;

and Jesus went up to the mount, and he was there sitting with his disciples,

and the passover was nigh, the feast of the Jews.

Jesus then having lifted up [his] eyes and having seen that a great multitude doth come to him, saith unto Philip, `Whence shall we buy loaves, that these may eat?' --

and this he said, trying him, for he himself had known what he was about to do.

Philip answered him, `Two hundred denaries' worth of loaves are not sufficient to them, that each of them may receive some little;'

one of his disciples -- Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter -- saith to him,

`There is one little lad here who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes, but these -- what are they to so many?'

10 And Jesus said, `Make the men to sit down;' and there was much grass in the place, the men then sat down, in number, as it were, five thousand,

11 and Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those reclining, in like manner, also of the little fishes as much as they wished.

12 And when they were filled, he saith to his disciples, `Gather together the broken pieces that are over, that nothing may be lost;'

13 they gathered together, therefore, and filled twelve hand-baskets with broken pieces, from the five barley loaves that were over to those having eaten.

14 The men, then, having seen the sign that Jesus did, said -- `This is truly the Prophet, who is coming to the world;'

15 Jesus, therefore, having known that they are about to come, and to take him by force that they may make him king, retired again to the mountain himself alone.

16 And when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,

17 and having entered into the boat, they were going over the sea to Capernaum, and darkness had already come, and Jesus had not come unto them,

18 the sea also -- a great wind blowing -- was being raised,

19 having pushed onwards, therefore, about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus walking on the sea, and coming nigh to the boat, and they were afraid;

20 and he saith to them, `I am [he], be not afraid;'

21 they were willing then to receive him into the boat, and immediately the boat came unto the land to which they were going.

22 On the morrow, the multitude that was standing on the other side of the sea, having seen that there was no other little boat there except one -- that into which his disciples entered -- and that Jesus went not in with his disciples into the little boat, but his disciples went away alone,

23 (and other little boats came from Tiberias, nigh the place where they did eat the bread, the Lord having given thanks),

24 when therefore the multitude saw that Jesus is not there, nor his disciples, they also themselves did enter into the boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus;

25 and having found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, `Rabbi, when hast thou come hither?'

26 Jesus answered them and said, `Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were satisfied;

27 work not for the food that is perishing, but for the food that is remaining to life age-during, which the Son of Man will give to you, for him did the Father seal -- [even] God.'

28 They said therefore unto him, `What may we do that we may work the works of God?'

29 Jesus answered and said to them, `This is the work of God, that ye may believe in him whom He did send.'

30 They said therefore to him, `What sign, then, dost thou, that we may see and may believe thee? what dost thou work?

31 our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, Bread out of the heaven He gave them to eat.'

32 Jesus, therefore, said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread out of the heaven; but my Father doth give you the true bread out of the heaven;

33 for the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.'

34 They said, therefore, unto him, `Sir, always give us this bread.'

35 And Jesus said to them, `I am the bread of the life; he who is coming unto me may not hunger, and he who is believing in me may not thirst -- at any time;

36 but I said to you, that ye also have seen me, and ye believe not;

37 all that the Father doth give to me will come unto me; and him who is coming unto me, I may in no wise cast without,

38 because I have come down out of the heaven, not that I may do my will, but the will of Him who sent me.

39 `And this is the will of the Father who sent me, that all that He hath given to me I may not lose of it, but may raise it up in the last day;

40 and this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who is beholding the Son, and is believing in him, may have life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day.'

41 The Jews, therefore, were murmuring at him, because he said, `I am the bread that came down out of the heaven;'

42 and they said, `Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then saith this one -- Out of the heaven I have come down?'

43 Jesus answered, therefore, and said to them, `Murmur not one with another;

44 no one is able to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day;

45 it is having been written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God; every one therefore who heard from the Father, and learned, cometh to me;

46 not that any one hath seen the Father, except he who is from God, he hath seen the Father.

47 `Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is believing in me, hath life age-during;

48 I am the bread of the life;

49 your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died;

50 this is the bread that out of the heaven is coming down, that any one may eat of it, and not die.

51 `I am the living bread that came down out of the heaven; if any one may eat of this bread he shall live -- to the age; and the bread also that I will give is my flesh, that I will give for the life of the world.'

52 The Jews, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, `How is this one able to give us [his] flesh to eat?'

53 Jesus, therefore, said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, If ye may not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and may not drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves;

54 he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, hath life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day;

55 for my flesh truly is food, and my blood truly is drink;

56 he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, doth remain in me, and I in him.

57 `According as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, he also who is eating me, even that one shall live because of me;

58 this is the bread that came down out of the heaven; not as your fathers did eat the manna, and died; he who is eating this bread shall live -- to the age.'

59 These things he said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum;

60 many, therefore, of his disciples having heard, said, `This word is hard; who is able to hear it?'

61 And Jesus having known in himself that his disciples are murmuring about this, said to them, `Doth this stumble you?

62 if then ye may behold the Son of Man going up where he was before?

63 the spirit it is that is giving life; the flesh doth not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life;

64 but there are certain of you who do not believe;' for Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who are not believing, and who is he who will deliver him up,

65 and he said, `Because of this I have said to you -- No one is able to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my Father.'

66 From this [time] many of his disciples went away backward, and were no more walking with him,

67 Jesus, therefore, said to the twelve, `Do ye also wish to go away?'

68 Simon Peter, therefore, answered him, `Sir, unto whom shall we go? thou hast sayings of life age-during;

69 and we have believed, and we have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

70 Jesus answered them, `Did not I choose you -- the twelve? and of you -- one is a devil.

71 And he spake of Judas, Simon's [son], Iscariot, for he was about to deliver him up, being one of the twelve.