John 6
Darby Translation
6 After these things Jesus went away beyond the sea of Galilee, [or] of Tiberias,
2 and a great crowd followed him, because they saw the signs which he wrought upon the sick.
3 And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there sat with his disciples:
4 but the passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.
5 Jesus then, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great crowd is coming to him, says to Philip, Whence shall we buy loaves that these may eat?
6 But this he said trying him, for he knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, Loaves for two hundred denarii are not sufficient for them, that each may have some little [portion].
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, says to him,
9 There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but this, what is it for so many?
10 [And] Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place: the men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves, and having given thanks, distributed [them] to those that were set down; and in like manner of the small fishes as much as they would.
12 And when they had been filled, he says to his disciples, Gather together the fragments which are over and above, that nothing may be lost.
13 They gathered [them] therefore together, and filled twelve hand-baskets full of fragments of the five barley loaves, which were over and above to those that had eaten.
14 The men therefore, having seen the sign which Jesus had done, said, This is truly the prophet which is coming into the world.
15 Jesus therefore knowing that they were going to come and seize him, that they might make [him] king, departed again to the mountain himself alone.
16 But when evening was come, his disciples went down to the sea,
17 and having gone on board ship, they went over the sea to Capernaum. And it had already become dark, and Jesus had not come to them,
18 and the sea was agitated by a strong wind blowing.
19 Having rowed then about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they see Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the ship; and they were frightened.
20 But he says to them, It is I: be not afraid.
21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the ship; and immediately the ship was at the land to which they went.
22 On the morrow the crowd which stood on the other side of the sea, having seen that there was no other little ship there except that into which his disciples had got, and that Jesus had not gone with his disciples into the ship, but [that] his disciples had gone away alone;
23 (but other little ships out of Tiberias came near to the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks;)
24 when therefore the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, *they* got into the ships, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 And having found him the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when art thou arrived here?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say to you, Ye seek me not because ye have seen signs, but because ye have eaten of the loaves and been filled.
27 Work not [for] the food which perishes, but [for] the food which abides unto life eternal, which the Son of man shall give to you; for him has the Father sealed, [even] God.
28 They said therefore to him, What should 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 believe on him whom *he* has sent.
30 They said therefore to him, What sign then doest thou that we may see and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.
32 Jesus therefore said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, [It is] not Moses that has given you the bread out of heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread out of heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.
34 They said therefore to him, Lord, ever give to us this bread.
35 [And] Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst at any time.
36 But I have said to you, that ye have also seen me and do not believe.
37 All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and him that comes to me I will not at all cast out.
38 For I am come down from heaven, not that I should do *my* will, but the will of him that has sent me.
39 And this is the will of him that has sent me, that of all that he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son, and believes on him, should have life eternal; and I will raise him up at the last day.
41 The Jews therefore murmured about him, because he said, I am the bread which has come down out of heaven.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? how then does *he* say, I am come down out of heaven?
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Murmur not among yourselves.
44 No one can come to me except the Father who has sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every one that has heard from the Father [himself], and has learned [of him], comes to me;
46 not that any one has seen the Father, except he who is of God, he has seen the Father.
47 Verily, verily, I say to you, He that believes [on me] has life eternal.
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died.
50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
51 I am the living bread which has come down out of heaven: if any one shall have eaten of this bread he shall live for ever; but the bread withal which I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 The Jews therefore contended among themselves, saying, How can he give us this flesh to eat?
53 Jesus therefore said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Unless ye shall have eaten the flesh of the Son of man, and drunk his blood, ye have no life in yourselves.
54 He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up at the last day:
55 for my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly drink.
56 He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him.
57 As the living Father has sent me and I live on account of the Father, *he* also who eats me shall live also on account of me.
58 This is the bread which has come down out of heaven. Not as the fathers ate and died: he that eats this bread shall live for ever.
59 These things he said in [the] synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.
60 Many therefore of his disciples having heard [it] said, This word is hard; who can hear it?
61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmur concerning this, said to them, Does this offend you?
62 If then ye see the Son of man ascending up where he was before?
63 It is the Spirit which quickens, the flesh profits nothing: the words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would deliver him up.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no one can come to me unless it be given to him from the Father.
66 From that [time] many of his disciples went away back and walked no more with him.
67 Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal;
69 and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you the twelve? and of you one is a devil.
71 Now he spoke of Judas [the son] of Simon, Iscariote, for he [it was who] should deliver him up, being one of the twelve.
John 6
New King James Version
Feeding the Five Thousand(A)
6 After (B)these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of (C)Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were (D)diseased.[a] 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
4 (E)Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 (F)Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to (G)Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, (H)“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, (I)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, (J)but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them [b]to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly (K)the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Jesus Walks on the Sea(L)
15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him (M)king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 (N)Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19 So when they had rowed about [c]three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were (O)afraid. 20 But He said to them, (P)“It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
The Bread from Heaven
22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except [d]that one [e]which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— 23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— 24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, (Q)seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 (R)Do not labor for the food which perishes, but (S)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, (T)because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, (U)“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
30 Therefore they said to Him, (V)“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 (W)Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, (X)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”
32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but (Y)My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 (Z)Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, (AA)“I am the bread of life. (AB)He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never (AC)thirst. 36 (AD)But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet (AE)do not believe. 37 (AF)All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and (AG)the one who comes to Me I will [f]by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, (AH)not to do My own will, (AI)but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, (AJ)that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, (AK)that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Rejected by His Own
41 The Jews then [g]complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, (AL)“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, [h]“Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 (AM)No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me (AN)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, (AO)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ (AP)Therefore everyone who [i]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 (AQ)Not that anyone has seen the Father, (AR)except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, (AS)he who believes [j]in Me has everlasting life. 48 (AT)I am the bread of life. 49 (AU)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 (AV)This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread (AW)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and (AX)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore (AY)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless (AZ)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 (BA)Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is [k]food indeed, and My blood is [l]drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood (BB)abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 (BC)This is the bread which came down from heaven—not (BD)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Turn Away
60 (BE)Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a [m]hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples [n]complained about this, He said to them, “Does this [o]offend you? 62 (BF)What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 (BG)It is the Spirit who gives life; the (BH)flesh profits nothing. The (BI)words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But (BJ)there are some of you who do not believe.” For (BK)Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore (BL)I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 (BM)From that time many of His disciples went [p]back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (BN)the words of eternal life. 69 (BO)Also we have come to believe and know that You are the [q]Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus answered them, (BP)“Did I not choose you, the twelve, (BQ)and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of (BR)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would (BS)betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Footnotes
- John 6:2 sick
- John 6:11 NU omits to the disciples, and the disciples
- John 6:19 Lit. 25 or 30 stadia
- John 6:22 NU omits that
- John 6:22 NU omits which His disciples had entered
- John 6:37 certainly not
- John 6:41 grumbled
- John 6:43 Stop grumbling
- John 6:45 M hears and has learned
- John 6:47 NU omits in Me
- John 6:55 NU true food
- John 6:55 NU true drink
- John 6:60 difficult
- John 6:61 grumbled
- John 6:61 make you stumble
- John 6:66 Or away; lit. to the back
- John 6:69 NU Holy One of God.
John 6
English Standard Version
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
6 After this (A)Jesus went away to the other side of (B)the Sea of Galilee, which is (C)the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on (D)the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now (E)the Passover, the (F)feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 (G)Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to (H)Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 (I)Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii[a] worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, (J)Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five (K)barley loaves and two fish, but (L)what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” (M)Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and (N)when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, (O)“This is indeed (P)the Prophet (Q)who is to come into the world!”
15 (R)Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus (S)withdrew again to (T)the mountain by himself.
Jesus Walks on Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[b] they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 (U)But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
I Am the Bread of Life
22 On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only (V)one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord (W)had given thanks. 24 (X)So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and (Y)went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, (Z)“Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (AA)you are seeking me, not because you saw (AB)signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 (AC)Do not work for the food that perishes, but for (AD)the food that endures to eternal life, which (AE)the Son of Man will give to you. For on (AF)him God the Father has (AG)set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing (AH)the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, (AI)that you believe in him whom (AJ)he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, (AK)“Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 (AL)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, (AM)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is (AN)he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, (AO)“Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, (AP)“I am the bread of life; (AQ)whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 (AR)All that (AS)the Father gives me will come to me, and (AT)whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For (AU)I have come down from heaven, not to do (AV)my own will but (AW)the will of him (AX)who sent me. 39 And (AY)this is the will of him who sent me, (AZ)that I should lose nothing of (BA)all that he has given me, but (BB)raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who (BC)looks on the Son and (BD)believes in him (BE)should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, (BF)“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, (BG)“Is not this Jesus, (BH)the son of Joseph, whose father and mother (BI)we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me (BJ)draws him. And (BK)I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, (BL)‘And they will all be (BM)taught by God.’ (BN)Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 (BO)not that anyone has seen the Father except (BP)he who is from God; he (BQ)has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, (BR)whoever believes has eternal life. 48 (BS)I am the bread of life. 49 (BT)Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and (BU)they died. 50 (BV)This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it (BW)and not die. 51 I am the living bread (BX)that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give (BY)for the life of the world is (BZ)my flesh.”
52 The Jews then (CA)disputed among themselves, saying, (CB)“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 (CC)the Son of Man and drink his blood, you (CD)have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood (CE)has eternal life, and (CF)I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood (CG)abides in me, and I in him. 57 As (CH)the living Father (CI)sent me, and (CJ)I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 (CK)This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[c] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus[d] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught (CL)at Capernaum.
The Words of Eternal Life
60 (CM)When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, (CN)knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see (CO)the Son of Man (CP)ascending to (CQ)where he was before? 63 (CR)It is the Spirit who gives life; (CS)the flesh is no help at all. (CT)The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But (CU)there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus (CV)knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and (CW)who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you (CX)that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66 (CY)After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to (CZ)the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (DA)the words of eternal life, 69 and (DB)we have believed, and have come to know, that (DC)you are (DD)the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, (DE)“Did I not choose you, (DF)the twelve? And yet one of you is (DG)a devil.” 71 He spoke of Judas (DH)the son of Simon Iscariot, for (DI)he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
