⁶ But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down)

Exhortation to Choose Life

¹¹ “Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away.^{(A) 12} It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’^{(B) 13} Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ ¹⁴ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.

⁸ Therefore it is said,

⁹ (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended^[b] into the lower parts of the earth?^{[c] 10} He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)

¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.^[a](A)

⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”