1 After this Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd followed him because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was about to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get even a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here with five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, so the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those seated there. He did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the leftover pieces so that nothing is lost.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign he had performed, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is coming into the world.”

15 Then Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea toward Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were afraid. 20 But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were going.

22 The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but his disciples had left alone. 23 Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you are looking for me because you ate the loaves and had your fill, not because you saw signs. 27 Work for the food that endures to eternal life, rather than for the food that perishes. The Son of Man will give it to you, for God the Father has set his seal on him.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one he sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign will you perform so that we may see and believe you? What work will you do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” 32 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell 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 the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of him who sent me, not my own will. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me: that I lose nothing of all he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is my Father’s will: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 Then the Jews grumbled 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, whose father and mother we know? How can 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 draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 Then the Jews argued with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not like what the fathers ate: they died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum.

60 When many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This is a hard saying. Who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing within himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no benefit. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some among you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe and who would betray him. 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

66 From that time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 And we have believed and come to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.” 71 He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he was going to betray him, though he was one of the Twelve.