John 6:1-37 ▼

1 After this, Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, to Tiberias).

2 A large crowd kept following him because they had seen the signs that he was performing by healing the sick.

3 But Jesus went up on a hillside and sat down there with his disciples.

4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward him, he asked Philip, |Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?|

6 Jesus said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, |Two hundred denarii worth of bread isn't enough for each of them to have a little.|

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, who was Simon Peter's brother, told him,

9 |There's a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many people?|

10 Jesus said, |Have the people sit down.| Now there was plenty of grass in that area, so they sat down, numbering about 5,000 men.

11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated. He also distributed as much fish as they wanted.

12 When they were completely satisfied, Jesus told his disciples, |Collect the pieces that are left over so that nothing is wasted.|

13 So they collected and filled twelve baskets full of pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they kept saying, |Truly this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!|

15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the hillside by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,

17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. Darkness had already fallen, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

18 A strong wind was blowing, and the sea was getting rough.

19 After they had rowed about 25 or 30 stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea toward their boat. They became terrified.

20 But he told them, |It is I. Stop being afraid!|

21 So they were glad to take him on board, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

22 The next day, the crowd that had remained on the other side of the sea noticed that only one boat had been there, and no other, and that Jesus had not gotten into that boat with his disciples. Instead, his disciples had gone away by themselves.

23 Other small boats from Tiberias arrived near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into these boats and went to Capernaum to look for Jesus.

25 When they had found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, |Rabbi, when did you get here?|

26 Jesus replied to them, |Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were completely satisfied.

27 Do not work for food that perishes but for food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal on him.|

28 Then they asked him, |What must we do to perform God's works?|

29 Jesus answered them, |This is God's work: to believe in the one whom he has sent.|

30 So they asked him, |What sign are you going to do so that we may see it and believe in you? What actions are you performing?

31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'|

32 Jesus told them, |Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.

33 The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.|

34 Then they told him, |Sir, give us this bread all the time.|

35 Jesus told them, |I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never become hungry, and whoever believes in me will never become thirsty.

36 I told you that you have seen me, yet you don't believe.

37 Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and I'll never turn away the one who comes to me.