The Feeding of the Five Thousand
(Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17)

1After these things Jesus went away, beyond the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2And a great multitude was following Him, because they were beholding the signs which He was doing on the sick. 3And Jesus went up into the mountain, and was sitting there with His disciples. 4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5Jesus, therefore, lifting up His eyes, and seeing that a great multitude is coming to Him, saith to Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" 6And this He said, proving him; for He Himself knew what He was about to do. 7Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denaries worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each one may take a little." 8One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, says to Him, 9"There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but what are these among so many?" 10Jesus said, "Make the men recline." Now there was much grass in the place. The men, therefore, reclined, in number about five thousand. 11Jesus, therefore, took the loaves; and, having given thanks, He distributed to those reclining; and likewise of the fishes as much as they wished. 12And, when they were filled, He saith to His disciples, "Gather up the pieces that remain over, that nothing be lost." 13So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves, which remained over to those who had eaten. 14The men, therefore, seeing the sign that He did, said, "This, truly, is the Prophet Who cometh into the world."

15Jesus, therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take Him by force, to make Him King, withdrew again into the mountain, Himself alone.

Jesus Walks on Water
(Matthew 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52)

16And, when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea; 17and, entering into a boat, they were going over the sea to Capernaum; and it had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18And, a strong wind blowing, the sea was being much raised. 19Having rowed, therefore, about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He saith to them, "It is I; be not afraid." 21They were willing, therefore, to receive Him into the boat; and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going.

Jesus the Bread of Life

22On the morrow the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except one, and that Jesus, entered not with His disciples into the boat, but His disciples went away alone 23(yet there came boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread, the Lord having given thanks): 24when, therefore, the multitude saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves entered into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25And, having found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when camest Thou hither?"

26Jesus answered them and said, "Verily, verily, I say to you, ye seek Me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled. 27Work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that abides unto eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you; for Him God the Father sealed." 28They said, therefore, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29Jesus answered, and said to them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He sent." 30They said, therefore, to Him, "What sign doest Thou, then, that we may see, and believe Thee? What doest Thou? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it has been written, 'He gave them bread out of Heaven to eat.'" 32Jesus, therefore, said to them, "Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread out of Heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread out of Heaven; 33for the Bread of God is He Who cometh down out of Heaven, and giveth life to the world." 34They said, therefore, to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread."

35Jesus said to them, "I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you, that ye have even seen Me, and do not believe. 37All that the Father giveth to Me shall come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out; 38because I have come down from Heaven, not to do My Own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me. 39And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that of all that He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40For this is the will of My Father, that every one who beholds the Son, and believes on Him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

41The Jews, therefore, were murmuring concerning Him, because He said, "I am the Bread that came down out of Heaven." 42And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know? How doth He now say, 'I have come down out of Heaven'? 43Jesus answered, and said to them, "Murmur not among yourselves.

44No one can come to Me, unless the Father Who sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It has been written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Every one who heard from the Father, and learned, comes to Me. 46Not that any one has seen the Father, save Him Who is from God, He hath seen the Father. 47Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believes has eternal life. 48I am the Bread of Life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and died. 50This is the Bread That cometh down out of Heaven, that one may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the Living Bread That came down out of Heaven: if any one eat of This Bread, he shall live forever; yea, and the Bread That I will give him is My flesh, for the life of the world."

52The Jews, therefore, were wrangling with one another, saying, "How can This Man give us His flesh to eat?" 53Jesus, therefore, said to them, "Verily, verily, I say to you, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in yourselves. 54He that eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day; 55for My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56He that eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, abides in Me, and I in him. 57As the Living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father; so he, also, who eats Me, shall live because of Me. 58This is the Bread That came down out of Heaven. Not as the fathers ate, and died: he that eats this Bread shall live forever."

Many Disciples Turn Back
(Matthew 8:18–22; Luke 9:57–62; Luke 14:25–33)

59These things He said in the synagogue, while teaching in Capernaum.

60Many, therefore, of His disciples, having heard this, said, "This is a hard saying! Who can hear it?" 61But Jesus, knowing in Himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? 62What, then, if ye behold the Son of Man ascending where He was before? 63It is the Spirit That giveth life; the flesh profits nothing: the words which I have spoken to you are spirit, and they are life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were that believed not, and who it was that would betray Him. 65And He said, "For this cause I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been given to him of the Father."

66From this time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.

Peter’s Confession of Faith
(Matthew 16:13–20; Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–20)

67Jesus, therefore, said to the twelve, "Do ye also wish to go away?" 68Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast words of eternal life. 69And we have believed and know, that Thou art the Holy One of God." 70Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" 71But He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot; for he was about to betray Him, being one of the twelve.