1 AFTER this Jesus went away beyond the Lake of Galilee the Lake of Tiberias.

2 A great crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was doing upon those who had infirmities.

3 Jesus had gone up on the mountain and there he was sitting with his disciples.

4 It was near the time for the Passover, the feast of the Jews.

5 He lifted up his eyes and saw that a great crowd was coming to him, and he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these to eat?"

6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, "Two hundred shillings worth of bread would not be enough for them each to have a little piece."

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,

9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes. But what are these for so many?"

10 Jesus said, "Make the people recline on the ground." There was much grass in the place. So the men, about five thousand in number, reclined on the ground.

11 Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks and divided them to those who were reclining, and in the same way the fishes, as much as they wanted.

12 When they were satisfied, he said to his disciples, "Gather up the broken pieces that have been left over, so that nothing may be wasted."

13 They gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten.

14 Then the people, seeing the sign that he had done, said, "This is truly the prophet who was to come into the world!"

15 Jesus, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountain by himself alone.

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

17 and got into a boat and started across toward Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.

18 The lake was getting rough, as a strong wind was blowing.

19 When they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and getting near the boat, and they were frightened.

20 But he said to them, "It is I; never fear."

21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and at once the boat came to the land they were making for.

22 On the next day the crowd that was standing on the other side of the lake saw that there had been no boat there but the one, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away by themselves

23 yet boats did come from Tiberias near to the place where they had eaten bread after the Master had given thanks \'97

24 when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there nor his disciples either, they got into those boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

25 When they found him across the lake, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

26 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and had your fill.

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to life eternal, which the Son of Man will give you. For him God the Father has sealed."

28 They said to him, "What are we to do to work the works of God?"

29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, to believe in him whom he has sent."

30 They said to him, "What sign are you doing for us to see and believe in you? What are you working?

31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "

32 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I tell you Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he who came down from heaven and gives his life for the world."

34 They said to him, "Sir, always give us this bread."

35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.

36 But, I tell you, you have seen me and do not believe.

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and him who comes to me I will not cast away;

38 for I came down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me;

39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that of the whole that he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise all up on the last day.

40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one who looks upon the Son and believes in him shall have life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day."

41 The Jews were muttering to each other about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven,"

42 and they were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he say now, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

43 Jesus answered them, "Do not be muttering with one another.

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.' Every one who has heard from the Father and has learned comes to me.

46 Not that any one has seen the Father but he who is from God \'97 he has seen the Father.

47 Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has life eternal.

48 I am the bread of life.

49 Your fathers ate the manna in the desert and they died.

50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that any one may eat of it and not die.

51 I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If any one eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh: I will give it for the life of the world."

52 The Jews disputed angrily 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 you.

54 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day.

55 For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.

56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I abide in him.

57 As the living Father sent me and I am living because of the Father, so he who eats me \'97 he will live because of me.

58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not such as your fathers ate and died. He who eats this bread will live forever."

59 These things he said while teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum.

60 Many of his disciples, after hearing him, said, "This is a hard doctrine. Who can listen to it?"

61 Jesus, knowing in his own mind that his disciples were muttering about this, said to them, "Does this make you stumble?

62 What if you behold the Son of Man ascending where he was before?

63 The spirit is what gives life; the flesh is of no account. The words that I have spoken to 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 that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him.

65 He said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him from the Father."

66 After that many of the disciples drew back from him and no longer went about with him.

67 Jesus said to the twelve, "Will you also go away?"

68 Simon Peter answered him, "Sir, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life eternal,

69 and we are persuaded and know that you are the Holy One of God."

70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you 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.