John 6 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Five Thousand Men Fed

6 After these things ^(A)Jesus went away to the other side of ^(B)the Sea of Galilee (or ^(C)Tiberias). ² A large crowd was following Him, because they were watching the ^[a](D)signs which He was performing on those who were sick. ³ But ^(E)Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. ⁴ Now ^(F)the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. ⁵ So Jesus, after raising His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to ^(G)Philip, “Where are we to buy bread so that these people may eat?” ⁶ But He was saying this only to ^(H)test him, for He Himself knew what He intended to do. ^{7 (I)}Philip answered Him, “^(J)Two hundred ^[b]denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, for each to receive just a little!” ⁸ One of His ^(K)disciples, ^(L)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him, ⁹ “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two ^(M)fish; but what are these for so many people?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people recline to eat.” Now there was ^(N)plenty of grass in the place. So the men reclined, about ^[c](O)five thousand in number. ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, and ^(P)after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were reclining; likewise also of the ^(Q)fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² And when they had eaten their fill, He *said to His ^(R)disciples, “Gather up the leftover pieces so that nothing will be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve ^(S)baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ Therefore when the people saw the ^[d]sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the ^(T)Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

¹⁵ So Jesus, aware that they ^[e]intended to come and take Him by force ^(U)to make Him king, ^(V)withdrew again to ^(W)the mountain by Himself, alone.

¹⁶ Now when evening came, His ^(X)disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea ^(Y)to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸ In addition, the sea began getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing. ¹⁹ Then, when they had rowed about ^[f]twenty-five or thirty stadia, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat; and they were frightened. ²⁰ But He *said to them, “It is I; ^[g](Z)do not be afraid.” ²¹ So they were willing to take Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

²² The next day ^(AA)the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus ^(AB)had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone. ²³ Other small boats came from ^(AC)Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the ^(AD)Lord ^(AE)had given thanks. ²⁴ So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and ^(AF)came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus. ²⁵ And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “^(AG)Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Words to the People

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you ^(AH)seek Me, not because you saw ^[h](AI)signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not ^(AJ)work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for ^(AK)eternal life, which ^(AL)the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, ^(AM)has set His ^[i]seal.” ²⁸ Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” ²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “This is ^(AN)the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He ^(AO)has sent.” ³⁰ So they said to Him, “^(AP)What then are You doing as a ^(AQ)sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? ^{31 (AR)}Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘^(AS)He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” ³² Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is ^[j]that which ^(AT)comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴ Then they said to Him, “Lord, always ^(AU)give us this bread.”

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “^(AV)I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me ^(AW)will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But ^(AX)I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. ^{37 (AY)}Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. ³⁸ For ^(AZ)I have come down from heaven, ^(BA)not to do My own will, but ^(BB)the will of Him who ^(BC)sent Me. ³⁹ And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of ^(BD)everything that He has given Me I will ^(BE)lose nothing, but will ^(BF)raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who ^(BG)sees the Son and ^(BH)believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will ^(BI)raise him up on the last day.”

Words to the Jews

^{41 (BJ)}So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that ^(BK)came down out of heaven.” ⁴² And they were saying, “^(BL)Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother ^(BM)we know? How does He now say, ‘^(BN)I have come down out of heaven’?” ⁴³ Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop complaining among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me ^(BO)draws him; and I will ^(BP)raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written ^(BQ)in the Prophets: ‘^(BR)And they shall all be ^(BS)taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me. ^{46 (BT)}Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who believes ^(BU)has eternal life. ^{48 (BV)}I am the bread of life. ^{49 (BW)}Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that ^(BX)comes down out of heaven, so that anyone may eat from it and ^(BY)not die. ^{51 (BZ)}I am the living bread that ^(CA)came down out of heaven; if anyone eats from this bread, ^(CB)he will live forever; and the bread which I will give ^(CC)for the life of the world also is ^(CD)My flesh.”

^{52 (CE)}Then the Jews ^(CF)began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of ^(CG)the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will ^(CH)raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood ^(CI)remains in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ Just as the ^(CJ)living Father ^(CK)sent Me, and I live because of the Father, the one who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that ^(CL)came down out of heaven, not as ^(CM)the fathers ate and died; the one who eats this bread ^(CN)will live forever.”

Words to the Disciples

⁵⁹ These things He said ^(CO)in the synagogue as He taught ^(CP)in Capernaum.

⁶⁰ So then many of His ^(CQ)disciples, when they heard this, said, “^(CR)This statement is very ^[k]unpleasant; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, ^(CS)aware that His disciples were complaining about this, said to them, “Is this ^[l](CT)offensive to you? ⁶² What then if you see ^(CU)the Son of Man ^(CV)ascending to where He was before? ^{63 (CW)}It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; ^(CX)the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are ^(CY)some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus ^(CZ)knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and ^(DA)who it was who would ^[m]betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “For this reason I have ^(DB)told you that no one can come to Me unless ^(DC)it has been granted him from the Father.”

Peter’s Confession of Faith

⁶⁶ As a result of this many of His ^(DD)disciples ^(DE)left, and would no longer walk with Him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to ^(DF)the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?” ^{68 (DG)}Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^(DH)words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ And we have already believed and have come to know that You are ^(DI)the Holy One of God.” ⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “^(DJ)Did I Myself not choose you, ^(DK)the twelve? And yet one of you is ^(DL)a devil.” ⁷¹ Now He meant Judas ^(DM)the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, ^(DN)one of ^(DO)the twelve, ^[n]was going to betray Him.

Footnotes

1. John 6:2 I.e., confirming miracles
2. John 6:7 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
3. John 6:10 I.e., 5,000 men plus women and children, cf. Matt 14:21
4. John 6:14 I.e., confirming miracle
5. John 6:15 Or were about
6. John 6:19 Possibly 3-4 miles or 4.8-6.4 km; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
7. John 6:20 Or stop being afraid
8. John 6:26 I.e., confirming miracles
9. John 6:27 I.e., of identification or authenticity
10. John 6:33 Or He who comes
11. John 6:60 Or hard
12. John 6:61 Or shocking
13. John 6:64 Or hand Him over
14. John 6:71 Or was intending to

Cross references

1. John 6:1 : John 6:1-13: Matt 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17
2. John 6:1 : Matt 4:18; Luke 5:1
3. John 6:1 : John 6:23; 21:1
4. John 6:2 : John 2:11, 23; 3:2; 6:14, 30; 11:47; 12:18, 37; 20:30
5. John 6:3 : Matt 5:1; Mark 3:13; Luke 6:12; 9:28; John 6:15
6. John 6:4 : Deut 16:1; John 2:13
7. John 6:5 : John 1:43
8. John 6:6 : 2 Cor 13:5; Rev 2:2
9. John 6:7 : John 1:43
10. John 6:7 : Mark 6:37
11. John 6:8 : John 2:2
12. John 6:8 : John 1:40
13. John 6:9 : John 6:11; 21:9, 10, 13
14. John 6:10 : Mark 6:39
15. John 6:10 : Matt 14:21
16. John 6:11 : Matt 15:36; John 6:23
17. John 6:11 : John 6:9; 21:9, 10, 13
18. John 6:12 : John 2:2
19. John 6:13 : Matt 14:20
20. John 6:14 : Matt 11:3; 21:11; John 1:21
21. John 6:15 : John 18:36f
22. John 6:15 : John 6:15-21: Matt 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-51
23. John 6:15 : John 6:3
24. John 6:16 : John 2:2
25. John 6:17 : Mark 6:45; John 6:24, 59
26. John 6:20 : Matt 14:27
27. John 6:22 : John 6:2
28. John 6:22 : John 6:15ff
29. John 6:23 : John 6:1
30. John 6:23 : Luke 7:13
31. John 6:23 : John 6:11
32. John 6:24 : Matt 14:34; Mark 6:53; John 6:17, 59
33. John 6:25 : Matt 23:7
34. John 6:26 : John 6:24
35. John 6:26 : John 6:2, 14, 30
36. John 6:27 : Is 55:2
37. John 6:27 : John 3:15f; 4:14; 6:40, 47, 54; 10:28; 17:2f
38. John 6:27 : Matt 8:20; John 6:53, 62
39. John 6:27 : John 3:33
40. John 6:29 : 1 Thess 1:3; James 2:22; 1 John 3:23; Rev 2:26
41. John 6:29 : John 3:17
42. John 6:30 : Matt 12:38
43. John 6:30 : John 6:2, 14, 26
44. John 6:31 : Ex 16:4, 15, 21; Num 11:8; John 6:49, 58
45. John 6:31 : Ps 78:24; Ex 16:4, 15; Neh 9:15; Ps 105:40
46. John 6:33 : John 6:41, 50
47. John 6:34 : John 4:15
48. John 6:35 : John 6:48, 51
49. John 6:35 : John 4:14
50. John 6:36 : John 6:26
51. John 6:37 : John 6:39; 17:2, 24
52. John 6:38 : John 3:13
53. John 6:38 : Matt 26:39
54. John 6:38 : John 4:34; 5:30
55. John 6:38 : John 6:29
56. John 6:39 : John 6:37; 17:2, 24
57. John 6:39 : John 17:12; 18:9
58. John 6:39 : Matt 10:15; John 6:40, 44, 54; 11:24
59. John 6:40 : John 12:45; 14:17, 19
60. John 6:40 : John 3:16
61. John 6:40 : Matt 10:15; John 6:39, 44, 54; 11:24
62. John 6:41 : John 1:19; 6:52
63. John 6:41 : John 6:33, 51, 58
64. John 6:42 : Luke 4:22
65. John 6:42 : John 7:27f
66. John 6:42 : John 6:38, 62
67. John 6:44 : Jer 31:3; Hos 11:4; John 6:65; 12:32
68. John 6:44 : John 6:39
69. John 6:45 : Acts 7:42; 13:40; Heb 8:11
70. John 6:45 : Is 54:13; Jer 31:34
71. John 6:45 : Phil 3:15; 1 Thess 4:9; 1 John 2:27
72. John 6:46 : John 1:18
73. John 6:47 : John 3:36; 5:24; 6:51, 58; 11:26
74. John 6:48 : John 6:35, 51
75. John 6:49 : John 6:31, 58
76. John 6:50 : John 6:33
77. John 6:50 : John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47, 51, 58; 11:26
78. John 6:51 : John 6:35, 48
79. John 6:51 : John 6:41, 58
80. John 6:51 : John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47, 58; 11:26
81. John 6:51 : John 1:29; 3:14f; Heb 10:10; 1 John 4:10
82. John 6:51 : John 6:53-56
83. John 6:52 : John 1:19; 6:41
84. John 6:52 : John 9:16; 10:19
85. John 6:53 : Matt 8:20; John 6:27, 62
86. John 6:54 : John 6:39
87. John 6:56 : John 15:4f; 17:23; 1 John 2:24; 3:24; 4:15f
88. John 6:57 : Matt 16:16; John 5:26
89. John 6:57 : John 3:17; 6:29, 38
90. John 6:58 : John 6:33, 41, 51
91. John 6:58 : John 6:31, 49
92. John 6:58 : John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47, 51; 11:26
93. John 6:59 : Matt 4:23
94. John 6:59 : John 6:24
95. John 6:60 : John 2:2; 6:66; 7:3
96. John 6:60 : John 6:52
97. John 6:61 : John 6:64
98. John 6:61 : Matt 11:6
99. John 6:62 : Matt 8:20; John 6:27, 53
100. John 6:62 : Mark 16:19; John 3:13
101. John 6:63 : 2 Cor 3:6
102. John 6:63 : John 6:68
103. John 6:64 : John 6:60, 66
104. John 6:64 : John 2:25
105. John 6:64 : Matt 10:4; John 6:71; 13:11
106. John 6:65 : John 6:37, 44
107. John 6:65 : Matt 13:11; John 3:27
108. John 6:66 : John 2:2; 7:3
109. John 6:66 : John 6:60, 64
110. John 6:67 : Matt 10:2; John 2:2; 6:70f; 20:24
111. John 6:68 : Matt 16:16
112. John 6:68 : John 6:63; 12:49f; 17:8
113. John 6:69 : Mark 1:24; 8:29; Luke 9:20
114. John 6:70 : John 15:16, 19
115. John 6:70 : Matt 10:2; John 2:2; 6:71; 20:24
116. John 6:70 : John 8:44; 13:2, 27; 17:12
117. John 6:71 : John 12:4; 13:2, 26
118. John 6:71 : Mark 14:10
119. John 6:71 : Matt 10:2; John 2:2; 6:70; 20:24