John 6 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Feeding the Five Thousand^(A)

6 After ^(B)these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of ^(C)Tiberias. ² Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were ^(D)diseased.^{[a] 3} And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

^{4 (E)}Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. ^{5 (F)}Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to ^(G)Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, ^(H)“Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

⁸ One of His disciples, ^(I)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, ^(J)but what are they among so many?”

¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them ^[b]to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” ¹³ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly ^(K)the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Jesus Walks on the Sea^(L)

¹⁵ Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him ^(M)king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

^{16 (N)}Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. ¹⁸ Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. ¹⁹ So when they had rowed about ^[c]three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were ^(O)afraid. ²⁰ But He said to them, ^(P)“It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹ Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

The Bread from Heaven

²² On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except ^[d]that one ^[e]which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— ²³ however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks— ²⁴ when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, ^(Q)seeking Jesus. ²⁵ And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ^{27 (R)}Do not labor for the food which perishes, but ^(S)for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, ^(T)because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

²⁸ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, ^(U)“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

³⁰ Therefore they said to Him, ^(V)“What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? ^{31 (W)}Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ^(X)‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

³² Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but ^(Y)My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

^{34 (Z)}Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”

³⁵ And Jesus said to them, ^(AA)“I am the bread of life. ^(AB)He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never ^(AC)thirst. ^{36 (AD)}But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet ^(AE)do not believe. ^{37 (AF)}All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and ^(AG)the one who comes to Me I will ^[f]by no means cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, ^(AH)not to do My own will, ^(AI)but the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹ This is the will of the Father who sent Me, ^(AJ)that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ⁴⁰ And this is the will of Him who sent Me, ^(AK)that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Rejected by His Own

⁴¹ The Jews then ^[g]complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” ⁴² And they said, ^(AL)“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus therefore answered and said to them, ^[h]“Do not murmur among yourselves. ^{44 (AM)}No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me ^(AN)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the prophets, ^(AO)‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ ^(AP)Therefore everyone who ^[i]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. ^{46 (AQ)}Not that anyone has seen the Father, ^(AR)except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(AS)he who believes ^[j]in Me has everlasting life. ^{48 (AT)}I am the bread of life. ^{49 (AU)}Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ^{50 (AV)}This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread ^(AW)which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and ^(AX)the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

⁵² The Jews therefore ^(AY)quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”

⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless ^(AZ)you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ^{54 (BA)}Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵ For My flesh is ^[k]food indeed, and My blood is ^[l]drink indeed. ⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood ^(BB)abides in Me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. ^{58 (BC)}This is the bread which came down from heaven—not ^(BD)as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

⁵⁹ These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Turn Away

^{60 (BE)}Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a ^[m]hard saying; who can understand it?”

⁶¹ When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples ^[n]complained about this, He said to them, “Does this ^[o]offend you? ^{62 (BF)}What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? ^{63 (BG)}It is the Spirit who gives life; the ^(BH)flesh profits nothing. The ^(BI)words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ⁶⁴ But ^(BJ)there are some of you who do not believe.” For ^(BK)Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He said, “Therefore ^(BL)I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

^{66 (BM)}From that time many of His disciples went ^[p]back and walked with Him no more. ⁶⁷ Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

⁶⁸ But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^(BN)the words of eternal life. ^{69 (BO)}Also we have come to believe and know that You are the ^[q]Christ, the Son of the living God.”

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, ^(BP)“Did I not choose you, the twelve, ^(BQ)and one of you is a devil?” ⁷¹ He spoke of ^(BR)Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would ^(BS)betray Him, being one of the twelve.

Footnotes

1. John 6:2 sick
2. John 6:11 NU omits to the disciples, and the disciples
3. John 6:19 Lit. 25 or 30 stadia
4. John 6:22 NU omits that
5. John 6:22 NU omits which His disciples had entered
6. John 6:37 certainly not
7. John 6:41 grumbled
8. John 6:43 Stop grumbling
9. John 6:45 M hears and has learned
10. John 6:47 NU omits in Me
11. John 6:55 NU true food
12. John 6:55 NU true drink
13. John 6:60 difficult
14. John 6:61 grumbled
15. John 6:61 make you stumble
16. John 6:66 Or away; lit. to the back
17. John 6:69 NU Holy One of God.

Cross references

1. John 6:1 : Matt. 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17
2. John 6:1 : Matt. 14:13; Mark 6:32; Luke 9:10, 12
3. John 6:1 : John 6:23; 21:1
4. John 6:2 : Matt. 4:23; 8:16; 9:35; 14:36; 15:30; 19:2
5. John 6:4 : Lev. 23:5, 7; Deut. 16:1; John 2:13
6. John 6:5 : Matt. 14:14; Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12
7. John 6:5 : John 1:43
8. John 6:7 : Num. 11:21, 22
9. John 6:8 : John 1:40
10. John 6:9 : 2 Kin. 4:43
11. John 6:14 : Gen. 49:10; Deut. 18:15, 18; John 1:21; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37
12. John 6:15 : Matt. 14:22–33; Mark 6:45–52
13. John 6:15 : [John 18:36]
14. John 6:16 : Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:47
15. John 6:19 : Matt. 17:6
16. John 6:20 : Is. 43:1, 2
17. John 6:24 : Mark 1:37; Luke 4:42
18. John 6:27 : Matt. 6:19
19. John 6:27 : John 4:14; [Eph. 2:8, 9]
20. John 6:27 : Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1; Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 5:37; Acts 2:22; 2 Pet. 1:17
21. John 6:29 : 1 Thess. 1:3; James 2:22; [1 John 3:23]; Rev. 2:26
22. John 6:30 : Matt. 12:38; 16:1; Mark 8:11; 1 Cor. 1:22
23. John 6:31 : Ex. 16:15; Num. 11:7; 1 Cor. 10:3
24. John 6:31 : Ex. 16:4, 15; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:24
25. John 6:32 : John 3:13, 16
26. John 6:34 : John 4:15
27. John 6:35 : John 6:48, 58
28. John 6:35 : John 4:14; 7:37; Rev. 7:16
29. John 6:35 : Is. 55:1, 2
30. John 6:36 : John 6:26, 64; 15:24
31. John 6:36 : John 10:26
32. John 6:37 : John 6:45
33. John 6:37 : [Matt. 24:24; John 10:28, 29]; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:19
34. John 6:38 : Matt. 26:39; John 5:30
35. John 6:38 : John 4:34
36. John 6:39 : John 10:28; 17:12; 18:9
37. John 6:40 : John 3:15, 16; 4:14; 6:27, 47, 54
38. John 6:42 : Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22
39. John 6:44 : Song 1:4
40. John 6:44 : [Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 1:29; 2:12, 13]
41. John 6:45 : Is. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 4:2; [Heb. 8:10]
42. John 6:45 : John 6:37
43. John 6:46 : John 1:18
44. John 6:46 : Matt. 11:27; [Luke 10:22]; John 7:29
45. John 6:47 : [John 3:16, 18]
46. John 6:48 : John 6:33, 35; [Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3, 4]
47. John 6:49 : John 6:31, 58
48. John 6:50 : John 6:51, 58
49. John 6:51 : John 3:13
50. John 6:51 : Heb. 10:5
51. John 6:52 : John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19
52. John 6:53 : Matt. 26:26
53. John 6:54 : John 4:14; 6:27, 40
54. John 6:56 : [1 John 3:24; 4:15, 16]
55. John 6:58 : John 6:49–51
56. John 6:58 : Ex. 16:14–35
57. John 6:60 : Matt. 11:6; John 6:66
58. John 6:62 : Mark 16:19; John 3:13; Acts 1:9; 2:32, 33; Eph. 4:8
59. John 6:63 : Gen. 2:7; 2 Cor. 3:6
60. John 6:63 : John 3:6
61. John 6:63 : [John 6:68; 14:24]
62. John 6:64 : John 6:36
63. John 6:64 : John 2:24, 25; 13:11
64. John 6:65 : John 6:37, 44, 45
65. John 6:66 : Luke 9:62; John 6:60
66. John 6:68 : Acts 5:20
67. John 6:69 : Matt. 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20; John 1:49; 11:27
68. John 6:70 : Luke 6:13
69. John 6:70 : [John 13:27]
70. John 6:71 : John 12:4; 13:2, 26
71. John 6:71 : Matt. 26:14–16