John 6:1-42 ▼

1 At length Jesus passed over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias;

2 where a great multitude followed him, invited by the miraculous cures which they saw him perform.

3 Jesus therefore went up a mountain, where he sat down with his disciples.

4 for it was just before the passover, which is a feast of the Jews.

5 Jesus then lifting up his eyes, and seeing a great company coming to him, said to Philip, where can we buy bread to feed this people?

6 (this he said to prove Philip: for he himself knew what he had to do.)

7 Philip answered him, two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient to furnish every one of them a little.

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

9 there is a lad here, who hath five barley-loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10 but Jesus said, make the men sit down, and as there was much grass in the place, they sat down to the number of about five thousand.

11 then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were sate down; and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would.

12 when they were filled, he said to his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13 they gathered them therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley-loaves, which remained after they all had been eating.

14 The people, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, cry'd out, this is of a truth that prophet who was to come into the world.

15 but Jesus perceiving they designed to come and take him by force to make him a king, retired again upon a mountain all alone.

16 When even was come, his disciples went to the sea, and going on board a ship,

17 they cross'd the sea to Capernaum: now when it was dark, Jesus was not come to them:

18 but the sea ran high, by reason of the wind that blew hard.

19 so when they had rowed about five and twenty, or thirty furlongs, seeing Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh to the ship, they were frightned.

20 but he said to them, it is I, be not afraid.

21 then they readily received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they were bound.

22 The day following, the people who stay'd on the other side of the sea, perceiving that there had been only that single vessel in which his disciples were embark'd, that Jesus did not embark with his disciples, but that his disciples were gone away alone: (however,

23 there came other barks from Tiberias, nigh the place where they had eaten bread, after the Lord had given thanks.)

24 the people likewise seeing that Jesus was not in those barks, nor his disciples, went on board them, and cross'd to Capernaum in quest of Jesus.

25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, master, when did you arrive here?

26 Jesus answered them, I declare unto you, you seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye had loaves to eat, and were filled.

27 work not for the food which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life, and which the son of man shall give unto you, for to him it is that the father, that is God, has given his credentials.

28 then said they to him, what shall we do, that our works may he agreeable to God?

29 Jesus answered them, the work which God requires is to believe on him whom he hath sent.

30 but said they, what miracle then will you let us see to make us believe you? what strange work will you perform?

31 our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, "he gave them bread from heaven to eat."

32 Jesus answer'd, I assure you, Moses did not give you the celestial bread; but my father gives you the true celestial bread.

33 for he who is descended from heaven, and gives life to the world, is the bread that is truely divine.

34 then said they, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 Jesus answer'd, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me, shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me, shall never thirst.

36 but I have already told you, that tho' you have seen me, you do not believe.

37 all those whom my father gives me, shall come to me; and I will not reject any that come to me.

38 for I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 and the will of him who sent me is this, that I should not lose any one of those he has given me, but should raise them again at the last day: this,

40 I say, is the will of him that sent me, that every one who observes the son, and believeth on him, should have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

41 The Jews then murmured against him, for having said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."

42 is not this, said they, Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how comes he then to say, I came down from heaven?