Good News According to John

[ a translation from the Greek ]

Chapter 6


After these things, Jesus went away, across the Sea of Galilee (Sea of Tiberias). Now, a great crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was doing upon the sick. But Jesus went up on the mountain and sat there with his followers. It was now near to the Passover, the feast of the Jews.

Then Jesus having lifted up his eyes and having seen that a great crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, "From where will we buy bread that these should eat?"

Now, he said this testing him, for he knew what he was about to do.

Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii of bread aren't enough for them, that each one might receive a little [one denarius was worth about a day's wages for a common laborer]."

One of his followers, Andrew the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "A little boy is here, who has five barley loves and two small fish, but what are these for so many?"

Jesus said, "Make the people recline."

Moreover, there was much grass in the place. Therefore, the number of men who reclined was about five thousand.

Then Jesus took the loaves and, having given thanks, took the loaves and distributed to those lying down, also likewise from the fish, as much as they wished.

Now, when they were filled, he said to his followers, "Gather together the fragments that remain, so that nothing might be lost."

So they gathered them together and filled twelve hand-baskets of fragments from the barley loaves, which were left over from those who had eaten.

Therefore, the people having seen what signs he had done said, "Truly, this is the prophet who is coming into the world."

Then Jesus, having known that they were about to come and seize him, that they might make him king, again withdrew himself to the mountain alone.

Now, when it became evening, his followers went down to the sea. And having entered into a boat, they were going over the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark and Jesus had not come to them. And the sea was agitated by a strong wind blowing.

Then having rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia [three to four miles], they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat. And they were frightened.

And he said to them, "I am, fear not."

Then they were willing to take him into the boat and the boat was immediately at the land which they were going to.

The next day the crowd standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one the followers of Jesus had gotten in to use and, his followers had went away alone. But other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate the bread, having given thanks to the Lord.

So when the crowd saw Jesus wasn't there nor his followers, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And having found him on the other side of the sea, said to him, "Teacher, when did you come here?"

Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were satisfied. Don't work for the food that perishes, but for the food which remains unto eternal life, which the son of man will give to you, for him God the father has sealed."

Then they said to him, "What do we do, that we might work the works of God?"

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you should believe in him, whom he sent."

So they said to him, "Then, what will you do as a sign, that we might see and believe you? What work do you? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat."

Then Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, Moses hasn't given you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven. But the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives light to the people."

Then they said to him, "Sir, give to us this bread always."

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never hunger and the one who believes in me won't at any time thirst. And you also have seen me and don't believe.

"All that the father gives me will come to me and those who come to me, I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not that I should do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

"Moreover, this is the will of the one who sent me, that all he has given me, I should lose none of it, but should raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my father, that everyone who sees the son and believes in him should have eternal life and, I will raise them up at the last day."

So the Jews were grumbling about him, because he said, "I am the bread who came down from heaven." And were saying, "Isn't this Jesus the son of Joseph, of whom we know the father and the mother? How then does he say, 'I have come down from heaven?'"

Jesus answered and said to them, "Don't grumble with each other. No one is able to come unto me, if the father who sent me doesn't draw them to me and, I will raise them up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone having heard from the father and has learned comes to me.

"Not that anyone has seen the father, except he who is from God, he has seen the father. Truly, truly, I say to you, one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died.

"This is the bread coming down from heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread having come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And also, the bread that I give is my flesh, which is for the life of the people."

Then the Jews were arguing with each other saying, "How is he able to give us his flesh to eat?"

Therefore, Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if you will not have eaten the flesh of the son of man and will have drank his blood, you have no life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise them up in the last day.

"For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

"Exactly according as the living father has sent me and I live because of the father; also, the one who feeds on me will also live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever."

These things he said in the synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.

So many of his followers having heard said, "This word is difficult, who is able to hear?"

But Jesus knowing in himself that his followers grumbled about this, he said, "Does this offend you? Then what if you should see the son of man ascending where he was before?

"It is the spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life. But there are some among you who don't believe."

For from the beginning, Jesus knew who they were, who didn't believe and who it was who would betray him.

And he said, "Because of this I have said to you that no one is able to come to me if it will not have been granted by the father."

From then, many from his followers moved to the back and no longer walked with him.

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "are you not also wishing to go away."

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom will we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known that you are the holy one of God."

Jesus answered them, "Didn't I choose the twelve of you and one of you is a devil?"

Now, he spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, being one of the twelve who was about to betray him.



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