John 6:51-69

English Standard Version

⁵¹I am the living bread ^(A)that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give ^(B)for the life of the world is ^(C)my flesh.”

⁵²The Jews then ^(D)disputed among themselves, saying, ^(E)“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of ^(F)the Son of Man and drink his blood, you ^(G)have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^(H)has eternal life, and ^(I)I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^(J)abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As ^(K)the living Father ^(L)sent me, and ^(M)I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ⁵⁸^(N)This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread^[a] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹Jesus^[b] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught ^(O)at Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

⁶⁰^(P)When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹But Jesus, ^(Q)knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶²Then what if you were to see ^(R)the Son of Man ^(S)ascending to ^(T)where he was before? ⁶³^(U)It is the Spirit who gives life; ^(V)the flesh is no help at all. ^(W)The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But ^(X)there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus ^(Y)knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and ^(Z)who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵And he said, “This is why I told you ^(AA)that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

⁶⁶^(AB)After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus said to ^(AC)the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^(AD)the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹and ^(AE)we have believed, and have come to know, that ^(AF)you are ^(AG)the Holy One of God.”