The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias).
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After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.
2 A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick.
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And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.
3 When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples.
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And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
4 It was nearly time for the Feast of Passover, kept annually by the Jews.
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And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
5 When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread to feed these people?"
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When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip,Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 He said this to stretch Philip's faith. He already knew what he was going to do.
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And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered, "Two hundred silver pieces wouldn't be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece."
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Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of the disciples - it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter - said,
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One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 "There's a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that's a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this."
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There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them.
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And Jesus said,Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted.
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And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, "Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted."
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When they were filled, he said unto his disciples,Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.
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Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
14 The people realized that God was at work among them in what Jesus had just done. They said, "This is the Prophet for sure, God's Prophet right here in Galilee!"
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Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
15 Jesus saw that in their enthusiasm, they were about to grab him and make him king, so he slipped off and went back up the mountain to be by himself.
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When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
16 In the evening his disciples went down to the sea,
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And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
17 got in the boat, and headed back across the water to Capernaum. It had grown quite dark and Jesus had not yet returned.
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And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
18 A huge wind blew up, churning the sea.
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And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
19 They were maybe three or four miles out when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, quite near the boat. They were scared senseless,
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So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
20 but he reassured them, "It's me. It's all right. Don't be afraid."
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But he saith unto them,It is I; be not afraid.
21 So they took him on board. In no time they reached land - the exact spot they were headed to.
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Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
22 The next day the crowd that was left behind realized that there had been only one boat, and that Jesus had not gotten into it with his disciples. They had seen them go off without him.
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The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
23 By now boats from Tiberias had pulled up near where they had eaten the bread blessed by the Master.
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(Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
24 So when the crowd realized he was gone and wasn't coming back, they piled into the Tiberias boats and headed for Capernaum, looking for Jesus.
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When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 When they found him back across the sea, they said, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
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And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered, "You've come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs - and for free.
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Jesus answered them and said,Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 "Don't waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last."
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Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
28 To that they said, "Well, what do we do then to get in on God's works?"
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Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
29 Jesus said, "Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God's works."
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Jesus answered and said unto them,This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They waffled: "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do.
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They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
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Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Jesus responded, "The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread.
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Then Jesus said unto them,Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world."
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For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 They jumped at that: "Master, give us this bread, now and forever!"
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Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.
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And Jesus said unto them,I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me.
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But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go.
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All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.
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For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 "This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed - not a single detail missed - and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole.
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And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
40 This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time."
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And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
41 At this, because he said, "I am the Bread that came down from heaven," the Jews started arguing over him:
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The Jews then murmured at him, because he said,I am the bread which came down from heaven.
42 "Isn't this the son of Joseph? Don't we know his father? Don't we know his mother? How can he now say, 'I came down out of heaven' and expect anyone to believe him?"
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And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith,I came down from heaven?
43 Jesus said, "Don't bicker among yourselves over me.
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Jesus therefore answered and said unto them,Murmur not among yourselves.
44 You're not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me - that's the only way you'll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End.
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No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, 'And then they will all be personally taught by God.' Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally - to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father.
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It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
46 No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father - and you can see me.
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Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
47 "I'm telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life.
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Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
48 I am the Bread of Life.
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I am that bread of life.
49 Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died.
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Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever.
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This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
51 I am the Bread - living Bread! - who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live - and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self."
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I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
52 At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: "How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?"
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The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
53 But Jesus didn't give an inch. "Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you.
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Then Jesus said unto them,Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
54 The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day.
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Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
55 My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
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For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
56 By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you.
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He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
57 In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me.
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As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
58 This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always."
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This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
59 He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum.
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These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
60 Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow."
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Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely?
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When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them,Doth this offend you?
62 What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from?
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What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
63 The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.
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It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." (Jesus knew from the start that some weren't going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.)
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But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father."
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And he said,Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him.
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From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?"
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Then said Jesus unto the twelve,Will ye also go away?
68 Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life.
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Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 We've already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God."
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And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus responded, "Haven't I handpicked you, the Twelve? Still, one of you is a devil!"
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Jesus answered them,Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He was referring to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. This man - one from the Twelve! - was even then getting ready to betray him.
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He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The King James Version is in the public domain.