John 6:52–66

⁵²The Jews then ^hdisputed among themselves, saying, ⁱ“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 ^jthe Son of Man and drink his blood, you ^khave no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^lhas eternal life, and ^mI 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 ⁿabides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷As ^othe living Father ^psent me, and ^qI live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ^58rThis is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread³ the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹Jesus⁴ said these things in the synagogue, as he taught ^sat Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

^60tWhen many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹But Jesus, ^vknowing 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 ^wthe Son of Man ^xascending to ^ywhere he was before? ^63zIt is the Spirit who gives life; ^athe flesh is no help at all. ^bThe words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But ^cthere are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus ^vknew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and ^dwho it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵And he said, “This is why I told you ^ethat no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

^66fAfter this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.