John 6.1-16

Some time later Jesus withdrew to the farther shore of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias) and a large crowd of people followed who had seen the signs he performed in healing the sick. Then Jesus went up the hill-side and sat down with his disciples. It was near the time of Passover, the great Jewish festival.

Raising his eyes and seeing a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Phillip, "Where are we to buy bread to feed these people?" (This he said to test him; Jesus himself knew what he meant to do.)

Phillip replied, "Twenty pounds would not buy enough bread for every one of them to have a little."

One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes, but what is that among so many?"

Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." There was plenty of grass there, so the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to the people as they sat there. He did the same with the fishes, and they had as much as they wanted. When everybody had had enough, he said to his disciples, "Collect the pieces left over, so that nothing may be lost." This they did, and filled twelve baskets with the pieces left uneaten of the five barley loaves.

When the people saw the sign Jesus had performed, the word went round, "Surely this must be the prophet that was to come into the world."

Jesus, aware that they meant to come and seize him and proclaim him king, withdrew again to the hills by himself.