The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

Jesus therefore 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 not life in yourselves.  He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me.  This is the bread which came down out of heaven:  not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever.”

These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?”

But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, “Doth this cause you to stumble?  What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before?  It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing:  the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.  But there are some of you that believe not.”

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him.  And he said, “For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father.”

Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, “Would ye also go away?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.”

Jesus answered them, “Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

Now he spake of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

REJECTION OF THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS.

And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands.  (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market-place, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.) And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, “Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?”

And he said unto them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,