John 6:60-71

New International Version

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰On hearing it, many of his disciples^(A) said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”^(B)

⁶¹Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?^(C) ⁶²Then what if you see the Son of Man^(D) ascend to where he was before!^(E) ⁶³The Spirit gives life;^(F) the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[a] and life. ⁶⁴Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known^(G) from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.^(H) ⁶⁵He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”^(I)

⁶⁶From this time many of his disciples^(J) turned back and no longer followed him.

⁶⁷“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.^(K)

⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him,^(L) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.^(M) ⁶⁹We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”^(N)

⁷⁰Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you,^(O) the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”^(P) ⁷¹(He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot,^(Q) who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)^(R)

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Footnotes

John 6:63 Or are Spirit; or are spirit

Song of Songs 6

New International Version

Friends

6 Where has your beloved^(A) gone,
most beautiful of women?^(B)
Which way did your beloved turn,
that we may look for him with you?

She

²My beloved has gone^(C) down to his garden,^(D)
    to the beds of spices,^(E)
to browse in the gardens
    and to gather lilies.
³I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;^(F)
    he browses among the lilies.^(G)

He

⁴You are as beautiful as Tirzah,^(H) my darling,
    as lovely as Jerusalem,^(I)
    as majestic as troops with banners.^(J)
⁵Turn your eyes from me;
    they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    descending from Gilead.^(K)
⁶Your teeth are like a flock of sheep
    coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin,
    not one of them is missing.^(L)
⁷Your temples behind your veil^(M)
    are like the halves of a pomegranate.^(N)
⁸Sixty queens^(O) there may be,
    and eighty concubines,^(P)
    and virgins beyond number;
⁹but my dove,^(Q) my perfect one,^(R) is unique,
    the only daughter of her mother,
    the favorite of the one who bore her.^(S)
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
    the queens and concubines praised her.

Friends

¹⁰Who is this that appears like the dawn,
fair as the moon, bright as the sun,
majestic as the stars in procession?

He

¹¹I went down to the grove of nut trees
    to look at the new growth in the valley,
to see if the vines had budded
    or the pomegranates were in bloom.^(T)
¹²Before I realized it,
    my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.^[a]

Friends

¹³Come back, come back, O Shulammite;
come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!

He

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite
as on the dance^(U) of Mahanaim?^[b]

Footnotes

Song of Songs 6:12 Or among the chariots of Amminadab; or among the chariots of the people of the prince
Song of Songs 6:13 In Hebrew texts this verse (6:13) is numbered 7:1.