John 6:28
New International Version
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

New Living Translation
They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

English Standard Version
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”

Berean Standard Bible
Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore they said to Him, "What must we do, that we may be doing the works of God?"

King James Bible
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

New King James Version
Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

New American Standard Bible
Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?”

NASB 1995
Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

NASB 1977
They said therefore to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore they said to Him, “What should we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

Amplified Bible
Then they asked Him, “What are we to do, so that we may habitually be doing the works of God?”

Christian Standard Bible
“What can we do to perform the works of God? ” they asked.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.

American Standard Version
They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they were saying to him, “What shall we do to work the service of God?”

Contemporary English Version
"What exactly does God want us to do?" the people asked.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They said therefore unto him: What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?

English Revised Version
They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people asked Jesus, "What does God want us to do?"

Good News Translation
So they asked him, "What can we do in order to do what God wants us to do?"

International Standard Version
Then they asked him, "What must we do to perform God's works?"

Literal Standard Version
Therefore they said to Him, “What may we do that we may work the works of God?”

Majority Standard Bible
Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

New American Bible
So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

NET Bible
So then they said to him, "What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?"

New Revised Standard Version
Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”

New Heart English Bible
They said therefore to him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said they to him, What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?

Weymouth New Testament
"What are we to do," they asked, "in order to carry out the things that God requires?"

World English Bible
They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Young's Literal Translation
They said therefore unto him, 'What may we do that we may work the works of God?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus the Bread of Life
27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.” 28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”…

Cross References
John 6:27
Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval."

John 6:29
Jesus replied, "The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent."


Treasury of Scripture

Then said they to him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

What.

Deuteronomy 5:27
Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.

Jeremiah 42:3-6,20
That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do…

Micah 6:7,8
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? …

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Carry Order Requires Work Works
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Carry Order Requires Work Works
John 6
1. Jesus feeds five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes.
15. Thereupon the people would have made him king;
16. but withdrawing himself, he walks on the sea to his disciples;
26. reproves the people flocking after him, and all the fleshly hearers of his word;
32. declares himself to be the bread of life to believers.
66. Many disciples depart from him.
68. Peter confesses him.
70. Judas is a devil.














(28) This verse confirms the meaning given to the preceding words. They understand them in that sense. There are works for them to do which are appointed of God. What shall they do that they may work these works? They had seen Him doing mighty works, which clearly showed the power of God. Are there for them works of a like kind? What steps must they take that they too may work them?

Verse 28. - They say unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God? The works of God might be, either works like those which are wrought by God the Father, but this would be a very improbable demand; or "the works of God" may be those which God has assigned to man as the conditions of his favour. There is a breadth about the question that may cover the ground involved in Christ's declaration, but it reveals, at the same time, the self-complacency, the carnal conception on the part of these Galilaeans of their being able, competent, to fulfil along certain lines to be specified, all the required conditions. But we must not be too hard on these Galilaeans, brought up as they were to believe in the efficacy of certain rounds of specific and arbitrary duties, methods of purification, forms of service and of abstinence, pilgrimages and fastings and feastings, as well as obedience to a specific moral code. They ask quite rationally, "What must we do?" and in various forms the same question bursts from the heart of all who have, starting from utter indifference, made any progress towards, or in the direction of, holy living or of Divine pleasing.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

they inquired,
Εἶπον (Eipon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“What
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

must we do
ποιῶμεν (poiōmen)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

perform
ἐργαζώμεθα (ergazōmetha)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2038: To work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor.

the
τὰ (ta)
Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

works
ἔργα (erga)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2041: From a primary ergo; toil; by implication, an act.

of God?”
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Gospels: John 6:28 They said therefore to him What must (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 6:27
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