The Readable Bible: John

The Gospel of John

From Iron Stream Media

The Readable Bible will be available as a complete Bible, in portions, in individual books as below, and as a twenty-seven volume set.

The Holy Bible 978-1-56309-531-3

The Readable Bible: Pentateuch

The Readable Bible: Genesis 978-1-56309-578-8

The Readable Bible: Exodus 978-1-56309-579-5

The Readable Bible: Leviticus 978-1-56309-580-1

The Readable Bible: Numbers 978-1-56309-581-8

The Readable Bible: Deuteronomy 978-1-56309-582-5

The Readable Bible: Historical Books

The Readable Bible: Joshua, Judges, Ruth 978-1-56309-583-2

The Readable Bible: 1 and 2 Samuel 978-1-56309-584-9

The Readable Bible: 1 and 2 Kings 978-1-56309-585-6

The Readable Bible: 1 and 2 Chronicles 978-1-56309-586-3

The Readable Bible: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther 978-1-56309-587-0

The Readable Bible: Wisdom Books

The Readable Bible: Job 978-1-56309-588-7

The Readable Bible: Psalms 978-1-56309-564-1

The Readable Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs 978-1-56309-565-8

The Readable Bible: Prophets

The Readable Bible: Isaiah 978-1-56309-589-4

The Readable Bible: Jeremiah, Lamentations 978-1-56309-590-0

The Readable Bible: Ezekiel, Daniel 978-1-56309-592-4

The Readable Bible: Minor Prophets 978-1-56309-593-1

The Readable Bible: New Testament

The Readable Bible: Matthew 978-1-56309-566-5

The Readable Bible: Mark 978-1-56309-567-2

The Readable Bible: Luke 978-1-56309-568-9

The Readable Bible: John 978-1-56309-570-2

The Readable Bible: Acts 978-1-56309-571-9

The Readable Bible: Romans 978-1-56309-572-6

The Readable Bible: 1 and 2 Corinthians 978-1-56309-573-3

The Readable Bible: Galatians–Philemon 978-1-56309-575-7

The Readable Bible: Hebrews–Jude 978-1-56309-576-4

The Readable Bible: Revelation 978-1-56309-577-1

Visit www.ironstreammedia.com for more information.

The Gospel of John

Good News for Jew and Gentile

Translated and Edited by Rodney S. Laughlin Brendan I. Kennedy, PhD

Birmingham, Alabama

The Readable Bible: John Iron Stream

An imprint of Iron Stream Media 100 Missionary Ridge Birmingham, AL 35242 www.ironstreammedia.com

Copyright © 2022 by Rodney S. Laughlin

The Readable Bible text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, or audio) up to and inclusive of five hundred verses without express written permission of the publisher provided that (a) the verses quoted do not account for more than 25 percent of the total work in which they are quoted, (b) no more than 25 percent of a book of the Bible is quoted, (c) all quotations conform accurately to The Readable Bible text, and (d) one of the following credit lines appears on the copyright page or title page of the work:

Scripture quotations marked TRB are taken from The Readable Bible®. Copyright © 2022 by Rodney S. Laughlin, Leawood, Kansas. Used by permission of Iron Stream Media.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from The Readable Bible®. Copyright © 2022 by Rodney S. Laughlin, Leawood, Kansas. Used by permission of Iron Stream Media.

When quotations from The Readable Bible text are used in not-for-sale media (e.g., church bulletins, orders of service, newsletters, digital presentations), a copyright notice is not required, but the initials “TRB” must appear at the end of each quotation. Websites and blogs may quote up to five hundred verses without express written permission provided they include the initials “TRB” at the end of each quotation and provided that the verses quoted account for not more than 25 percent of any web page upon which they appear and that no more than 25 percent of a book of the Bible is quoted.

Quotations not covered by the above guidelines must be approved in writing by Iron Stream Media. Send requests to info@ironstreammedia.com or to the address above.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022938636

Cover design: twoline | | Studio

Interior designer/illustrator: Clyde Adams (www.clydeadams.com)

Map geographic features courtesy of Bible Mapper (www.biblemapper.com).

Typeface: Veritas AE from Altered Ego Fonts, a division of Aespire

The Gospel of John Part 1. Prologue

Part 2. Jesus Begins His Ministry

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

Calls Philip and Nathanael

Jesus Changes Water into Wine

Part 3. Jesus’ Teaching and Healing Ministry

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

Testifies About Jesus Again

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus’ Food

Many Samaritans Believe

Jesus Heals the Official’s Son

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Claims He Is Equal to God

Testimonies About Jesus

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

Jesus Walks on the Water

Jesus Is the Bread of Life

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

Jesus Resolutely Sets Out for Jerusalem

Jesus’ Teaching at the Festival of Shelters

The Crowd Splits over Jesus

Jewish Leaders Baffled

Woman Caught in Adultery

Jesus Claims He Is the Light of the World and from Above

Instructions to Those Who Believed

John 2

John 3

John 4

John 5

John 6

John 7

John 8

Children of God

He

Jesus Heals a Man

and Obey

John 9

John 10

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

over Jesus’

The Death of Lazarus

Comforts Lazarus’ Sisters

Raises Lazarus

Sanhedrin

to Kill

Part 4. Passion Week

John 11

John 12

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

Predicts His Death

the Father Speaks to a Crowd

Jews Believe

The Last Supper

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

Predicts His Betrayal

Jesus Gives a New Commandment: Love One Another

Predicts Peter’s Denial

John 13

John 14

Jesus Comforts His Disciples.........................................................

Jesus Is the Way to the Father

Promises the Holy Spirit

Map: Jesus’ Last Two Days

Note: Where Did Jesus Walk? Where Was He Taken?

Jesus’ Last Two Days

On the Way to the Garden

Gethsemane

Vine and the Branches

John 15

World

Work

Grief

Jesus’ High-Priestly

His Disciples

All Believers

In the Garden of Gethsemane

Arrested

Jesus’ Trial, Death, and Burial

Peter’s First Denial

High Priest Questions

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

John 16

17

John 18

Before Pilate.....................................................................

John 19

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

Crucifixion

Burial

Part 5. Jesus’ Resurrection

John 20

The Empty Tomb

Appears to Mary Magdalene

Appears to the Disciples

Appears to Thomas

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

Reassures Peter

Purpose of John’s Gospel

John 21

Preface

To the Reader

One day I was standing in an airport bookstore looking for a book to read. I asked myself, “Why am I looking for something to read when I have a Bible in my briefcase?” I answered, “The Bible is hard to read. I want to read something easier.” Then I asked myself, “Why is it so hard to read? You’re a seminary graduate, a former pastor, a Bible teacher!” Thus began a quest that has led to The Readable Bible—the Bible as it would look if Moses, Joshua, Matthew, Mark, Paul, and the other writers had been sitting in front of a computer when God spoke through them.

It seems to me that the Bible is hard to read because all material is presented in sentence format. Today we use tables to present census information and charts for genealogies. When we want something built, we draw up a specification document. Law codes are organized in outline form. We use bullet points, bold text, and other aids to help us grasp information. Yet in today’s Bibles, all the information is still presented in sentence format in plain text. Surely those men of old would have used modern formats if they had known about them when God spoke through them. Modern formatting does not change the information; it simply presents it in a way that makes it easier to grasp. The Readable Bible brings you the biblical text in modern formats.

You may struggle with the idea of Scripture in modern formats. Actually, all of today’s Bibles present the text in a form much different from that of the original manuscripts. Consider how many format changes that were developed over the past two thousand years led to the format considered normal today. Each change was radical in its time:

• Vowels: The earliest Hebrew manuscripts have no vowels; they were added hundreds of years later.

• Capital Letters: The Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament manuscripts have no uppercase and lowercase letters.

• Punctuation: The original manuscripts have no punctuation (no commas or periods!).

• Chapter Numbers: These were not common in Bibles until the thirteenth century AD.

• Verse Numbers: The first verse-numbering system was developed over a thousand years after the last Bible book was written. It had one-third of today’s verse numbers, making verses three or four times longer. Today’s Christian Bible numbering system was not developed until the sixteenth century.

• Paragraphs: The first paragraphed King James Bible was published in the mid-1800s.

So presenting the words of Scripture in tables, cascading the text of long, complex sentences, and using other modern formatting techniques is simply continuing the long-term trend of making the Bible easier to understand.

Our hope is that people who have never read the Bible will decide to read this version because it is so approachable. Please give a copy to someone who struggles to understand the Bible and, especially, to those who do not read the Bible.

Acknowledgments

My thanks to all the members of our editing team, our volunteer development team, and the many others who have donated funds and worked to bring The Readable Bible to completion.

A big “thank you” to my designer and partner in this project, Clyde Adams, for joining me in this faith venture. He has turned the translation into well-laid-out text and my formatting concepts into reality. The maps, tables, charts, book layout, and cover are all his work.

Most of all, I thank my wife, Rebecca, for her ideas, her love, and her strong support of this endeavor over the past twelve years.

Dedication

And now I dedicate to our Lord this translation of his holy Word, humbly asking him to grant that it may bring forth fruit to his glory and the building up of his people.

Spring 2022

Introduction to the Gospel of Johna

Some of the last words of the Gospel of John tell us the first thing we need to know: “These things are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name.”b

John was amazed when he met Jesus. Right at the beginning of his Gospel, John tells us how “we saw his glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”c Before he met Jesus, John was a fisherman, the son of a man who owned a boat and had servants. But he saw in the call to follow Jesus something greater than the life he had.

John, along with Peter and James, became part of the inner circle of disciples. His relationship with Jesus grew so close that four times he describes himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.d When it came time for one final supper, the Last Supper, John was one of the two chosen to prepare for it.

Early Christian writings tell us that church leaders asked John, toward the end of his life, to record his experiences with Jesus. While Matthew, Mark, and Luke had written about Jesus already, those who were listening to John heard many stories about Jesus that had not been recorded. So during the time he was a leader of the church in Ephesus, he wrote this account of the life of Christ.

John emphasizes that he witnessed the events. He left his Gospel as evidence to help people come to faith. All he wrote was with the hope that you will be able to see Jesus and believe him. Read and become part of the fulfillment of John’s wish. Believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and receive eternal life in his name.

Before You Read

Before reading the text, please browse the glossary. You will find interesting information about words that appear frequently in this book, as well as important information regarding the words “Jesus” and “Christ.”

Words in italics are additions to the biblical text. Text enclosed in brackets is spurious—not in the oldest, most reliable manuscripts. Read “Note on Spurious Text” in the back of the book for more information.

Read lists in the text from top to bottom in the first column then the next column.

In the context of commands, rules, and regulations, “shall,” “must,” and “are/is” are equal terms, all with the same strength of command.

We encourage you to read “Translation Notes” and “Format and Presentation Notes” in the back of the book. They are easy reading and will increase your understanding of the text.

Remember, Jesus was and is Jewish. The disciples and the women around him were Jewish. So “Jews” in the text oftentimes refers not to all Jews but only to those who opposed Jesus.

a “Gospel”: an Old English word that means “good news.”

b See John 20:31.

c See John 1:14.

d See John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20.

Last of all, each time you sit down to read the good news of Jesus the Messiah, pray Lord, open my eyes to see Jesus; open my mind to understand Jesus; open my will to obey Jesus; open my emotions to enjoy Jesus; open my whole being to trust that his death paid the price for my sin; and open my soul and spirit to serve Jesus as my Savior, my Lord.

The Gospel of John

Good News About Jesus the Messiah as Reported by John

Part 1. Prologue

John 1

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things came into existence through him. Apart from him nothing came into existence that has existed. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all humanity. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.a

1

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light so that through him all might believe. 8 He was not the light, for he came that he might testify concerning the light.

9 The true light (who gives light to everyone) was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world didn’t know him. 11 He came to his own people, but his own people didn’t receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 born not of human descent, nor of sexual desire, nor of a human’s decision,b but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John the Baptist testified about him, crying out, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me,c because he existed before me.’ ” 16 Out of his fullnessd we have all received grace upon grace e already given. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. f 18 No one has ever seen all of God. The one and only God (i.e., Jesus), who is in the closest possible relationship with the Father, g has made him fully known.

John the Baptist’s Testimony

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levitesh to ask him, “Who are you?”

19

20 He freely declared,i “I am not the Messiah.”

21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? Elijah?” j

He said, “I am not.”

a Or “has not understood it.”

b Literally, “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man.”

c Or “is greater than I am.”

d “Fullness”: completeness in all respects.

e “Grace” is unmerited favor.

f See “Jesus” and “Christ” in the glossary.

g Literally, “in the bosom of the Father.”

h “Levites”: priests and other temple assistants.

i Literally, “confessed and did not deny, but confessed.”

j Elijah, who was “taken up” (see 2 Kings 2:11), was seen as still alive. He was expected to come back before the “great and terrible day of the L

(Malachi 4:5).

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

22 Then they said, “So we can give an answer to those who sent us, tell us, who are you? What do you say about yourself ?”

23 John said, as Isaiah the prophet said, “I am the voice crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make clear the way for the Lord.’ ”a

24 Those who had been sent from the Pharisees 25 asked, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”

26

John replied, “I baptize in water, but one whom you do not know stands among you. 27 He is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.”

28 This all happened where John was baptizing at Bethany on the east side of the Jordan.b

John Testifies About Jesus

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me ranks ahead of me,c because he existed before me.’ 31 At first I didn’t recognize him as the Messiah, but for this purpose I came baptizing in water: so that he would be revealed to Israel.”

29

32 And after baptizing Jesus, d John testified: “I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and remain upon him. 33 I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize in water told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Holy Spirit descend and remain on is the one who will baptize people in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen, and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

Part 2. Jesus Begins His Ministry

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus

Again the next day, John was standing with Andrew and another of his disciples.e 36 He saw Jesus passing by and said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

35

38 Jesus turned and saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 He replied, “Come, and you will see.” So they went to see where he was staying, and they stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about 4:00 p.m.f

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find g his own brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “Christ” in Greek), 42 and he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas, which means Rock.”h

a See Isaiah 40:3.

b Literally, “other side.” The location of this Bethany is unknown.

c Or “is greater than I am.”

d See Matthew 3:13–15.

e Literally, “standing with two of his disciples.”

f Literally, “the tenth hour.”

g Literally, “He first found.”

h Literally, “which means Petros.” Petros (which transliterates into English as “Peter”) is Greek for “rock.”

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43–44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He came upon Philip (who was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter) and said to him, “Follow me.”

45 Then Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We’ve found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about in the law. He’s Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

46 “Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Can anything good come out of there?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said about him, “Look here, a true Israelite, one in whom there is no deceit.”

48 Nathanael asked, “How do you know about me?”

Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were under the fig tree, before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!”

50 Jesus said, “You believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You’ll see greater things than that.” 51 And he told him, “I’m telling you the truth: Youa will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

2 John Jesus Changes Water into Wine

1 Three days later there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re out of wine.”

4 Jesus replied, “Dear woman, why are you telling me? b My time hasn’t come yet.”

5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now six stone water jars, each holding twenty to thirty gallons,c were there for Jewish ceremonial washing.d 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the banquet manager,” and they took it to him

9 The banquet manager tasted the water that had been turned into wine. Not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then, after the guests have drunk a lot, they serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best till now!”

11 Jesus performed this first of his miraculous signs in Cana of Galilee, thus revealing his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 Then he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. And they stayed for a few days.

a This is a plural “You” in Greek, referring either to Nathanael and Philip or to everyone listening.

b Literally, “what to me and to you,” meaning “what does this mean to you that it should mean something to me?”

c Literally, “two or three metretes.” A metrete was about thirty-five quarts.

d Literally, “for the purification of the Jews.”

Part 3. Jesus’ Teaching and Healing Ministry

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 When the Jewish Festival of Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrificial offerings and money-changers seated at the tables a 15 So he made a whip out of cords and drove them all from the temple—sheep, cattle, and money-changers. He scattered the coins and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a house of trade!”

17 And his disciples remembered that it is written in Scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”b

18 The Jews responded to his actions by saying to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority, since you are doing these things?”

19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I’ll raise it up!”

20 They replied, “It’s taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you’re going to raise it up in three days?”

21 But Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said, and then they believed the Scripture and what Jesus had said.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Festival of the Passover, many people saw the miracles he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus, on his part, did not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people 25 He didn’t need anyone to tell him about them; for he himself knew what was in people.

John

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

1 Now a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, 2 came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the miracles that you do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “I’m telling you the truth: Unless a person is born again,c they cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus replied, “How can a person be born when they’re old? Surely they cannot enter their mother’s womb a second time to be born again!”

5 Jesus replied, “I’m telling you the truth: Unless one is born of both water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit. 7 So don’t be amazed that I told you,d ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

a The money-changers made a profit exchanging Roman coins for temple coins.

b See Psalm 69:9.

c Or “born from above.” And verse 7.

d This is a plural “you” in Greek, meaning that Jesus had said this sometime previously to a group of whom Nicodemus was one member.

9 Nicodemus asked, “How can these things be?”

10 “You’re a teacher of Israel,” Jesus replied, “and you don’t understand these things? 11 I’m telling you the truth: We speak about what we know, and we testify about what we’ve seen, but you people still don’t accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,a the Son of Man must be lifted up 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”b

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begottenc Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemnd the world but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of God’s only begotten Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and will not come to the light so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true e come to the light so that their deeds will be clearly seen as having been done in God.

John Testifies About Jesus Again

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them and was baptizing.f 23 Now John the Baptist was also baptizing near Salim at Aenon, because there was plenty of water and people were coming to be baptized 24 (for John had not yet been thrown into prison).

25 A dispute developed between John’s disciples and a Jew over ceremonial washing. 26 They came to John and said, “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he’s baptizing and everyone is going to him.”

27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The bridegroom’s best man g stands by and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. So this is my joy, and it is complete. 30 He must become greater, and I must become less.”h

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is of the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is

a See Numbers 21:9.

b See verses 16–21. It is unclear whether some part or all of these verses are a continuation of the quote or commentary by John.

c Or “one and only.” And verse 18. The Greek word, monogene, is a combination of mono (i.e., one, unique) and genos (i.e., of its kind).

d Or “judge,” meaning to make a decision of guilt or no guilt.

e “True”: that which is in agreement with God’s truth.

f While people saw this as Jesus baptizing, the disciples did the actual baptizing. See John 4:2.

g Literally, “friend.”

h This quotation may continue through verse 36. Or verses 31–36 may be commentary by the apostle John.

above all. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 Anyone who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives his Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority.a 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

John 4

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

1 Now when Jesusb learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), 3 he left Judea and headed back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria.c 5–6 At about noond he came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near Jacob’s well and the field Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jesus, tired from the journey, sat down by the well, 8 and his disciples went into town to buy food.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

9 She said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus replied, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is asking you to ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked him for a drink, and he would have given you living water.”e

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get this living water? 12 You’re not greater than our ancestor Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks the water I will give them will never thirst again,f for the water I give them will become in them a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”

15 The woman requested, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t be thirsty and have to come here to draw water.”

16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

17 She replied, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said, “You spoke honestly when you said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You told the truth.”

19 “Sir,” she said, “I see that you’re a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain (i e , Mount Gerizim), but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.”

a Literally, “all things into his hand.”

b Some manuscripts, “when the Lord.”

c “Had to go through”: Because at the time it was normal to travel to Galilee without going through Samaria, Jesus must have had a compelling reason to go through Samaria. See “Samaritan” in the glossary.

d Literally, “the sixth hour.”

e “Living water”: flowing (therefore, self-replenishing) water.

f Literally, “will not thirst for the age.”

21

Jesus replied, “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you don’t know, and we Jews worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming—and now is—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is looking for people who will worship him that way. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that the Messiah, who is called Christ, is coming, and when he comes he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one who is speaking to you, am he.”

27

Just then his disciples returned and were shocked to find him talking with a Samaritan woman. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 The woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and told the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could he be the Messiah?” 30 Then they came out of the town and headed toward him.

Jesus’ Food

31 Meanwhile the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But he told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

33 So his disciples asked each other, “Did anyone bring him something to eat?”

34 Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me—and to complete his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying:a ‘Four months more and then the harvest’ ? Listen, I’m telling you now, look around you,b and look at the fields! They’re ripec for harvest now, 36 and the one who reaps is already receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you haven’t worked for. Others have worked, and you have received the benefit of d their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them. He stayed two days, 41 and many more believed in him because of his words. 42 They told the woman, “It’s no longer just because of what you said that we believe, for we’ve heard for ourselves and know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

a Literally, “Don’t you say.”

b Literally, “lift up your eyes.”

c Literally, “They’re white.”

d Literally, “have entered into.”

Jesus Heals the Official’s Son

43 After the two days, he left for Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.a 45 When he arrived in Galilee, he was welcomed because the Galileans had seen all the great things that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they themselves had gone to the festival.

46 He returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. A royal official at Capernaum, whose son lay sick, 47 heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea. He went to him and asked him to come and heal his son, for he was near death.

48 Therefore Jesus replied, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you won’t believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down to Capernaum before my child dies.”

50 “Go home,” Jesus replied. “Your son will live.”

The man believed the words Jesus had told him and departed. 51 While he was going down there, his slaves met him and told him that his boy was going to live.b 52 When he asked them what time his son began to get better, they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at 1:00 p.m.” c 53 Then the father realized that at that hour Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, and his whole household with him. 54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

John

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

1 After this there was a Jewish festival, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate, there was a pool called Bethesda (Aramaic for House of Mercy d ) with five covered porches. 3 A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people lie in them [waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel of the Lord came down into the pool at certain times and stirred up the waters. Then, whoever stepped in first, after the water was stirred, was healed from whatever disease afflicted them.] 5 A man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had already been there for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 The disabled man replied, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am going to get in, someone else steps down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” 9 Immediately the man was healed. He picked up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a Sabbath. 10 So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It’s the Sabbath; you are not permitted to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk!’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Which man told you to pick it up and walk?”

a See Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24.

b Literally, “was alive.”

c Literally, “the seventh hour.”

d Some manuscripts: “Bethzatha,” which means “House of Olive Oil.”

13

The man who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd there.

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you’ve become well, so don’t sin anymore so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Jesus Claims He Is Equal to God

16 Because of this, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him—because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 So he told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason, the Jewish leaders sought all the more to kill him, as he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but he also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

19 So Jesus answered, “I’m telling you the truth: The Son can do nothing by himself unless he sees his Father doing it; for whatever he does, the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and he will show him even greater works than these so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 For the Father does not pass judgment on anyone but has given the responsibility for all such judgment to the Son 23 so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, the one who sent him. 24 I’m telling you the truth: Whoever hears what I say and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemneda but has crossed over from death to life.

25 “I’m telling you the truth: A time is coming, and is here now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; 27 and he has granted him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out; those who have done what is good will rise to a resurrection of eternal life. And those who have practiced what is evil will rise to a resurrection of judgment. 30 By myself I can do nothing, so I judge only as I hear. My judgment is just, because I don’t seek my will but the will of him who sent me.

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I alone testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies about me, and I know that his testimonyb about me is true. 33 You have sent a question to John the Baptist, and he has testified to the truth. 34 (Not that I receive human testimony, but I mention it that you may be saved.) 35 He was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 I, however, have a testimony greater than that of John, for the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, which I am doing, testify of me, that the Father has sent me. 37 And the one who sent me, the Father, has testified about me. You’ve never heard his voice nor seen his form. 38 You don’t have his word residing in you, for you don’t

a Literally, “not come into judgment.”

b Literally, “that the testimony he testifies.”