< John 12 >

1 Six days before the Passover [celebration started], Jesus arrived in Bethany [village, along with us]. That was where Lazarus lived. He was the man Jesus [previously] caused to be alive again after he died.
Ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς πρὸ ἓξ ἡμερῶν τοῦ πάσχα ἦλθεν εἰς Βηθανίαν, ὅπου ἦν Λάζαρος, ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν Ἰησοῦς.
2 There they gave a dinner to [honor] Jesus. Martha served the meal. [Her younger brother], Lazarus, was among the people who were eating with Jesus.
ἐποίησαν οὖν αὐτῷ δεῖπνον ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει, ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος εἷς ἦν ἐκ τῶν ἀνακειμένων σὺν αὐτῷ·
3 Then Mary took [a bottle] of expensive perfume [called] nard and poured it on Jesus’ feet [to honor him]. Then she wiped his feet with her hair. The whole house was filled with the [beautiful] smell of the perfume.
ἡ οὖν Μαριὰμ λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου ἤλειψεν τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐξέμαξεν ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth [Town]) objected. He was the one who later enabled Jesus’ enemies to seize him.
λέγει δὲ Ἰούδας ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης εἷς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, ὁ μέλλων αὐτὸν παραδιδόναι
5 He said, “(We should have sold this perfume and given [the money] to poor people!/Why did [we] not sell this perfume and give [the money for it] to the poor people?) [RHQ] We could have gotten 300 days’ wages for it!”
Διὰ τί τοῦτο τὸ μύρον οὐκ ἐπράθη τριακοσίων δηναρίων καὶ ἐδόθη πτωχοῖς;
6 He said that, not because he cared about the poor people, but instead, because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the bag [of funds that people gave to help Jesus and us his disciples], and he often stole some of the money that was {that [people]} put into it.
εἶπεν δὲ τοῦτο οὐχ ὅτι περὶ τῶν πτωχῶν ἔμελεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλ’ ὅτι κλέπτης ἦν καὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον ἔχων τὰ βαλλόμενα ἐβάσταζεν.
7 Then Jesus said, “Do not bother her! [She bought this perfume] in order to save it until the day when they will bury me [after I die].
εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ἄφες αὐτήν, ἵνα εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ μου τηρήσῃ αὐτό·
8 There will always be poor people among you, [so you can help them whenever you want to]. But I will not be with you much longer, [so it is good that she showed right now how much she appreciates me].”
τοὺς πτωχοὺς γὰρ πάντοτε ἔχετε μεθ’ ἑαυτῶν, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ πάντοτε ἔχετε.
9 A large crowd of Jews heard [people say] that Jesus was there [in Bethany]. So they came, not only [to see] Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the man whom he had caused to become alive again after he died.
Ἔγνω οὖν ὁ ὄχλος πολὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐστιν, καὶ ἦλθον οὐ διὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἴδωσιν ὃν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν.
10 So the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus also,
ἐβουλεύσαντο δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἀποκτείνωσιν,
11 because many of the Jews were [deserting them and] going to Jesus and believing in him because of [Jesus causing] Lazarus [to be alive again].
ὅτι πολλοὶ δι’ αὐτὸν ὑπῆγον τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἐπίστευον εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν.
12 The next day the huge crowd of people that had come [to Jerusalem] for the [Passover] celebration heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
Τῇ ἐπαύριον ὁ ὄχλος πολὺς ὁ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ἔρχεται Ἰησοῦς εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα,
13 So they [cut] branches from some palm trees and took the branches out [of the city] to [wave them when they] met him. Some of them were shouting things like, “Hooray!” “May the Lord [God] bless the one who is coming with his authority [MTY]!” Some other people were shouting, “[May God bless] the King of Israel!”
ἔλαβον τὰ βαΐα τῶν φοινίκων καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς ὑπάντησιν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐκραύγαζον Ὡσαννά, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, καὶ ὁ Βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.
14 When Jesus [came near to Jerusalem], he got a young donkey and sat on it [as he rode into the city]. By doing this, [he fulfilled] what had been written {what [a prophet] had written} [in Scripture],
εὑρὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὀνάριον ἐκάθισεν ἐπ’ αὐτό, καθώς ἐστιν γεγραμμένον
15 You people of Jerusalem, do not be afraid! Look! Your king is coming! He is riding on a donkey’s colt!
Μὴ φοβοῦ, θυγάτηρ Σιών· ἰδοὺ ὁ Βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεται, καθήμενος ἐπὶ πῶλον ὄνου.
16 At first [we] disciples did not understand those things. But after Jesus had returned to heaven, we realized that those things had been written {that [a prophet] had written those things} about him, and that [by] doing those things for him [the people had fulfilled what the prophet prophesied].
Ταῦτα οὐκ ἔγνωσαν αὐτοῦ οἱ μαθηταὶ τὸ πρῶτον, ἀλλ’ ὅτε ἐδοξάσθη Ἰησοῦς τότε ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ’ αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ.
17 The crowd that was with him continued to tell other people that he called Lazarus to come out of the tomb, [and that Lazarus had then become alive again].
Ἐμαρτύρει οὖν ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ὢν μετ’ αὐτοῦ ὅτε τὸν Λάζαρον ἐφώνησεν ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν.
18 Because of that, many people, because they heard [others say] that he had performed this miracle, went to meet him.
διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος, ὅτι ἤκουσαν τοῦτο αὐτὸν πεποιηκέναι τὸ σημεῖον.
19 So the Pharisees said to each other, “It is obvious that we are making no progress [in trying to stop him! It looks like] [HYP] everyone [MTY] is becoming his disciple!”
οἱ οὖν Φαρισαῖοι εἶπαν πρὸς ἑαυτούς Θεωρεῖτε ὅτι οὐκ ὠφελεῖτε οὐδέν· ἴδε ὁ κόσμος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν.
20 Among those who went up [to Jerusalem] to worship [God] during the [Passover] celebration were some Greeks.
Ἦσαν δὲ Ἕλληνές τινες ἐκ τῶν ἀναβαινόντων ἵνα προσκυνήσωσιν ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ·
21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida [town] in Galilee [province]. They [wanted him] to do something for them. They said, “Sir, we would like to talk with Jesus.”
οὗτοι οὖν προσῆλθον Φιλίππῳ τῷ ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἠρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες Κύριε, θέλομεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἰδεῖν.
22 So after Philip went and told that to Andrew, they both went and told Jesus.
ἔρχεται ὁ Φίλιππος καὶ λέγει τῷ Ἀνδρέᾳ· ἔρχεται Ἀνδρέας καὶ Φίλιππος καὶ λέγουσιν τῷ Ἰησοῦ.
23 Then, [to show them that he must die in order to give eternal life to non-Jews like those Greeks], Jesus replied to them, “It is time for [God] to honor me, the one who came from heaven. [That will happen when I die].
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀποκρίνεται αὐτοῖς λέγων Ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
24 Listen to this carefully: [My life is like a seed] [MET]. If [someone] does not plant a kernel of grain in the ground, it does not change. It remains only one [seed]. But if it changes [after it is planted in the ground, it will grow and] produce many seeds.
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου πεσὼν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀποθάνῃ, αὐτὸς μόνος μένει· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει.
25 Anyone who strongly wants to keep on living [here on earth] will surely lose his life forever. But anyone who is willing to die [HYP] [for my sake] will surely gain eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
ὁ φιλῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολλύει αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ μισῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον φυλάξει αὐτήν. (aiōnios g166)
26 If [any of these Greeks or] anyone [else] wants to serve me, they must become my disciples. Then, [after they die], they will be where I am, [in heaven]. My Father will honor all those who serve me.
ἐὰν ἐμοί τις διακονῇ, ἐμοὶ ἀκολουθείτω, καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ, ἐκεῖ καὶ ὁ διάκονος ὁ ἐμὸς ἔσται· ἐάν τις ἐμοὶ διακονῇ, τιμήσει αὐτὸν ὁ Πατήρ.
27 Now I am deeply disturbed. (I do not know what to say./What shall I say?) [RHQ] Should I say, ‘[My] Father, save me from this time [when I will suffer and die!’]? No, [I should not say that, because] the reason I came ([into this world/from heaven]) was that I would [suffer] [MTY] now.
νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται, καὶ τί εἴπω; Πάτερ, σῶσόν με ἐκ τῆς ὥρας ταύτης. ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ὥραν ταύτην.
28 My Father, show how great you are!” John 12:28b-36a Then [God] spoke [EUP] from heaven, saying, “I have already shown how great [I am], and I will do it again!”
Πάτερ, δόξασόν σου τὸ ὄνομα. ἦλθεν οὖν φωνὴ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ Καὶ ἐδόξασα καὶ πάλιν δοξάσω.
29 The crowd that was there heard [it but they did not understand the words. Some said] it was thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to him.
ὁ οὖν ὄχλος ὁ ἑστὼς καὶ ἀκούσας ἔλεγεν βροντὴν γεγονέναι· ἄλλοι ἔλεγον Ἄγγελος αὐτῷ λελάληκεν.
30 Jesus replied to them, “The voice that you heard speaking [was God’s voice, but] it was not for my benefit. It was for your benefit!
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν Οὐ δι’ ἐμὲ ἡ φωνὴ αὕτη γέγονεν ἀλλὰ δι’ ὑμᾶς.
31 Now is the time for [God] to judge [the people in] [MTY] the world. Now is the time when [I] will destroy [the power of Satan], the one who rules this world.
νῦν κρίσις ἐστὶν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω·
32 But as for me, when I am lifted {when [men] lift me} up from the ground [on a cross, I will make a way for] gathering everyone to myself.”
κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.
33 He said this to show us the way in which he was going to die.
τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἤμελλεν ἀποθνήσκειν.
34 [Someone in] the crowd answered him, “We understand from the Scriptures that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say that the one who came from heaven, [who is the Messiah], will be lifted up {that [men] will lift up the one who came from heaven, [who is the Messiah], } on a cross? What kind of man who came from heaven are you [talking about]? (OR, That’s not the [kind] of Messiah [we are expecting]!)” (aiōn g165)
ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ πῶς λέγεις σὺ ὅτι δεῖ ὑψωθῆναι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; (aiōn g165)
35 Then Jesus said to them, “[My message is like] [MET] a light for you. [I] will be with you for only a little while longer. Live and act [as you should] while I am still with you, [because suddenly you will have no more opportunity to hear my message! You do not want to be like] [MET] [someone] who cannot see where he is going any more [when it suddenly] becomes dark!
εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ἔτι μικρὸν χρόνον τὸ φῶς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν. περιπατεῖτε ὡς τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, ἵνα μὴ σκοτία ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ· καὶ ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ οὐκ οἶδεν ποῦ ὑπάγει.
36 Believe in my message [MET] while you still have an opportunity to do it, in order that you may become people who have accepted my truth [MET]!” John 12:36b-43 After Jesus said those things, he left them and hid from them.
ὡς τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, πιστεύετε εἰς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα υἱοὶ φωτὸς γένησθε. Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἐκρύβη ἀπ’ αὐτῶν.
37 Although he had done many miracles while people were watching, [most of] them refused to believe that he [is] ([the Messiah/from God]).
Τοσαῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ σημεῖα πεποιηκότος ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπίστευον εἰς αὐτόν,
38 [Their stubbornness and refusal to believe was similar to the stubbornness of the people that] the prophet Isaiah wrote about long ago: Lord, (hardly anyone has believed our message!/who has believed our message?) [RHQ] Most people refused to accept it, even though you showed them your power!
ἵνα ὁ λόγος Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου πληρωθῇ ὃν εἶπεν Κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσεν τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων Κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη;
39 That was the reason why they were unable to believe. [It was like] Isaiah wrote somewhere else that God said:
διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἠδύναντο πιστεύειν, ὅτι πάλιν εἶπεν Ἡσαΐας
40 They have [refused to understand; they acted as though they were] blind people! They were insensible in their inner beings! As a result, they have not perceived [my truth]! They have not understood it in their inner beings! They have not turned [from their sinful lives], and because of that I cannot help them!
Τετύφλωκεν αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ ἐπώρωσεν αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ νοήσωσιν τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ στραφῶσιν, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς.
41 Isaiah wrote that because [it was as though] he saw [ahead of time] how great Jesus would be, and he prophesied [those things] about him.
ταῦτα εἶπεν Ἡσαΐας ὅτι εἶδεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλησεν περὶ αὐτοῦ.
42 Although most of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] did not believe that Jesus is ([the Messiah/from God]), some of them believed in him. But they would not tell anyone that they believed in him, because [they were afraid that if they said that], the Pharisees would not let them worship in the synagogues.
ὅμως μέντοι καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχόντων πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς Φαρισαίους οὐχ ὡμολόγουν, ἵνα μὴ ἀποσυνάγωγοι γένωνται·
43 They wanted people to praise them more than they wanted God to praise them.
ἠγάπησαν γὰρ τὴν δόξαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων μᾶλλον ἤπερ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ.
44 [Another day, when] Jesus [was teaching the people, he] shouted, “Those who believe in me, they are not believing in [me alone]. Instead, [it is as though] they also believe in the one who sent me.
Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἔκραξεν καὶ εἶπεν Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ πιστεύει εἰς ἐμὲ ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸν πέμψαντά με,
45 When they see me [and what I am doing, it is as though] they are seeing the one who sent me.
καὶ ὁ θεωρῶν ἐμὲ θεωρεῖ τὸν πέμψαντά με.
46 I have come into the world [to show people God’s truth], as a light [shows people what is around them]. I have come in order that people who believe in me will not remain [ignorant of God’s truth] [MET], [as those who are] in the darkness [are ignorant of what is around them].
ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθα, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ μὴ μείνῃ.
47 As for those who hear my message but do not obey [its commands], I am not [the one who] judges them. [The main reason] that I came ([into the world/from heaven]) was not to judge [the people of] [MTY] the world. Instead, I came to save them [from being punished for their sins].
καὶ ἐάν τίς μου ἀκούσῃ τῶν ῥημάτων καὶ μὴ φυλάξῃ, ἐγὼ οὐ κρίνω αὐτόν· οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον ἵνα κρίνω τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ’ ἵνα σώσω τὸν κόσμον.
48 There is something that will judge those who reject me and do not accept my message. On the judgment day [God] will condemn them [because they rejected] the message that I have told them.
ὁ ἀθετῶν ἐμὲ καὶ μὴ λαμβάνων τὰ ῥήματά μου ἔχει τὸν κρίνοντα αὐτόν· ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησα, ἐκεῖνος κρινεῖ αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ·
49 I have not said things from my own [authority]. Instead, [my] Father, the one who sent me, instructed me what to say and how I should say it.
ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐξ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλάλησα, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με Πατὴρ αὐτός μοι ἐντολὴν δέδωκεν τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω.
50 I know that [paying attention to] what he has instructed us [leads to] eternal life. So whatever I say is exactly (OR, only) what [my] Father has told me to say.” (aiōnios g166)
καὶ οἶδα ὅτι ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιός ἐστιν. ἃ οὖν ἐγὼ λαλῶ, καθὼς εἴρηκέν μοι ὁ Πατήρ, οὕτως λαλῶ. (aiōnios g166)

< John 12 >