John 4
1 [At that time, many people were asking] Jesus to baptize them. He did not baptize people; it was [we] his disciples who were doing the baptizing. But when some of the Pharisee [religious group] heard [people say that] Jesus was making more disciples than John [the Baptizer] and was baptizing them, [they became very jealous].
When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus makes and baptises more disciples than John
(however, Jesus himself did not baptise, but his disciples),
3 When the Lord [Jesus] heard about that, [so that the Pharisees would not cause trouble for him], he left Judea [district], and went again [with us disciples] to Galilee district.
he left Judaea and went away again unto Galilee.
4 [He] knew that God wanted him to travel through Samaria [district].
And he must needs pass through Samaria.
5 So we arrived at a town named Sychar in Samaria [district]. That was near the plot of ground that [our ancestor] Jacob had given to his son Joseph [long ago].
He comes therefore to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near to the land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 The well that [used to] belong to Jacob was on that plot of ground. Jesus was tired from walking. So while [we] disciples went into the town to buy some food, he sat down alongside the well. It was about noontime. A woman who [lived there] in Samaria came to get some water [from the well]. Jesus said to her, “Will you give me [from the well] some water [to drink]?” The [woman knew that] Jews did not like ([to touch things that belong to] Samaritans/[to] come near Samaritans), (OR, Jews did not like to associate with Samaritans,)
Now a fountain of Jacob's was there; Jesus therefore, being wearied with the way he had come, sat just as he was at the fountain. It was about the sixth hour.
A woman comes out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her, Give me to drink
(for his disciples had gone away into the city that they might buy provisions).
9 so the woman said to him, “You are a Jew, and I am from Samaria. Furthermore, I am a woman. So ([I am surprised] that you are asking me for a drink [of water]!/how is it that you are asking me for a drink [of water]?) [RHQ]”
The Samaritan woman therefore says to him, How dost thou, being a Jew, ask to drink of me who am a Samaritan woman? for Jews have no intercourse with Samaritans.
10 Jesus replied to her, “If you [(sg)] knew what God [wanted to] give you, and if you knew who I am, the one who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked me, and I would have given you water that gives life.”
Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 She [thought he was talking about] ordinary [water. So she] said to him, “Sir, you do not have a bucket [or a rope with which to get water from the well], and the well is deep. So [since you cannot get water from this well], where can you get that life-giving water?
The woman says to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water?
12 Our ancestor Jacob left us this well. He drank water from it, and there was [enough good water] so that his sons and his flocks [of sheep] and goats drank from it also. [Do you claim that] you are greater than Jacob, [and because of that you can give us life-giving water]?”
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13 Jesus replied to her, “Everyone who drinks water from this [well] will later become thirsty again.
Jesus answered and said to her, Every one who drinks of this water shall thirst again;
15 The woman [did not understand that Jesus was speaking figuratively about something that would sustain her spiritually. So she] said to him, “Sir, give me that kind of water so that I will not get thirsty again, and so that I will not have to keep returning here to get water!”
The woman says to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst nor come here to draw.
16 [Jesus knew that she did not understand, but he wanted to show her by his God-given knowledge of her personal life that because he was the Messiah he could supply her spiritual need. So] he said to her, “Woman, go and call your husband, and bring him here!”
Jesus says to her, Go, call thy husband, and come here.
17 She replied, “I do not have a husband!” Jesus said to her, “You said that you do not have a husband, and that is true.
The woman answered and said, I have not a husband. Jesus says to her, Thou hast well said, I have not a husband;
18 It is also true that you have had five husbands [one by one]. And the man you are living with now is not your husband! What you have said is very true.”
for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom now thou hast is not thy husband: this thou hast spoken truly.
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive you must be a prophet [because you are] able [to know people’s secrets].
The woman says to him, Sir, I see that thou art a prophet.
20 But [let me ask you a different question]: Our ancestors worshipped God here on [Gerizim Mountain], but you [Jews] say that Jerusalem is the place where we must worship [God. So who is right]?”
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me [when I say that] there will be a time when it will not [matter whether] you worship [God our] Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem [or somewhere else].
Jesus says to her, Woman, believe me, [the] hour is coming when ye shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father.
22 You [people from Samaria] do not know the one you are worshipping. But we [(exc) Jews] know whom we worship, because it is from [us] Jews that [God has sent the one who] will save people [from the guilt of their sins].
Ye worship ye know not what; we worship what we know, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 However, there will be a time when those who genuinely worship God will worship him as [God’s] Spirit [directs] and according to [God’s] truth. In fact, that time is now. Those are the kind of worshipers my Father seeks.
But [the] hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for also the Father seeks such as his worshippers.
24 God is a spiritual being. So it is necessary that those who worship him must worship him as his Spirit [directs] and [according to God’s] truth.”
God [is] a spirit; and they who worship him must worship [him] in spirit and truth.
25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will tell us everything [we need to know].” (‘Messiah’ and ‘Christ’ [both mean ‘God’s promised king]’.)
The woman says to him, I know that Messias is coming, who is called Christ; when he comes he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am [the Messiah]!”
Jesus says to her, I who speak to thee am [he].
27 Just then [we] disciples returned [from town]. [Since it was contrary to our custom for Jewish religious teachers to converse with a woman they did not know], we were surprised that he was talking to a woman. However, none of us asked her, “What do you want?” and none of us asked him, “Why are you talking with her?”
And upon this came his disciples, and wondered that he spoke with a woman; yet no one said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her?
28 The woman left her water jar there and went into the town. She said to the people there,
The woman then left her waterpot and went away into the city, and says to the men,
29 “Come and see a man who [was able to] tell me all about my past life [HYP], [even though I never met him before] Could this man be the Messiah?”
Come, see a man who told me all things I had ever done: is not he the Christ?
30 So [many people] left the town and started going to where Jesus was.
They went out of the city and came to him.
31 Meanwhile, we disciples were urging him, “Teacher, eat [some of the food we brought]!”
But meanwhile the disciples asked him saying, Rabbi, eat.
32 But he said to us, “I have food to eat that you do not know anything about!”
But he said to them, I have food to eat which ye do not know.
33 So we started saying to each other, “(Surely no one has brought him any food [when we] were not [here]!/Has anyone brought him any food [when we] were not [here]?) [RHQ]”
The disciples therefore said to one another, Has any one brought him [anything] to eat?
34 Jesus said to us, “Doing what [my Father] who sent me wants [me to do] and finishing the work he [gave me to do] is ([what sustains me/like] my food) [MET].
Jesus says to them, My food is that I should do the will of him that has sent me, and that I should finish his work.
35 [At this time of the year] you are saying (OR, your ancestors used to say), ‘There are four months left before we harvest [the crops].’ But I say to you, look carefully [at the non-Jewish people around here. God says, ‘They are ready to accept my message] [MET], [like crops in] fields that are ready for people to harvest.
Do not ye say, that there are yet four months and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and behold the fields, for they are already white to harvest.
36 [If you help them to accept my message], I will reward you [MET], [as an owner of a field] pays those who harvest the crops. Because of your work, people will gain eternal life.’ [I have been telling people God’s message. That is like] [MET] a man who plants seeds. [You will help people to accept my message. That will be like] [MET] harvesting crops. [When that happens], both you and I will rejoice. (aiōnios g166)
He that reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto life eternal, that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. (aiōnios g166)
37 As a result, this saying will become true: One person plants [seeds], but others harvest [the crops].
For in this is [verified] the true saying, It is one who sows and another who reaps.
38 I am sending you [to enable people to accept my message, but you will not be the first ones who tell them God’s message]. Others [previously] worked hard [to tell people God’s message], and now you will be harvesting the results of their work.”
I have sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others have laboured, and ye have entered into their labours.
39 Many of the Samaria [district] people who [lived] in that town believed that Jesus [was the Messiah] because they heard what that woman said [about Jesus], “That man [was able to] tell me all about my past life [HYP]!”
But many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him because of the word of the woman who bore witness, He told me all things that I had ever done.
40 So when those people of Samaria came to Jesus, they urged him to stay with them. So we stayed there two days.
When therefore the Samaritans came to him they asked him to abide with them, and he abode there two days.
41 Many more of those people believed ([in Jesus/that he was the Messiah]) because of what he said.
And more a great deal believed on account of his word;
42 They told the woman, “We believe in Jesus [now], but not [just] because of what you told us. Now we have heard him ourselves. And now we know that this man truly is the one who [can] save [people] [MTY] [from the guilt of their sins].”
and they said to the woman, [It is] no longer on account of thy saying that we believe, for we have heard him ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
43 Jesus had said [previously] that people did not honor prophets [like himself when they tried to teach people] in their own home area. So, two days later, Jesus and [we] disciples left that area and went to [his own area in] Galilee [district, because he knew that people there would not think very highly of him, and as a result the Jewish leaders would not be jealous].
But after the two days he went forth thence and went away into Galilee,
for Jesus himself bore witness that a prophet has no honour in his own country.
45 However, when we arrived in Galilee [district, many] of the people there welcomed him, because they had been in Jerusalem during the [Passover] celebration and had seen all the things he did there.
When therefore he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem during the feast, for they also went to the feast.
46 Jesus went again to Cana in Galilee [district]. That was where he [previously] turned water into wine. There was one of the king’s officials who lived in Capernaum, whose son was very sick.
He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain courtier in Capernaum whose son was sick.
47 When that man heard [others say] that Jesus had returned to Galilee [district] from Judea [district], he went to Jesus [in Cana] and pleaded with him, “Please come down [to Capernaum] and heal my son, who is about to die!”
He, having heard that Jesus had come out of Judaea into Galilee, went to him and asked [him] that he would come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.
48 Jesus said to him, “You people will believe my message only if you see me perform [more] miracles!”
Jesus therefore said to him, Unless ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe.
49 But the official said to him, “Sir, ([I] believe [in you/I believe that you came from God]). [So please] come down [to my home] before my son dies!”
The courtier says to him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus said to him, “Then you may go [home]. Your son (will live/not die)!” The man believed what Jesus said, and left.
Jesus says to him, Go, thy son lives. And the man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way.
51 [The next day] while he was on the way home, his servants met him. They told him, “Your child is going to live!”
But already, as he was going down, his servants met him and brought [him] word saying, Thy child lives.
52 He asked them, “At what time did my son start to become well?” They said to him, “His fever ceased yesterday [afternoon] at one o’clock.”
He inquired therefore from them the hour at which he got better. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 Then the boy’s father realized that this was the time Jesus told him, “Your son will (live/not die).” So he and all the people in his house believed [that Jesus was the Messiah].
The father therefore knew that [it was] in that hour in which Jesus said to him, Thy son lives; and he believed, himself and his whole house.
54 That was the second miracle that Jesus performed in Galilee [district], after he had returned from Judea [district].
This second sign again did Jesus, being come out of Judaea into Galilee.
