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 how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
(Though Jesus himself baptized not, 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 departed again into Galilee.
4 [He] knew that God wanted him to travel through Samaria [district].
And he must needs go 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].
Then comes he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that 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 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus says to her, Give me to drink.
(For his disciples were gone away to the city to buy meat.)
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]”
Then says the woman of Samaria to him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the 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 you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you 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, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where then have you that 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]?”
Are you greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, 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, Whoever 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 thirst not, neither 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 your 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 no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no 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 you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband: in that said you 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 perceive that you are 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 you say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to 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 comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at 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].
You worship you know not what: we know what we worship: 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 comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.
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 that worship him must worship him in spirit and in 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 comes, which is called Christ: when he is come, 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 that speak to you 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 on this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seek you? or, Why talk you 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 water pot, and went her way 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, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 So [many people] left the town and started going to where Jesus was.
Then 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]!”
In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, 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 meat to eat that you know not of.
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]”
Therefore says the disciples one to another, Has any man brought him something 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 said to them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to 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.
Say not you, There are yet four months, and then comes harvest? behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already 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)
And he that reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to 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].
And herein is that saying true, One sows, and another 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 sent you to reap that where on you bestowed no labor: other men labored, and you are entered into their labors.
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]!”
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when those people of Samaria came to Jesus, they urged him to stay with them. So we stayed there two days.
So when the Samaritans were come to him, they sought him that he would tarry with them: and he stayed there two days.
41 Many more of those people believed ([in Jesus/that he was the Messiah]) because of what he said.
And many more believed because of his own 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 said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior 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].
Now after two days he departed there, and went into Galilee.
For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet has no honor 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.
Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at 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.
So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
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!”
When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went to him, and sought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48 Jesus said to him, “You people will believe my message only if you see me perform [more] miracles!”
Then said Jesus to him, Except you see signs and wonders, you 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 nobleman says to him, Sir, come down before my child dies.
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 your way; your son lives. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he 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!”
And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Your son 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.”
Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. 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].
So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said to him, Your son lives: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54 That was the second miracle that Jesus performed in Galilee [district], after he had returned from Judea [district].
This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
