John 7
1 After those things happened, Jesus went around in Galilee [province]. He did not want to travel in Judea [province], because he knew that the Jewish [leaders there] were wanting to kill him.
After this, Jesus spent his time going from place to place in Galilee. He did not want to do so in Judea because the Jews were out to kill him.
2 But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
But as it was almost time for the Jewish festival of the Tabernacles,
3 Jesus’ [younger] brothers said to him, “[Since many people] here [have left you], you should leave and go to Judea [province and perform] some miracles there, so that your disciples may see them!
his brothers told him, “You ought to leave and go to Judea so your followers will be able to see what miracles you can do.
4 No one who wants to become famous does things secretly. [You say] you are doing these miracles, [so do some miracles there] so that everyone [MTY] can see them!”
No one who wants to be famous keeps what they do hidden. If you can do such miracles, then show yourself to the world!”
5 [They said this critically], because even [though they were] his own [younger] brothers, they did not believe he [was from God].
For even his own brothers really didn't believe in him.
6 So Jesus said to them, “It is not yet time for me [MTY] [to go to the celebration]. For you, any time is right [to go to the celebration].
Jesus told them, “This is not my time to go, not yet; but you can go whenever you want, for any time's the right time for you.
7 [The people] [MTY] [who] ([do not believe in me/do not belong to God]) cannot hate you, but they hate me because I tell them that what they are doing is evil.
The world has no reason to hate you, but it does hate me, because I make it clear that its ways are evil.
8 You [(pl)] go ahead to the celebration. I am not going up [to Jerusalem] to the celebration [yet], because now is not the right time for me [to go].”
You go on to the festival. I'm not going to this festival because this is not the right time for me, not yet.”
9 After he said that, Jesus stayed [a little longer] in Galilee.
After saying this he stayed behind in Galilee.
10 However, [a few days] after his younger brothers left to go up to the celebration, he went also. He went, along with [us] disciples, but no others went with us.
After his brothers left to go to the festival, Jesus also went, but not openly—he stayed out of sight.
11 At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were searching for him and kept on asking, “Where is he?”
12 Among the crowds, many people were whispering about Jesus. Some were saying, “He is a good man!” But others were saying instead, “No! He is deceiving the crowds!”
Many people in the crowds were complaining about him. Some said, “He's a good man,” while others argued, “No! He deceives people.”
13 But no one was speaking so that others could hear them, because they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
But no one dared to speak openly about him because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do to them.
14 In the middle of the days of the celebration, Jesus went to the Temple [courtyard] and began to teach people.
When the festival was halfway through, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach.
15 The Jewish [elders] were amazed [at what he was saying]. They said, “This man never studied [in one of our religious schools]! So (how can he have learned [so much about Scripture]?/it is difficult for us to believe that he has learned [so much about Scripture]!) [RHQ]”
The Jewish leaders were very surprised, and asked, “How does this man have so much learning when he hasn't been educated?”
16 Jesus replied to them, “What I teach does not come from myself. It comes from [God], the one who sent me.
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not from me but from the one who sent me.
17 Those who choose to do what God wants will find out whether what I teach comes from God or whether I am speaking with [only] my own [authority].
Anyone who chooses to follow what God wants will know if my teaching comes from God or if I'm only speaking for myself.
18 Those who speak with [only] their own [authority] do that [only] so that others will honor them. But I am [doing things so that others] will honor the one who sent me, and I am someone who speaks the truth. I never lie.
Those who speak for themselves want to glorify themselves, but someone who glorifies the one who sent him is truthful and not deceitful.
19 [Think about] the laws that Moses gave you [RHQ]. None of you [completely] obeys those laws. So why are you trying to kill me, [saying I do not obey the laws concerning] ([the Sabbath/the Jewish day of rest])?”
Moses gave you the law, didn't he? Yet none of you keeps the law! Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 Someone in the crowd answered, “[By saying this you show that] you are crazy (OR, A demon is controlling you)! Certainly no one is trying to kill you!”
“You're demon-possessed!” the crowd replied. “No one's trying to kill you!”
21 Jesus replied to them, “Because I did a miracle [of healing someone] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day), you are all shocked.
“I did one miracle and you're all shocked by it,” Jesus replied.
22 Moses gave you [a law that you must] circumcise [the male children and that you must do that exactly seven days after they are born. Actually], it was your ancestors, [Abraham and Isaac and Jacob], not Moses, who [started that ritual]. But because of that law, you sometimes circumcise them (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day), [but that is working, too]
“However, because Moses told you to circumcise—not that it really came from Moses, but from your forefathers before him—you perform circumcision on the Sabbath.
23 You [sometimes] circumcise boys (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day) so that the law of Moses is not disobeyed {[you] do not disobey the law of Moses}, so (it is ridiculous that you are angry with me, saying [I worked] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day) by healing a man!/why are you angry with me, saying [I worked] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day) by healing a man?) [RHQ] [Healing someone is far more helpful than circumcising a baby boy]!
If you circumcise on the Sabbath to make sure that the law of Moses isn't broken, why are you angry with me for healing someone on the Sabbath?
24 Stop deciding whether my healing this man is wrong according to what you see! Instead, decide according to what is really the right action [to help people]”!
Don't judge by appearances; decide what is right!”
25 Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “(This is the man that they are trying to kill!/Isn’t this the man that they are trying to kill?) [RHQ]
Then some of those from Jerusalem began wondering, “Isn't this the one they're trying to kill?
26 He is saying these things (publicly/in front of many people), but our [Jewish] rulers are not saying anything to [oppose] him. Is that because they have decided that he is truly (the Messiah/God’s chosen king)?
But see how openly he's speaking, and they're saying nothing to him. Do you think the authorities believe he's the Messiah?
27 But [he cannot be the Messiah, because] we know where this man came from. When the Messiah really comes, no one will know where he comes from.”
But that's not possible because we know where he comes from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where he's from.”
28 [They said that because they thought Jesus was born in Nazareth]. So while Jesus was teaching [people] in the Temple [courtyard], he shouted, “Yes, [you say that] you know me, and [you think] you know [IRO] where I am from. But I have come here not (because I appointed myself/with my own authority). Instead, [God] is the one who truly sent me. You do not know him.
While he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus called out in a loud voice, “So you think you know me and where I'm from? However, I did not come for my own sake. The one who sent me is true. You don't know him,
29 But I know him, because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me!”
but I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
30 Then they tried to seize him [because he said that he had come from God]. But no one put their hands on him [to do that], because it was not yet the time [MTY] [for him to die].
So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him because his time had not yet come.
31 But many of the crowd believed that he [had come from God]. They said, “When the Messiah comes, he certainly will not do more miracles than this man has done, will he?”
However, many of the crowd did put their trust in him. “When the Messiah appears, will he do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” they said.
32 The Pharisees heard them whispering these things about him. So they and the chief priests sent some Temple guards to seize him.
When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering this about him, they and the chief priests sent guards to arrest Jesus.
33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a short time. Then I will return to the one who sent me.
Then Jesus told the people, “I'll be with you just a little longer, but then I'll return to the one who sent me.
34 Then you will search for me, but you will not find me. And you will not be able to come to the place where I am.”
You'll search for me but you won't find me; and you can't come where I'm going.”
35 So the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] said to themselves, “Where is this man about to go with the result that we will not be able to find him? [Some Jewish people have] dispersed [and live] among Greek people. He is not intending to go [and live among them] and teach them, is he?
The Jews said to each other, “Where could he be going that we couldn't find him? Is he planning to go to those scattered among the foreigners, and teach the foreigners?
36 When he said ‘You will search for me, but you will not be able to find me,’ and when he said ‘You will not be able to come to the place where I am,’ what [did he mean]?”
What does he mean by saying, ‘You'll search for me but you won't find me; and you can't come where I'm going’?”
37 [On each of the seven days of the celebration, the high priest poured out some water on the altar in the Temple to remember how God provided water for the people in the desolate area long ago. But the water he poured did not help anyone who was thirsty. So] on the last day of the festival, which was the most important day, Jesus stood up [in the Temple courtyard] and said with a loud voice, “Those who are thirsty should come to me to drink [what I will give them].
On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted out in a loud voice, “If you're thirsty, come to me and drink.
38 Just like the Scriptures teach, streams of water shall flow out from within those who believe in me, and that water will cause them to live [eternally].”
If you trust in me, you will have streams of life-giving water flowing out from within you, as Scripture says.”
39 When Jesus said that, he was referring to [God’s] Spirit, whom those who believed in Jesus would receive later. Up to that time God had not sent the Spirit [to live within believers], because Jesus had not yet [died and returned to his] glorious [home in] heaven, [from where he would send the Spirit].
He was referring to the Spirit that those who trusted in him would later receive. The Spirit hadn't been given yet because Jesus hadn't yet been glorified.
40 When some of the crowd heard those words, they said, “Surely this man is the prophet [whom God promised to send who would be like Moses]!”
When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This man is definitely the Prophet!”
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah!” But others, [thinking Jesus was born in Galilee], said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee [province], will he?
Others said, “He is the Messiah!” Still others said, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?
42 (Did [a prophet] not write in the Scriptures that the Messiah will come from [King] David’s family, and be born in Bethlehem, where [King] David lived?/[It is written] in the Scriptures that the Messiah will come from [King] David’s family, and be born in Bethlehem, where [King] David lived!) [RHQ]”
Doesn't Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David's lineage, and from David's home town of Bethlehem?”
43 So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
So the crowd had a strong difference of opinion about him.
44 Some people wanted to seize him, but no one tried [to do that].
Some wanted to arrest him, but nobody laid a hand on him.
45 So the Temple guards returned to the chief priests and the Pharisees, [the ones who had sent them to arrest Jesus]. They said to the guards, “Why did you not [seize him and] bring him [here]?”
Then the guards returned to the chief priests and the Pharisees who asked them, “Why didn't you bring him in?”
46 They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
“Nobody ever spoke like this man does,” the guards replied.
47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
“Have you been fooled too?” the Pharisees asked them.
48 (None of our rulers nor any of us Pharisees have believed that (he [is the Messiah]!/he [came from God]!)/Have any of our [Jewish] rulers or any of us Pharisees believed that (he [is the Messiah]?/he [came from God]?)) [RHQ]
“Has a single one of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? No!
49 Not one! But, on the contrary, some of this crowd [have believed in him]. They do not know [the true teachings of] our laws! They will go to hell [for listening to him]!” (questioned)
But this crowd knows nothing about teachings of the law—they're damned anyway!”
50 Then Nicodemus spoke. He was the one who earlier went to Jesus [at night]. He was also a member of the Jewish council. He said to [the rest of the Council members],
Nicodemus, who had previously gone to meet Jesus, was one of them and asked them,
51 “[We] have not listened to what he says to find out what he is doing. (It is not permitted in our [Jewish] law [PRS] for us to say, before questioning someone, that we must punish him!/Is it permitted in our [Jewish] law [PRS] for us to say, before questioning someone, that we must punish him?) [RHQ]”
“Does our law condemn a man without a hearing and without finding out what he actually did?”
52 They replied to him, “(Are you another [disgusting person] from Galilee?/[You talk like] another [disgusting person] from Galilee!) [RHQ] Read [what is written in the Scriptures] You will find that no prophet comes from Galilee [province, like he does]!”
“So you're a Galilean as well, are you?” they replied. “Check the Scriptures and you'll discover that no prophet comes from Galilee!”
53 [Then they all left and went to their own homes.
Then they all went home,
