John 7
1 After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jewish leaders sought to kill him.
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.
2 Now the Jewish festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, was near.
But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
3 So his brothers said to him, "Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works that you are doing.
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!
4 For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world."
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!”
5 For even his brothers did not believe in him.
[They said this critically], because even [though they were] his own [younger] brothers, they did not believe he [was from God].
6 Jesus therefore said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.
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].
7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil.
[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.
8 You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled."
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].”
9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
After he said that, Jesus stayed [a little longer] in Galilee.
10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.
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.
11 The Jewish leaders therefore sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is he?"
At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
12 There was much murmuring among the crowds concerning him. Some said, "He is a good man." But others said, "Not so, but he leads the crowd astray."
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!”
13 Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jewish leaders.
But no one was speaking so that others could hear them, because they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
14 But when it was now the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.
In the middle of the days of the celebration, Jesus went to the Temple [courtyard] and began to teach people.
15 Then the Jewish leaders were astonished, saying, "How does this man know such writings, having never been educated?"
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]”
16 Jesus therefore answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.
Jesus replied to them, “What I teach does not come from myself. It comes from [God], the one who sent me.
17 If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.
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].
18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
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.
19 Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you keeps the Law? Why do you seek to kill me?"
[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])?”
20 The crowd answered, "You have a demon. Who seeks to kill you?"
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!”
21 Jesus answered them, "I did one work, and you are all amazed.
Jesus replied to them, “Because I did a miracle [of healing someone] (on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day), you are all shocked.
22 Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy.
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]
23 If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath, that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on the Sabbath?
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]!
24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
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]”!
25 Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, "Is not this he whom they seek to kill?
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]
26 Look, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?
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)?
27 However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from."
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.”
28 Jesus therefore called out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know.
[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.
29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
But I know him, because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me!”
30 They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
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].
31 But many in the crowd believed in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, he won't do more signs than those which this man has done, will he?"
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?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
The Pharisees heard them whispering these things about him. So they and the chief priests sent some Temple guards to seize him.
33 Then Jesus said, "I will be with you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me.
Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a short time. Then I will return to the one who sent me.
34 You will seek me, but won't find; and where I am, you cannot come."
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.”
35 The Jewish leaders therefore said among themselves, "Where will this man go that we won't find him? Will he go to the Diaspora among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
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?
36 What is this word that he said, 'You will seek me, but won't find; and where I am, you cannot come'?"
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]?”
37 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
[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].
38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water."
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].”
39 But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
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].
40 Some of the crowd therefore, when they heard these words, said, "This is truly the Prophet."
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]!”
41 Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "What, does the Christ come out of Galilee?
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?
42 Hasn't the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
(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]”
43 So there arose a division in the crowd because of him.
So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
44 Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him.
Some people wanted to seize him, but no one tried [to do that].
45 The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"
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]?”
46 The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man."
They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
47 The Pharisees therefore answered them, "You are not also led astray, are you?
Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
48 Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?
(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]
49 But this crowd that does not know the Law is accursed."
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)
50 Nicodemus (he who came to him before, being one of them) said to them,
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],
51 "Does our Law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?"
“[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]”
52 They answered him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet comes from Galilee."
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]!”
53 Then everyone went to his own house,
[Then they all left and went to their own homes.
