John 4
1 When therefore Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
[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].
2 (though Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples, )
3 he left Judaea, and went again to Galilee.
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.
4 And he must necessarily pass through Samaria.
[He] knew that God wanted him to travel through Samaria [district].
5 He cometh therefore to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the piece of land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
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].
6 And Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with the journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
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, )
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, Give me to drink.
8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9 The Samaritan woman saith to him, How is it that thou, who art a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
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]”
10 Jesus answered and said to her, If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
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.”
11 The woman saith to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Whence hast thou the living water?
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?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
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]?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, Every one that drinketh of this water, will thirst again;
Jesus replied to her, “Everyone who drinks water from this [well] will later become thirsty again.
15 The woman saith to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.
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!”
16 He saith to her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
[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!”
17 The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus saith to her, Thou saidst well, that thou hast no husband.
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.
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband; in this thou hast spoken truly.
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.”
19 The woman saith to him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive you must be a prophet [because you are] able [to know people’s secrets].
20 Our fathers worshipped on this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
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]?”
21 Jesus saith to her, Believe me, woman, the hour is coming, when ye shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
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].
22 Ye worship that which ye know not; we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
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].
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for such worshippers the Father seeketh.
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.
24 God is a spirit; and they who worship must worship in spirit and in truth.
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.”
25 The woman saith to him, I know that Messiah cometh (who is called Christ); when he hath come, he will tell us all things.
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]’.)
26 Jesus saith to her, I who speak to thee am he.
Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am [the Messiah]!”
27 And upon this his disciples came, and marveled that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, What dost thou seek? or, Why dost thou talk with her?
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?”
28 The woman then left her water-pot, and went away into the city, and saith to the men,
The woman left her water jar there and went into the town. She said to the people there,
29 Come, see a man who told me all things which I have done. Is this the Christ?
“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?”
30 They went out of the city, and came to him.
So [many people] left the town and started going to where Jesus was.
31 In the mean while the disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, eat.
Meanwhile, we disciples were urging him, “Teacher, eat [some of the food we brought]!”
32 But he said to them, I have food to eat that ye know not of.
But he said to us, “I have food to eat that you do not know anything about!”
33 The disciples therefore said to one another, Hath any one brought him anything to eat?
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]”
34 Jesus saith to them, My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
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].
35 Do ye not say, There are yet four months, and the harvest cometh? Lo! I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
[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.
36 Already is the reaper receiving wages, and gathering fruit unto everlasting life; that both the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. (aiōnios g166)
[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)
37 And herein is fulfilled the true saying, One soweth, and another reapeth.
As a result, this saying will become true: One person plants [seeds], but others harvest [the crops].
38 I have sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored. Others have labored, and ye have entered into their labor.
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.”
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him because of the words of the woman, who testified, He told me all things which I have done.
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]!”
40 When therefore the Samaritans came to him, they besought him to remain with them; and he remained there two days.
So when those people of Samaria came to Jesus, they urged him to stay with them. So we stayed there two days.
41 And many more believed on account of his word;
Many more of those people believed ([in Jesus/that he was the Messiah]) because of what he said.
42 and said to the woman, No longer do we believe on account of what thou hast told us; for we have ourselves heard him, and know that this is in truth the Saviour of the world.
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].”
43 And after the two days he went from that place into Galilee.
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].
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.
45 When therefore he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all that he did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also went to the feast.
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.
46 So he came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick, at Capernaum.
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.
47 He, having heard that Jesus had come out of Judaea into Galilee, went to him, and asked him to go down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.
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!”
48 Then Jesus said to him, Unless ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
Jesus said to him, “You people will believe my message only if you see me perform [more] miracles!”
49 The nobleman saith to him, Sir, come down before my child die.
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!”
50 Jesus saith to him, Go; thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and went away.
Jesus said to him, “Then you may go [home]. Your son (will live/not die)!” The man believed what Jesus said, and left.
51 And as he was now going down, the servants met him, and brought word that his child was living.
[The next day] while he was on the way home, his servants met him. They told him, “Your child is going to live!”
52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he began to mend. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
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.”
53 So the father knew that it was in the same hour in which Jesus said to him, Thy son is living. And he himself believed, and his whole house.
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].
54 This again, a second sign, Jesus wrought, when he had come out of Judaea into Galilee.
That was the second miracle that Jesus performed in Galilee [district], after he had returned from Judea [district].
