John 7
1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews 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 feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand.
But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
3 His brothers therefore said to him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see thy works which thou art 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 doeth anything in secret, and yet himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself 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 saith to them, My time is 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 me it hateth, because I testify of 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 Go ye up to the feast; I go not up to this feast; for my time is not yet fully come.
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 Having said these things, he remained 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 openly, 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 Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, Where is that man?
At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
12 And there was much debating among the multitude concerning him. Some said, He is a good man; others said, Nay, but he deceiveth the multitude.
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 No one, however, spoke openly of him, for fear of the Jews.
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 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
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, and said, My teaching is not mine, but his that 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 any one is desirous to do his will, he will know concerning the teaching, whether it is from God, or whether I speak 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 that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory; but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true, and in him is no unrighteousness.
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 Hath not Moses given you the Law? and none of you keepeth the Law! Why do ye 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 multitude answered, Thou hast a demon! Who seeketh to kill thee?
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 and said to them, I have done one good work, and ye are all wondering.
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 hath given you circumcision, (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers; ) and ye on the sabbath circumcise a man.
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 man receive circumcision on the sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken, are ye angry at me, because I have restored soundness to the whole body of a man 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 Judge not according to the 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 Then some of the men 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 and see! he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers discovered certainly that this man 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 Still, as to this man, we know whence he is; but when the Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence he is.
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 cried aloud, teaching in the temple and saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am; and I have not come of myself, but there is in truth one who sent me, whom ye know not.
[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 hath sent me.
But I know him, because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me!”
30 Therefore they sought to take him; but no one laid hands 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 of the multitude many believed in him, and said, When the Christ cometh, will he do more signs than these which this man doeth?
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 multitude thus debating concerning him; and the chief priest and the Pharisees sent officers to seize him.
The Pharisees heard them whispering these things about him. So they and the chief priests sent some Temple guards to seize him.
33 Jesus therefore said, Yet a little while I am with you, and then I go to him that 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 Ye will seek me and not find me; and where I am, ye 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 Jews therefore said among themselves, Whither will this man go, that we shall not find him? Will he go to the dispersed 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 meaneth this which he said, Ye will seek me, and not find me; and where I am, ye 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 On the last day, which is the great day, of the feast, Jesus stood and cried aloud, saying, If any one thirst, 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 that believeth in me, from within him, as the Scripture hath said, 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 this he said of the Spirit, which those that believed in him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, 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 multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, This is in truth the prophet. Others said, This is the Christ.
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, Doth the Christ then come from 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 Hath not the Scripture said, that the Christ cometh from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town 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 was a division among the multitude because of him.
So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
44 And some of them wished to seize 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, who said to them, Why did ye 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, Never man spoke like this man.
They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
47 The Pharisees answered them, Have ye also been deceived?
Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
48 Hath any one 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 multitude that know not the Law are 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 saith to them, being one of 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 Doth our law judge a man, unless it first hear from him, and know what he doeth?
“[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 and said to him, Art thou too from Galilee? Search and see that no prophet ariseth 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 (Joh 7:53 - 8:12: This passage is omitted as ungenuine by Tischendorf and most critical editors of the Greek Testament. It is found in some manuscripts, but not in the most ancient. It is, however, very generally regarded as a genuine relic of the teaching of Christ, though not forming a part of the fourth Gospel. I give it in the text of Tregelles, omitting the words which he incloses in brackets. Tregelles, however, does not suppose it to be genuine.) [[And they went each to his house;
[Then they all left and went to their own homes.
