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].
Now as soon as the Master was aware that the Pharisees had heard it said, "Jesus is gaining and baptizing more disciples than John"--
though Jesus Himself did not baptize them, but His disciples did--
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 returned to Galilee.
4 [He] knew that God wanted him to travel through Samaria [district].
His road lay 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].
and so He came to Sychar, a town in Samaria near the piece of land 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, )
Jacob's Well was there: and accordingly Jesus, tired out with His journey, sat down by the well to rest. It was about six o'clock in the evening.
Presently there came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus asked her to give Him some water;
for His disciples were gone to the town to buy provisions.
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]”
"How is it," replied the woman, "that a Jew like you asks me, who am a woman and a Samaritan, for water?" (For Jews have no dealings with 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.”
"If you had known God's free gift," replied Jesus, "and who it is that said to you, 'Give me some water,' you would have asked 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?
"Sir," she said, "you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; so where can you get the living water from?
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 forefather Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, as did also his sons and his cattle?"
13 Jesus replied to her, “Everyone who drinks water from this [well] will later become thirsty again.
"Every one," replied Jesus, "who drinks any of this water will be thirsty 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!”
"Sir," said the woman, "give me that water, that I may never be thirsty, nor continually come all the way here to draw from the well."
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!”
"Go and call your husband," said Jesus; "and come back."
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.
"I have no husband," she replied. "You rightly say that you have no husband," said Jesus;
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 the man you have at present is not your husband. You have spoken the truth in saying that."
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive you must be a prophet [because you are] able [to know people’s secrets].
"Sir," replied the woman, "I see 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 forefathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem."
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].
"Believe me," said Jesus, "the time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
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 One of whom you know nothing. We worship One whom we know; for salvation comes from 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 a time is coming--nay, has already come--when the true worshippers will worship the Father with true spiritual worship; for indeed the Father desires such worshippers.
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 Spirit; and those who worship Him must bring Him true spiritual worship."
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]’.)
"I know," replied the woman, "that Messiah is coming--'the Christ,' as He is called. When He has come, He will tell us everything."
26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am [the Messiah]!”
"I am He," said Jesus--"I who am now talking to you."
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?”
Just then His disciples came, and were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. Yet not one of them asked Him, "What is your wish?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
28 The woman left her water jar there and went into the town. She said to the people there,
The woman however, leaving her pitcher, went away to the town, and called the people.
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," she said, "and see a man who has told me everything I have ever done. Can this be the Christ, do you think?"
30 So [many people] left the town and started going to where Jesus was.
They left the town and set out to go to Him.
31 Meanwhile, we disciples were urging him, “Teacher, eat [some of the food we brought]!”
Meanwhile the disciples were urging Jesus. "Rabbi," they said, "eat something."
32 But he said to us, “I have food to eat that you do not know anything about!”
"I have food to eat," He replied, "of which you do not know."
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]”
So the disciples began questioning one another. "Can it be," they said, "that some one has 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].
"My food," said Jesus, "is to be obedient to Him who sent me, and fully to accomplish 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.
Do you not say, 'It wants four months yet to the harvest'? But look round, I tell you, and observe these plains-- they are already ripe for the sickle.
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)
The reaper gets pay and gathers in a crop in preparation for the Life of the Ages, that so the sower and the reapers may rejoice together. (aiōnios g166)
37 As a result, this saying will become true: One person plants [seeds], but others harvest [the crops].
For it is in this that you see the real meaning of the saying, 'The sower is one person, and the reaper is another.'
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 a harvest which is not the result of your own labours. Others have laboured, and you are getting benefit from their labours."
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]!”
Of the Samaritan population of that town a good many believed in Him because of the woman's statement when she declared, "He has told me all that I have ever done."
40 So when those people of Samaria came to Jesus, they urged him to stay with them. So we stayed there two days.
When however the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him on all sides to stay 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.
Then a far larger number of people believed because of His own words,
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 they said to the woman, "We no longer believe in Him simply because of your statements; for we have now heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour 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].
After the two days He departed, and went into Galilee;
though Jesus Himself declared that a Prophet has no honour 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.
When however He reached Galilee, the Galilaeans welcomed Him eagerly, having been eye-witnesses of all that He had done in Jerusalem at the Festival; for they also had been to the Festival.
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 He came once more to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water into wine. Now there was a certain officer of the King's court whose son was ill 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!”
Having heard that Jesus had come from Judaea to Galilee, he came to Him and begged Him to go down and cure 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!”
"Unless you and others see miracles and marvels," said Jesus, "nothing will induce you to 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!”
"Sir," pleaded the officer, "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.
"You may return home," replied Jesus; "your son has recovered." He believed the words of Jesus, and started back home;
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 he was already on his way down when his servants met him and told him that his son was alive and well.
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.”
So he inquired of them at what hour he had shown improvement. "Yesterday, about seven o'clock," they replied, "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].
Then the father recollected that that was the time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son has recovered," and he and his whole household became believers.
54 That was the second miracle that Jesus performed in Galilee [district], after he had returned from Judea [district].
This is the second miracle that Jesus performed, after coming from Judaea into Galilee.
