< 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.
2 But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
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!
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!”
5 [They said this critically], because even [though they were] his own [younger] brothers, they did not believe he [was from God].
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].
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.
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].”
9 After he said that, Jesus stayed [a little longer] 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.
11 At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
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!”
13 But no one was speaking so that others could hear them, because they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
14 In the middle of the days of the celebration, Jesus went to the Temple [courtyard] and began to teach people.
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]”
16 Jesus replied to them, “What I teach does not come from myself. It comes from [God], 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].
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.
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])?”
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!”
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.
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]
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]!
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]”!
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]
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)?
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.”
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.
29 But I know him, because I have come from him. He is the one who 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].
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?”
32 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 for only a short time. Then I will 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.”
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?
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]?”
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].
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].”
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].
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]!”
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?
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]”
43 So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
44 Some people wanted to seize him, but no one tried [to do that].
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]?”
46 They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
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]
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]!” ()
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],
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]”
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]!”
53 [Then they all left and went to their own homes.
