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.
After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, for He didn’t want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.
2 But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles 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!
Therefore His brothers told Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that Your disciples will see the works that You are doing, too.
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!”
Nobody does anything in secret while he seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
5 [They said this critically], because even [though they were] his own [younger] brothers, they did not believe he [was from God].
For even His brothers didn’t believe in Him.
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].
Then Jesus told them, “My time hasn’t yet come, but your time is always right.
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.
The world can’t hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are 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].”
Go up to this feast yourselves. I’m not going up to this feast, yet, for my time hasn’t yet fully come.”
9 After he said that, Jesus stayed [a little longer] in Galilee.
Having said these things to them, He stayed 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.
When His brothers had gone up to the feast, however, Jesus also went up, not publicly, but in secret.
11 At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
The Jews were looking for Him at the feast, and saying, “Where is He?”
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!”
There was much complaining among the people about Him. Some said, “He is good,” but others said, “No, He deceives the people.”
13 But no one was speaking so that others could hear them, because they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
No one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
14 In the middle of the days of the celebration, Jesus went to the Temple [courtyard] and began to teach people.
About the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach.
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]”
The Jews marveled, saying, “How does this man know letters, having never been educated?”
16 Jesus replied to them, “What I teach does not come from myself. It comes from [God], the one who sent me.
Jesus answered, “My teaching isn’t mine, but His 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].
Anyone who wants to do His will shall know if the teaching is from God or if I speak on my own.
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.
The one who speaks on his own seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
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])?”
Didn’t Moses give you the Law, yet none of you keeps the Law? Why are you trying to kill me?”
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!”
The people answered, “You have a demon. Who 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.
Jesus answered, “I did one work, and you all marvel.
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]
Moses gave you circumcision (not that it’s from Moses, but from the forefathers), and you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.
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]!
If a boy gets circumcised on the Sabbath, so that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?
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]”!
Don’t judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
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]
Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
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)?
Look! He is speaking boldly, and they say nothing to Him. The rulers haven’t really concluded that this is the Christ, have they?
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.”
Still, we know where this man is from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where He is 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.
Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I’m from. I haven’t come of my own accord, but He who sent me is true, who you don’t know.
29 But I know him, because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me!”
I know Him, because I am from Him, and He 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].
Because of this, they were seeking to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him, because His time had not yet come.
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?”
Many of the people believed in Him, saying, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than this man has done?”
32 The Pharisees heard them whispering these things about him. So they and the chief priests sent some Temple guards to seize him.
The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about Jesus, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers 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.
Then Jesus told them, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to Him 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.”
You will look for me, and not find me, and where I am, you can’t come.”
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?
Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we won’t be able to find Him? He doesn’t intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, does 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]?”
What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for me, and not find me, and where I am, you can’t come’?”
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].
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and declared loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let that person come to me and drink.
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].”
Rivers of living water will flow from within whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said.”
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].
He said this about the Spirit, who those believing in Him would receive. The Holy Spirit wasn’t yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
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]!”
When they heard these words, many in the crowd were saying, “This is really the prophet.”
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?
Others were saying, “This is the Christ,” but some were saying, “Surely the Christ isn’t going to come from Galilee, is 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]”
Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
43 So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
So there was a division among the crowd because of Jesus.
44 Some people wanted to seize him, but no one tried [to do that].
Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
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]?”
When the officers went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, they asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”
46 They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!”
47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
Then the Pharisees answered, “You haven’t been deceived, too, have you?
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]
Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him?
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]!” (questioned)
But this accursed crowd doesn’t know the Law.”
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],
Nicodemus (who came to Jesus before, being one of them) asked them,
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]”
“Does our Law permit us to judge a man before hearing him and finding out what he is doing?”
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]!”
They answered him, “You aren’t from Galilee, too, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”
53 [Then they all left and went to their own homes.
Then everyone went home,
