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 would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to slay him.
2 But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
And the Jewish feast of tabernacles drew 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!
And the brothers of Jesus said to him: Leave here, and go into Judaea; that thy disciples may see the works thou doest.
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!”
For there is no one who doeth any thing in secret, while he wisheth to become public. If thou doest these things, show thyself 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 did not believe in Jesus.
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].
Jesus said to them: My time hath not yet come: but your time is always ready.
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 cannot hate you, but me it hateth; because I testify of it, that its deeds 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 ye up to the feast; I do not go up to this feast now, because my time is not yet completed.
9 After he said that, Jesus stayed [a little longer] in Galilee.
These things he said, and remained still 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.
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not openly, but as it were secretly.
11 At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
And the Jews sought for him at the feast; and they said, 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!”
And there was much altercation among the people respecting him; for some said, He is a good man; while others said, No, but he deceiveth the people.
13 But no one was speaking so that others could hear them, because they were afraid of the Jewish [leaders] [SYN].
Yet no one spoke openly of him, from 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.
And in the midst of the days of the feast, Jesus went into the temple, and taught.
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]”
And the Jews wondered, and said: How knoweth this man literature, having not 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 and said: My doctrine is not from me, but from him that 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].
He that wisheth to do his pleasure, will understand my doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from my own pleasure.
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.
He that speaketh according to the pleasure of his own mind, seeketh glory for himself: but he who seeketh the glory of him that sent him, is veracious, and evil is not in his heart.
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])?”
Did not Moses give you the law? Yet no one of you observeth the law.
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!”
Why do ye seek to kill me? The multitude answered and said: Thou hast a demon: who seeketh to kill thee?
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 replied, and said to them: I have wrought one work, and ye all wonder.
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]
Because Moses gave you circumcision, (not that it was from Moses, but it was from the fathers, ) ye circumcise a child 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]!
And if a child is circumcised on the sabbath day, that the law of Moses may not be violated, do ye murmur at me, because I have made a man entirely sound on the sabbath day?
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]”!
Judge not, with a respect for persons; but judge ye a 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]
And some from Jerusalem said: Is not this he, whom they seek 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)?
And lo, he discourseth publicly, and they say nothing to him. Do our Elders know, that he really is the Messiah?
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.”
Yet we know this man, whence he is; the Messiah, when he shall come, no one knoweth whence he is.
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.
And Jesus, while teaching in the temple, raised his voice and said: Ye both know me, and ye know from whence I am. And I did not come of my own accord; but he that sent me is true. Him ye know not;
29 But I know him, because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me!”
but 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].
And they sought to apprehend him; but no one laid hands on him, because his hour was 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?”
And many of the multitude believed on him, and said: When the Messiah cometh, will he work greater signs than these which this man doeth?
32 The Pharisees heard them whispering these things about him. So they and the chief priests sent some Temple guards to seize him.
And the Pharisees heard the multitude say these things of him: and they and the chief priests sent constables to take 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.
And Jesus said: A little while longer I am with you, and then I go to him that 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.”
And ye will seek me, and will not find me; and where I am, ye cannot 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?
The Jews said among themselves: Whither is he about to go, that we cannot find him? Will he go to some region of the Gentiles, and teach the profane?
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 means this speech he uttered: Ye will seek me, and will not find me; and where I am, ye cannot 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].
And on the great day, which was the last of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, and said: If any man thirst, let him 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].”
Whoever believeth in me, as the scriptures have said, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.
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].
(This he said of the Spirit, which they who believe in him were to receive: for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not 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]!”
And many of the multitude who heard his discourses, said: Certainly, he is a 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 said: He is the Messiah. Others said: Doth Messiah come from Galilee?
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]”
Doth not the scriptures say, That Messiah cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem the town of David?
43 So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
And there was a division among the multitude respecting him.
44 Some people wanted to seize him, but no one tried [to do that].
And there were some of them who wished to apprehend 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]?”
And the constables came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and the priests said to them: Why have ye not brought him?
46 They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
The constables say to them: Never did a man speak, as this man speaketh.
47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
The Pharisees said to them: Are ye also deceived?
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 chiefs, or of the 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 people, who know not the law, are accursed.
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],
One of them: Nicodemus, he who came to Jesus by night, said to 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]”
Doth our law condemn a man, unless it first hear him, and know what he hath done?
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, and said to him: Art thou also from Galilee? Search, and see, that no prophet ariseth from Galilee.
53 [Then they all left and went to their own homes.
So they went every one to his own house.
