John 7
1 After these things Jesus resided in Galilee: for He would not appear in Judea, 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 Jews feast called the feast of tabernacles was near;
But when the time of the Jewish celebration [called] ‘Celebration of [Living in] Shelters’ was near,
3 his brethren therefore said, Depart from hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples there also may see the works which thou performest.
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 man doth any thing in secret, who is himself desirous to be known in public. As thou dost these wonderful things, make thyself known 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 neither did his brethren 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 Then saith Jesus unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always alike ready; for the world cannot hate you:
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 but me it hates, because I bear my testimony concerning it, that it's deeds 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 this feast as soon as ye please; for I am not yet going up to it, because 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 And after He had said these things unto them, He stayed a while in Galilee.
After he said that, Jesus stayed [a little longer] in Galilee.
10 But when his brethren were gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not in a public manner but as it were in private.
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 for Him at the feast, and said, Where is He?
At the celebration, the Jewish [leaders] were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”
12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him: for some said, He is a good man; others said, No: He deceiveth the people.
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 spake openly in favor 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 about the middle 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 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, who never learnt?
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 answered them and said, The doctrine that I teach 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 man desire to do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of 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 is true, and there is no imposture in him.
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 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you observeth the law? wherefore else 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 people answered and said, Thou art possessed by 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 unto them, I performed one miracle on the sabbath, and ye are all amazed at it.
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 Now Moses gave you the law of circumcision, (not that it is originally from Moses, but from the patriarchs, ) and ye circumcise even on the sabbath:
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 then a man receive circumcision on the sabbath-day, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye angry with me, because I made a man perfectly well on the sabbath-day?
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 appearance, but judge righteous judgement.
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 Therefore some of those of Jerusalem said, Is not this He whom they seek to put to death?
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 here He talketh openly, and they say nothing to Him: Do the rulers indeed know, that this is in truth the Messiah?
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 we know whence this man is; whereas when 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 out in the temple, teaching and saying, Ye both know me, ye say, and ye know whence I am: now I am not come of myself, but He that sent me is true, 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 But I know Him, for 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 They sought therefore to seize Him, but no one laid hand on Him, because his hour was 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 And many of the people believed on Him, and said, When the Messiah cometh, will He do more miracles than this man hath done?
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 Now the pharisees heard the people murmuring these things concerning Him: and they, with the chief priests, 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 Therefore Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while I am to be among you, and then I shall 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 shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am to be, 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 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will He go, that we shall not find Him? will He go to them that are dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
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 is the meaning of this speech, that He said, "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am to be, 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 And on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any one thirst, let him come unto 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 on me, as the scripture hath said, rivers of living water shall flow from within him.
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 (This He spake of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive; for the holy Spirit was not yet given, 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 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this discourse, said, This is in truth a prophet.
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, This is the Messiah. But some said, Shall the Messiah come out of 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 Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the town whence 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 people about Him.
So the people were divided because of [what they thought about] Jesus.
44 And some among them would have seized Him: but no one laid hands on Him.
Some people wanted to seize him, but no one tried [to do that].
45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and pharisees, and they said, Why have ye not brought Him? and the officers answered,
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 Never man spake like this man.
They replied, “No one ever spoke such [amazing things] as this man does!”
47 The pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also deceived?
Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you been deceived {Has [he] deceived you}, too?
48 have any of the rulers believed on 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 these people, who know not the law, are cursed.
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 Upon this Nicodemus, (who came to Him by night)
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 being one of them, saith to them, Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he hath done?
“[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, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and see: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
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 And every man went to his own house.
[Then they all left and went to their own homes.
