Berean
05-04-2008, 01:48 PM
John 1:1-51
1 In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. 2 This one was in [the] beginning with God. 3 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence.
What has come into existence 4 by means of him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light is shining in the darkness, but the darkness has not overpowered it.
6 There arose a man that was sent forth as a representative of God: his name was John. 7 This [man] came for a witness, in order to bear witness about the light, that people of all sorts might believe through him. 8 He was not that light, but he was meant to bear witness about that light.
9 The true light that gives light to every sort of man was about to come into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own home, but his own people did not take him in. 12 However, as many as did receive him, to them he gave authority to become God’s children, because they were exercising faith in his name; 13 and they were born, not from blood or from a fleshly will or from man’s will, but from God.
14 So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of undeserved kindness and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, yes, he actually cried out—this was the one who said [it]—saying: “The one coming behind me has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me.”) 16 For we all received from out of his fullness, even undeserved kindness upon undeserved kindness. 17 Because the Law was given through Moses, the undeserved kindness and the truth came to be through Jesus Christ. 18 No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is in the bosom [position] with the Father is the one that has explained him.
19 Now this is the witness of John when the Jews sent forth priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him to ask him: “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed: “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him: “What, then? Are you E·li´jah?” And he said: “I am not.” “Are you The Prophet?” And he answered: “No!” 22 Therefore they said to him: “Who are you? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am a voice of someone crying out in the wilderness, ‘MAKE the way of Jehovah straight,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Now those sent forth were from the Pharisees. 25 So they questioned him and said to him: “Why, then, do you baptize if you yourself are not the Christ or E·li´jah or The Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying: “I baptize in water. In the midst of YOU one is standing whom YOU do not know, 27 the one coming behind me, but the lace of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Beth´a·ny across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he beheld Jesus coming toward him, and he said: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, Behind me there comes a man who has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me. 31 Even I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing in water was that he might be made manifest to Israel.” 32 John also bore witness, saying: “I viewed the spirit coming down as a dove out of heaven, and it remained upon him. 33 Even I did not know him, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘Whoever it is upon whom you see the spirit coming down and remaining, this is the one that baptizes in holy spirit.’ 34 And I have seen [it], and I have borne witness that this one is the Son of God.”
35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he looked at Jesus walking he said: “See, the Lamb of God!” 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned and, getting a view of them following, he said to them: “What are YOU looking for?” They said to him: “Rabbi, (which means, when translated, Teacher,) where are you staying?” 39 He said to them: “Come, and YOU will see.” Accordingly they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day; it was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of the two that heard what John said and followed [Jesus]. 41 First this one found his own brother, Simon, and said to him: “We have found the Mes·si´ah” (which means, when translated, Christ). 42 He led him to Jesus. When Jesus looked upon him he said: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Ce´phas” (which is translated Peter).
43 The next day he desired to depart for Gal´i·lee. So Jesus found Philip and said to him: “Be my follower.” 44 Now Philip was from Beth·sa´i·da, from the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Na·than´a·el and said to him: “We have found the one of whom Moses, in the Law, and the Prophets wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Naz´a·reth.” 46 But Na·than´a·el said to him: “Can anything good come out of Naz´a·reth?” Philip said to him: “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Na·than´a·el coming toward him and said about him: “See, an Israelite for a certainty, in whom there is no deceit.” 48 Na·than´a·el said to him: “How does it come that you know me?” Jesus in answer said to him: “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Na·than´a·el answered him: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel.” 50 Jesus in answer said to him: “Because I told you I saw you underneath the fig tree do you believe? You will see things greater than these.” 51 He further said to him: “Most truly I say to YOU men, YOU will see heaven opened up and the angels of God ascending and descending to the Son of man.”
John 2:1-25
1 Now on the third day a marriage feast took place in Ca´na of Gal´i·lee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the marriage feast.
3 When the wine ran short the mother of Jesus said to him: “They have no wine.” 4 But Jesus said to her: “What have I to do with you, woman? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to those ministering: “Whatever he tells YOU, do.” 6 As it was, there were six stone water jars sitting there as required by the purification rules of the Jews, each able to hold two or three liquid measures. 7 Jesus said to them: “Fill the water jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. 8 And he said to them: “Draw some out now and take it to the director of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When, now, the director of the feast tasted the water that had been turned into wine but did not know what its source was, although those ministering who had drawn out the water knew, the director of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him: “Every other man puts out the fine wine first, and when people are intoxicated, the inferior. You have reserved the fine wine until now.” 11 Jesus performed this in Ca´na of Gal´i·lee as [the] beginning of his signs, and he made his glory manifest; and his disciples put their faith in him.
12 After this he and his mother and brothers and his disciples went down to Ca·per´na·um, but they did not stay there many days.
13 Now the passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And he found in the temple those selling cattle and sheep and doves and the money brokers in their seats. 15 So, after making a whip of ropes, he drove all those with the sheep and cattle out of the temple, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he said to those selling the doves: “Take these things away from here! Stop making the house of my Father a house of merchandise!” 17 His disciples called to mind that it is written: “The zeal for your house will eat me up.”
18 Therefore, in answer, the Jews said to him: “What sign have you to show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 In answer Jesus said to them: “Break down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Therefore the Jews said: “This temple was built in forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was talking about the temple of his body. 22 When, though, he was raised up from the dead, his disciples called to mind that he used to say this; and they believed the Scripture and the saying that Jesus said.
23 However, when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, at its festival, many people put their faith in his name, viewing his signs that he was performing. 24 But Jesus himself was not entrusting himself to them because of his knowing them all 25 and because he was in no need to have anyone bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
John 3:1-36
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, Nic·o·de´mus was his name, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This one came to him in the night and said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you as a teacher have come from God; for no one can perform these signs that you perform unless God is with him.” 3 In answer Jesus said to him: “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nic·o·de´mus said to him: “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered: “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel because I told you, YOU people must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone that has been born from the spirit.”
9 In answer Nic·o·de´mus said to him: “How can these things come about?” 10 In answer Jesus said to him: “Are you a teacher of Israel and yet do not know these things? 11 Most truly I say to you, What we know we speak and what we have seen we bear witness of, but YOU people do not receive the witness we give. 12 If I have told YOU earthly things and yet YOU do not believe, how will YOU believe if I tell YOU heavenly things? 13 Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life.
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent forth his Son into the world, not for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him. 18 He that exercises faith in him is not to be judged. He that does not exercise faith has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judgment, that the light has come into the world but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked. 20 For he that practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, in order that his works may not be reproved. 21 But he that does what is true comes to the light, in order that his works may be made manifest as having been worked in harmony with God.”
22 After these things Jesus and his disciples went into Ju·de´an country, and there he spent some time with them and did baptizing. 23 But John also was baptizing in Ae´non near Sa´lim, because there was a great quantity of water there, and people kept coming and being baptized; 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Therefore a dispute arose on the part of the disciples of John with a Jew concerning purification. 26 So they came to John and said to him: “Rabbi, the man that was with you across the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, see, this one is baptizing and all are going to him.” 27 In answer John said: “A man cannot receive a single thing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 YOU yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent forth in advance of that one. 29 He that has the bride is the bridegroom. However, the friend of the bridegroom, when he stands and hears him, has a great deal of joy on account of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore this joy of mine has been made full. 30 That one must go on increasing, but I must go on decreasing.”
31 He that comes from above is over all others. He that is from the earth is from the earth and speaks of things of the earth. He that comes from heaven is over all others. 32 What he has seen and heard, of this he bears witness, but no man is accepting his witness. 33 He that has accepted his witness has put his seal to it that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent forth speaks the sayings of God, for he does not give the spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
John 4:1-54
1 When, now, the Lord became aware that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although, indeed, Jesus himself did no baptizing but his disciples did— 3 he left Ju·de´a and departed again for Gal´i·lee. 4 But it was necessary for him to go through Sa·mar´i·a. 5 Accordingly he came to a city of Sa·mar´i·a called Sy´char near the field that Jacob gave to Joseph his son. 6 In fact, Jacob’s fountain was there. Now Jesus, tired out from the journey, was sitting at the fountain just as he was. The hour was about the sixth.
7 A woman of Sa·mar´i·a came to draw water. Jesus said to her: “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the city to buy foodstuffs.) 9 Therefore the Sa·mar´i·tan woman said to him: “How is it that you, despite being a Jew, ask me for a drink, when I am a Sa·mar´i·tan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Sa·mar´i·tans.) 10 In answer Jesus said to her: “If you had known the free gift of God and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 She said to him: “Sir, you have not even a bucket for drawing water, and the well is deep. From what source, therefore, do you have this living water? 12 You are not greater than our forefather Jacob, who gave us the well and who himself together with his sons and his cattle drank out of it, are you?” 13 In answer Jesus said to her: “Everyone drinking from this water will get thirsty again. 14 Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty at all, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water bubbling up to impart everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to him: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may neither thirst nor keep coming over to this place to draw water.”
16 He said to her: “Go, call your husband and come to this place.” 17 In answer the woman said: “I do not have a husband.” Jesus said to her: “You said well, ‘A husband I do not have.’ 18 For you have had five husbands, and the [man] you now have is not your husband. This you have said truthfully.” 19 The woman said to him: “Sir, I perceive you are a prophet. 20 Our forefathers worshiped in this mountain; but YOU people say that in Jerusalem is the place where persons ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her: “Believe me, woman, The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will YOU people worship the Father. 22 YOU worship what YOU do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation originates with the Jews. 23 Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him: “I know that Mes·si´ah is coming, who is called Christ. Whenever that one arrives, he will declare all things to us openly.” 26 Jesus said to her: “I who am speaking to you am he.”
27 Now at this point his disciples arrived, and they began to wonder because he was speaking with a woman. Of course, no one said: “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you talk with her?” 28 The woman, therefore, left her water jar and went off into the city and told the men: 29 “Come here, see a man that told me all the things I did. This is not perhaps the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city and began coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying: “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them: “I have food to eat of which YOU do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples began saying to one another: “No one has brought him anything to eat, has he?” 34 Jesus said to them: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do YOU not say that there are yet four months before the harvest comes? Look! I say to YOU: Lift up YOUR eyes and view the fields, that they are white for harvesting. Already 36 the reaper is receiving wages and gathering fruit for everlasting life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. 37 In this respect, indeed, the saying is true, One is the sower and another the reaper. 38 I dispatched YOU to reap what YOU have spent no labor on. Others have labored, and YOU have entered into the benefit of their labor.”
39 Now many of the Sa·mar´i·tans out of that city put faith in him on account of the word of the woman who said in witness: “He told me all the things I did.” 40 Therefore when the Sa·mar´i·tans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 Consequently many more believed on account of what he said, 42 and they began to say to the woman: “We do not believe any longer on account of your talk; for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man is for a certainty the savior of the world.”
43 After the two days he left there for Gal´i·lee. 44 Jesus himself, however, bore witness that in his own homeland a prophet has no honor. 45 When, therefore, he arrived in Gal´i·lee, the Gal·i·le´ans received him, because they had seen all the things he did in Jerusalem at the festival, for they also had gone to the festival.
46 Accordingly he came again to Ca´na of Gal´i·lee, where he had turned the water into wine. Now there was a certain attendant of the king whose son was sick in Ca·per´na·um. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come out of Ju·de´a into Gal´i·lee, he went off to him and began asking him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of dying. 48 However, Jesus said to him: “Unless YOU people see signs and wonders, YOU will by no means believe.” 49 The attendant of the king said to him: “Lord, come down before my young child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him: “Go your way; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. 51 But already while he was on his way down his slaves met him to say that his boy was living. 52 Therefore he began to inquire of them the hour in which he got better in health. Accordingly they said to him: “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 Therefore the father knew it was in the very hour that Jesus said to him: “Your son lives.” And he and his whole household believed. 54 Again this was the second sign Jesus performed when he came out of Ju·de´a into Gal´i·lee.
1 In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. 2 This one was in [the] beginning with God. 3 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence.
What has come into existence 4 by means of him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light is shining in the darkness, but the darkness has not overpowered it.
6 There arose a man that was sent forth as a representative of God: his name was John. 7 This [man] came for a witness, in order to bear witness about the light, that people of all sorts might believe through him. 8 He was not that light, but he was meant to bear witness about that light.
9 The true light that gives light to every sort of man was about to come into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own home, but his own people did not take him in. 12 However, as many as did receive him, to them he gave authority to become God’s children, because they were exercising faith in his name; 13 and they were born, not from blood or from a fleshly will or from man’s will, but from God.
14 So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of undeserved kindness and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, yes, he actually cried out—this was the one who said [it]—saying: “The one coming behind me has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me.”) 16 For we all received from out of his fullness, even undeserved kindness upon undeserved kindness. 17 Because the Law was given through Moses, the undeserved kindness and the truth came to be through Jesus Christ. 18 No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god who is in the bosom [position] with the Father is the one that has explained him.
19 Now this is the witness of John when the Jews sent forth priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him to ask him: “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed: “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him: “What, then? Are you E·li´jah?” And he said: “I am not.” “Are you The Prophet?” And he answered: “No!” 22 Therefore they said to him: “Who are you? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am a voice of someone crying out in the wilderness, ‘MAKE the way of Jehovah straight,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 Now those sent forth were from the Pharisees. 25 So they questioned him and said to him: “Why, then, do you baptize if you yourself are not the Christ or E·li´jah or The Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying: “I baptize in water. In the midst of YOU one is standing whom YOU do not know, 27 the one coming behind me, but the lace of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Beth´a·ny across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he beheld Jesus coming toward him, and he said: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, Behind me there comes a man who has advanced in front of me, because he existed before me. 31 Even I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing in water was that he might be made manifest to Israel.” 32 John also bore witness, saying: “I viewed the spirit coming down as a dove out of heaven, and it remained upon him. 33 Even I did not know him, but the very One who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘Whoever it is upon whom you see the spirit coming down and remaining, this is the one that baptizes in holy spirit.’ 34 And I have seen [it], and I have borne witness that this one is the Son of God.”
35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he looked at Jesus walking he said: “See, the Lamb of God!” 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned and, getting a view of them following, he said to them: “What are YOU looking for?” They said to him: “Rabbi, (which means, when translated, Teacher,) where are you staying?” 39 He said to them: “Come, and YOU will see.” Accordingly they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day; it was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of the two that heard what John said and followed [Jesus]. 41 First this one found his own brother, Simon, and said to him: “We have found the Mes·si´ah” (which means, when translated, Christ). 42 He led him to Jesus. When Jesus looked upon him he said: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Ce´phas” (which is translated Peter).
43 The next day he desired to depart for Gal´i·lee. So Jesus found Philip and said to him: “Be my follower.” 44 Now Philip was from Beth·sa´i·da, from the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Na·than´a·el and said to him: “We have found the one of whom Moses, in the Law, and the Prophets wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Naz´a·reth.” 46 But Na·than´a·el said to him: “Can anything good come out of Naz´a·reth?” Philip said to him: “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Na·than´a·el coming toward him and said about him: “See, an Israelite for a certainty, in whom there is no deceit.” 48 Na·than´a·el said to him: “How does it come that you know me?” Jesus in answer said to him: “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Na·than´a·el answered him: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel.” 50 Jesus in answer said to him: “Because I told you I saw you underneath the fig tree do you believe? You will see things greater than these.” 51 He further said to him: “Most truly I say to YOU men, YOU will see heaven opened up and the angels of God ascending and descending to the Son of man.”
John 2:1-25
1 Now on the third day a marriage feast took place in Ca´na of Gal´i·lee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the marriage feast.
3 When the wine ran short the mother of Jesus said to him: “They have no wine.” 4 But Jesus said to her: “What have I to do with you, woman? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to those ministering: “Whatever he tells YOU, do.” 6 As it was, there were six stone water jars sitting there as required by the purification rules of the Jews, each able to hold two or three liquid measures. 7 Jesus said to them: “Fill the water jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. 8 And he said to them: “Draw some out now and take it to the director of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When, now, the director of the feast tasted the water that had been turned into wine but did not know what its source was, although those ministering who had drawn out the water knew, the director of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him: “Every other man puts out the fine wine first, and when people are intoxicated, the inferior. You have reserved the fine wine until now.” 11 Jesus performed this in Ca´na of Gal´i·lee as [the] beginning of his signs, and he made his glory manifest; and his disciples put their faith in him.
12 After this he and his mother and brothers and his disciples went down to Ca·per´na·um, but they did not stay there many days.
13 Now the passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And he found in the temple those selling cattle and sheep and doves and the money brokers in their seats. 15 So, after making a whip of ropes, he drove all those with the sheep and cattle out of the temple, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he said to those selling the doves: “Take these things away from here! Stop making the house of my Father a house of merchandise!” 17 His disciples called to mind that it is written: “The zeal for your house will eat me up.”
18 Therefore, in answer, the Jews said to him: “What sign have you to show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 In answer Jesus said to them: “Break down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Therefore the Jews said: “This temple was built in forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was talking about the temple of his body. 22 When, though, he was raised up from the dead, his disciples called to mind that he used to say this; and they believed the Scripture and the saying that Jesus said.
23 However, when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, at its festival, many people put their faith in his name, viewing his signs that he was performing. 24 But Jesus himself was not entrusting himself to them because of his knowing them all 25 and because he was in no need to have anyone bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
John 3:1-36
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, Nic·o·de´mus was his name, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This one came to him in the night and said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you as a teacher have come from God; for no one can perform these signs that you perform unless God is with him.” 3 In answer Jesus said to him: “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nic·o·de´mus said to him: “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered: “Most truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel because I told you, YOU people must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone that has been born from the spirit.”
9 In answer Nic·o·de´mus said to him: “How can these things come about?” 10 In answer Jesus said to him: “Are you a teacher of Israel and yet do not know these things? 11 Most truly I say to you, What we know we speak and what we have seen we bear witness of, but YOU people do not receive the witness we give. 12 If I have told YOU earthly things and yet YOU do not believe, how will YOU believe if I tell YOU heavenly things? 13 Moreover, no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone believing in him may have everlasting life.
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent forth his Son into the world, not for him to judge the world, but for the world to be saved through him. 18 He that exercises faith in him is not to be judged. He that does not exercise faith has been judged already, because he has not exercised faith in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judgment, that the light has come into the world but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked. 20 For he that practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, in order that his works may not be reproved. 21 But he that does what is true comes to the light, in order that his works may be made manifest as having been worked in harmony with God.”
22 After these things Jesus and his disciples went into Ju·de´an country, and there he spent some time with them and did baptizing. 23 But John also was baptizing in Ae´non near Sa´lim, because there was a great quantity of water there, and people kept coming and being baptized; 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Therefore a dispute arose on the part of the disciples of John with a Jew concerning purification. 26 So they came to John and said to him: “Rabbi, the man that was with you across the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, see, this one is baptizing and all are going to him.” 27 In answer John said: “A man cannot receive a single thing unless it has been given him from heaven. 28 YOU yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent forth in advance of that one. 29 He that has the bride is the bridegroom. However, the friend of the bridegroom, when he stands and hears him, has a great deal of joy on account of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore this joy of mine has been made full. 30 That one must go on increasing, but I must go on decreasing.”
31 He that comes from above is over all others. He that is from the earth is from the earth and speaks of things of the earth. He that comes from heaven is over all others. 32 What he has seen and heard, of this he bears witness, but no man is accepting his witness. 33 He that has accepted his witness has put his seal to it that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent forth speaks the sayings of God, for he does not give the spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 He that exercises faith in the Son has everlasting life; he that disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
John 4:1-54
1 When, now, the Lord became aware that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although, indeed, Jesus himself did no baptizing but his disciples did— 3 he left Ju·de´a and departed again for Gal´i·lee. 4 But it was necessary for him to go through Sa·mar´i·a. 5 Accordingly he came to a city of Sa·mar´i·a called Sy´char near the field that Jacob gave to Joseph his son. 6 In fact, Jacob’s fountain was there. Now Jesus, tired out from the journey, was sitting at the fountain just as he was. The hour was about the sixth.
7 A woman of Sa·mar´i·a came to draw water. Jesus said to her: “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the city to buy foodstuffs.) 9 Therefore the Sa·mar´i·tan woman said to him: “How is it that you, despite being a Jew, ask me for a drink, when I am a Sa·mar´i·tan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Sa·mar´i·tans.) 10 In answer Jesus said to her: “If you had known the free gift of God and who it is that says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 She said to him: “Sir, you have not even a bucket for drawing water, and the well is deep. From what source, therefore, do you have this living water? 12 You are not greater than our forefather Jacob, who gave us the well and who himself together with his sons and his cattle drank out of it, are you?” 13 In answer Jesus said to her: “Everyone drinking from this water will get thirsty again. 14 Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty at all, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water bubbling up to impart everlasting life.” 15 The woman said to him: “Sir, give me this water, so that I may neither thirst nor keep coming over to this place to draw water.”
16 He said to her: “Go, call your husband and come to this place.” 17 In answer the woman said: “I do not have a husband.” Jesus said to her: “You said well, ‘A husband I do not have.’ 18 For you have had five husbands, and the [man] you now have is not your husband. This you have said truthfully.” 19 The woman said to him: “Sir, I perceive you are a prophet. 20 Our forefathers worshiped in this mountain; but YOU people say that in Jerusalem is the place where persons ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her: “Believe me, woman, The hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will YOU people worship the Father. 22 YOU worship what YOU do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation originates with the Jews. 23 Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him: “I know that Mes·si´ah is coming, who is called Christ. Whenever that one arrives, he will declare all things to us openly.” 26 Jesus said to her: “I who am speaking to you am he.”
27 Now at this point his disciples arrived, and they began to wonder because he was speaking with a woman. Of course, no one said: “What are you looking for?” or, “Why do you talk with her?” 28 The woman, therefore, left her water jar and went off into the city and told the men: 29 “Come here, see a man that told me all the things I did. This is not perhaps the Christ, is it?” 30 They went out of the city and began coming to him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying: “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them: “I have food to eat of which YOU do not know.” 33 Therefore the disciples began saying to one another: “No one has brought him anything to eat, has he?” 34 Jesus said to them: “My food is for me to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do YOU not say that there are yet four months before the harvest comes? Look! I say to YOU: Lift up YOUR eyes and view the fields, that they are white for harvesting. Already 36 the reaper is receiving wages and gathering fruit for everlasting life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. 37 In this respect, indeed, the saying is true, One is the sower and another the reaper. 38 I dispatched YOU to reap what YOU have spent no labor on. Others have labored, and YOU have entered into the benefit of their labor.”
39 Now many of the Sa·mar´i·tans out of that city put faith in him on account of the word of the woman who said in witness: “He told me all the things I did.” 40 Therefore when the Sa·mar´i·tans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 Consequently many more believed on account of what he said, 42 and they began to say to the woman: “We do not believe any longer on account of your talk; for we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man is for a certainty the savior of the world.”
43 After the two days he left there for Gal´i·lee. 44 Jesus himself, however, bore witness that in his own homeland a prophet has no honor. 45 When, therefore, he arrived in Gal´i·lee, the Gal·i·le´ans received him, because they had seen all the things he did in Jerusalem at the festival, for they also had gone to the festival.
46 Accordingly he came again to Ca´na of Gal´i·lee, where he had turned the water into wine. Now there was a certain attendant of the king whose son was sick in Ca·per´na·um. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come out of Ju·de´a into Gal´i·lee, he went off to him and began asking him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of dying. 48 However, Jesus said to him: “Unless YOU people see signs and wonders, YOU will by no means believe.” 49 The attendant of the king said to him: “Lord, come down before my young child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him: “Go your way; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. 51 But already while he was on his way down his slaves met him to say that his boy was living. 52 Therefore he began to inquire of them the hour in which he got better in health. Accordingly they said to him: “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 Therefore the father knew it was in the very hour that Jesus said to him: “Your son lives.” And he and his whole household believed. 54 Again this was the second sign Jesus performed when he came out of Ju·de´a into Gal´i·lee.