John

Chapter 1

¹ The Word existed before the universe existed. The Word was with God. The Word also was God. ² He, the Word, was with God before the universe existed. ³ God made everything through him. God made every single thing in the universe with him. ⁴ The Word gives eternal life and that eternal life is {God's good and true} light {that he revealed} to humans. ⁵ {God} revealed {his good and true} light to the evil world, and that evil world did not vanquish it.

⁶ God sent a man named John {who was known as John the Baptizer}. ⁷ He came in order to declare to people about {Jesus, who is} the light. {He declared this} so that everyone might trust in the light by means of his {testimony}. ⁸ John himself was not that light, but {he came} in order to tell {people} about the light. ⁹ That true light was {Jesus,} who revealed God's truth and goodness to everyone. {He was} that light {that} was coming into the world.

¹⁰ The Word was in the world, and he created the universe. Nevertheless, {the people of} the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ The Word came to his own people, {the Jews,} but they rejected him. ¹² But he gave to everyone who accepted him and trusted in him the right to become God’s children. ¹³ These children of God were not {spiritually} born by means of {normal human} birth, nor by human desire, nor by the desire of their fathers. Rather, they were {spiritually} born by God.

¹⁴ The Word became a real human being and temporarily lived here {where we live}. We have seen him display his glorious nature. {That is} the glorious nature of the Unique Son {who came} from the Father. He fully possesses God’s kind acts and true teachings.

¹⁵ John the Baptizer was telling {people} about the Word. And he shouted {to those around him}, “I told you that someone would come after me {and that} he is much more important than I am because he existed {long} before me.” ¹⁶ {We believers know the Word fully possesses God’s kind acts and true teachings} because all of us have received one gracious act in place of another from those things that he is full of. ¹⁷ {This is} because God gave his laws {to the Israelites} by Moses. But God’s kind acts and true message came into {full} existence by Jesus the Messiah. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But Jesus, the Unique One, is God. He is close to {God} the Father, and he has revealed the Father.

¹⁹ This is what John the Baptizer testified when the Jewish {leaders} sent {some} priests and Levites from {the city of} Jerusalem in order to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ {At that time} John emphatically confessed, “I am not the Messiah!” ²¹ Then they asked him, “{If that is so,} then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “No.” They asked again, “Are you the Prophet {whom God said would come}?” John answered, “No.” ²² So these {priests and Levites} asked John once more, “Who are you? {Tell us} so that we can report {what you say} to those {leaders} who sent us. Who do you claim to be?” ²³ John told {them}, “I am the person shouting in the desolate area to prepare yourselves to receive the Lord when he comes. {I am whom} the prophet Isaiah foretold.”

²⁴ These {priests and Levites} whom {the leaders in Jerusalem} sent {to John} were Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, “If you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, then why are you baptizing {people}?” ²⁶ John replied, “I am baptizing {people} with water, but there is someone now among you whom you do not know. ²⁷ He follows after me, but I am not important enough even to untie his sandals.”

²⁸ These events occurred at the village of Bethany over {on the east side of} the Jordan River. {That is the place} where John was baptizing {people}.

²⁹ The day after {that happened,} John saw Jesus coming toward him. Then he said to the people, “Look! {He is} the Lamb of God! He will sacrifice himself to forgive the sins of the {people in this} world. ³⁰ This man is the one about whom I said, ‘Someone will come after me who is more important than I am, because he existed {long} before me.’ ³¹ I did not know who he was {at first}. Nevertheless, I have been baptizing {people} with water for the very purpose of revealing him to {the people of} Israel.”

³² And John declared, “I saw God’s Spirit coming down from heaven appearing like a dove. Then the Spirit remained on Jesus. ³³ I did not know who he was {at first}, but God sent me to baptize {people} with water and told me, ‘The man on whom you see my Spirit come down and remain is the man who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen {this} and I declare {to you} that {this man, Jesus,} is the Son of God.”

³⁵ The day after {that happened,} John the Baptizer was again with two of his students. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” ³⁷ Then John’s two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. ³⁸ When Jesus turned around and saw them coming behind {him}, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi (which means ‘teacher’ {in Aramaic}), where are you lodging?” ³⁹ He replied, “Come with me, and you will see!” So they came and saw where Jesus was lodging. They stayed with him that day because it was getting late (it was about 4:00 p.m.).

⁴⁰ One of those two disciples who had heard what John had said and followed Jesus was {named} Andrew. {He was} Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ Andrew first {went and} found his brother Simon. {When he came to him,} he said, “We have found the Messiah!” (Messiah is “Christ” in Greek.) ⁴² Andrew took Simon to Jesus. When Jesus looked at Peter, he said, “You are Simon. Your father’s name is John. {From now on} your name will {also} be Cephas.” ({Cephas is} “Peter” in Greek {and means “rock”}.)

⁴³ The day after {that happened} Jesus decided to leave {that area}. He went to the {region of} Galilee and found a man {named} Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Philip was from the city of Bethsaida {in Galilee}. {This is also the city that} Andrew and Peter were from. ⁴⁵ {Then} Philip {went and} found Nathaniel. {When he came to him,} he said, “We have found the {Messiah} whom Moses wrote about in the law {God gave the Israelites} and {whom} the prophets {said would come}. {The Messiah is} Jesus. His father’s name is Joseph. He is from {the town of} Nazareth.” ⁴⁶ Nathaniel replied, “From Nazareth? Certainly nothing good can come out of that town!” Philip replied, “Come and see {for yourself}!” ⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said to him, “Look! {Here is} an honest Israelite! He never deceives {anyone}!” ⁴⁸ Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know what kind of man I am?” Jesus replied, “I saw you before Philip called you, when you were sitting {by yourself} under the fig tree.” ⁴⁹ Then Nathaniel declared, “Teacher, you must be the Son of God! You are the King of Israel {whom we have been waiting for}!” ⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do you trust in me {just} because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see me do things that are much greater than that!” ⁵¹ Then Jesus said to him, “I am telling you the truth: {Just like the vision your ancestor Jacob long ago saw,} you will see heaven opened up, and you will see God’s angels going up and coming down on me, the Son of Man.”

Chapter 2

¹ Two days later, there was a wedding in Cana, {which is a town in the region} of Galilee, and Jesus’ mother was there. ² And someone also invited Jesus and his disciples to the wedding. ³ {The hosts served wine to those attending the wedding and} they drank all the wine they had. {So} Jesus’ mother said to him, “They are out of wine. {Please do something about it.}” ⁴ Then Jesus said to her, “Madam, what does that have to do with me or you? {The chosen} time {for me to begin} my {most important work} has not arrived yet.” ⁵ Jesus’ mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you {to do}.” ⁶ (There were six {empty} stone jars placed there. They held water {so that the people could wash themselves according to} Jewish religious cleansing laws. Each jar could hold 80 to 120 liters {of water}.) ⁷ Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled the jars {completely} to the top. ⁸ Then he told them, “Now, take {some water} out of a jar and bring it to the director of the wedding feast.” So the servants did that. ⁹ Then the director of the feast tasted the water, which had now become wine. (He did not know where the wine had come from, although the servants who had taken out the water knew.) And he called the bridegroom {to himself}. ¹⁰ Then he told the bridegroom, “Everyone serves the best wine first and serves the cheap wine later when the guests have drunk a lot {and can’t tell the difference}. However, you have saved the best wine until now.” ¹¹ That was the first of the miraculous signs that Jesus did. He did it in {the town of} Cana, {which is in the region} of Galilee. There he showed how great he is. So his disciples trusted in him.

¹² {Some time} after {doing} this {miracle,} Jesus and his mother and brothers, along with his disciples, went down to {the town of} Capernaum. And they stayed there for a few days.

¹³ Now it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Celebration, so Jesus went up to {the city of} Jerusalem. ¹⁴ There in the temple {courtyard} he saw men selling cattle, sheep, and pigeons {for those making sacrifices there}. {He also saw} men sitting at tables exchanging money {for temple money}. ¹⁵ So Jesus made a whip from some braided leather strips, and he used it to drive all {those people} out from the temple {along with} the sheep and the cattle. He also scattered the coins of the moneychangers on the ground and flipped their tables over. ¹⁶ He told those who were selling pigeons, “Take these pigeons out of here! Do not turn my Father’s house into a marketplace!” ¹⁷ {This event} reminded his disciples about what someone had written {in the scriptures long before}, “I love your temple so much, {O God,} that I would die for it.”

¹⁸ The Jewish {leaders} then responded by asking Jesus, “What miracle can you do for us {to prove that you have authority from God} to do these things that you are doing?” ¹⁹ Jesus replied to them, “{If} you destroy this temple, then in three days I will rebuild it.” ²⁰ So the Jewish {leaders} said, “It took 46 years to build this temple. {Are you saying that} you are going to rebuild this {entire} temple in {just} three days?” ²¹ However, the temple Jesus was speaking about was his own body, {not the temple building}. ²² As a result {of this statement}, his disciples remembered these things that he had said after God had raised Jesus from the dead. Then they believed both what the scriptures said and what Jesus himself had said.

²³ At a later time, when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Celebration, during {the days of} the celebration, many {people} trusted in him because they saw the miracles he kept on doing. ²⁴ Nevertheless, because Jesus knew what all people were like, he did not trust them. ²⁵ Jesus {also did not trust them} because he did not need anyone to tell him about mankind. {This is} because he knew what people {think and want}.

Chapter 3

¹ Now there was a man named Nicodemus. He was a member of {a strict Jewish religious group called} the Pharisees. He was a member of the highest Jewish governing council. ² He visited Jesus at night. He said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. {We know this} because no one could do these miracles you are doing unless God is helping him.” ³ Jesus replied to Nicodemus and said, “I am telling you the truth: No one can enter God’s kingdom unless he is born again.” ⁴ Then Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person be born again when he is old? No one can enter his mother’s womb {and be born} a second time!” ⁵ Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can enter God’s kingdom unless he is born again by water and the Spirit. ⁶ If a human being gives birth to a person, {that person} is a human being. But those who are born {again} by the {work of God’s} Spirit have a new spiritual nature {that God makes within them}. ⁷ Do not be astonished because I told you that you must be born again. ⁸ The {Holy Spirit is like} the wind that blows wherever it wants {to blow}. Although you can hear the sound of the wind, you do not know where the wind came from or where it is going. {Just as you don't understand these things,} so {also do you not understand} everyone who is born {again} by the {work of God’s} Spirit. ⁹ Nicodemus answered him, “How is this possible?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “You are {an important religious} teacher among {the people of} Israel, so you should understand what I am saying! ¹¹ I am telling you the truth: my disciples and I say the things that we know {are true}, and we are telling you the things that we have witnessed. Yet you people {to whom we say these things} reject what we are saying. ¹² Since you people do not trust {what I say} when I tell you about things {that happen on this} earth, you {certaintly} will not trust {what I say} when I tell you about things {that happen in} heaven! ¹³ I, the Son of Man, am the only one who has gone up to heaven, and {I am} the only one who has come down {to earth} from heaven. ¹⁴ {Long ago, when the Israelites were wandering} in the wilderness, Moses lifted up a {bronze model of a poisonous} snake {on a pole and all who looked up at it were saved from the snakes}. In the same way, people must lift me, the Son of Man, up {on a cross}. ¹⁵ {They will lift me up} so that whoever looks up and trusts in me will live forever {with me in heaven}.

¹⁶ {This is} because God loved the world’s people in this way, so that he gave his Unique Son in order that anyone who trusts in his Son would not die but would live forever. ¹⁷ {This is true} because God did not send {me,} his Son, into the world in order to declare the world’s people guilty. Rather, {God sent me} in order to save the world’s people by me. ¹⁸ God does not declare guilty anyone who trusts in his Son. But God has already declared guilty everyone who does not trust in his Son because they did not trust in the name of the Unique Son of God. ¹⁹ Now God’s judicial ruling is as follows: {the one who is} the light entered the world, but people loved evil instead of him because they do evil deeds. ²⁰ {They love the darkness} because every person who continually does evil deeds hates {the one who is} the light and will never come to him. {They avoid the light} so that {the light} might not reveal what they do. ²¹ But the person who continually does true deeds comes to {the one who is} the light, so that {the light} might show {everyone} what he does {and so that everyone might know} that God was helping him do these deeds.”

²² After those things {happened}, Jesus and his disciples entered the region of Judea. He stayed there for a while with his disciples and baptized many people.

²³ John the Baptizer was also baptizing {people} near {the town of} Aenon, {which is} near {the town of} Salim {in the region of Samaria}. {He was baptizing people there} because there was much water in that place and people kept coming {to John} to be baptized. ²⁴ {John could do this} because John’s enemies had not yet put him in prison. ²⁵ Then some of John’s disciples started arguing with a Jewish man about Jewish religious cleansing laws. ²⁶ Those who were arguing came to John and said, “Teacher, {there was} a man who was with you when you were baptizing people on the other side of the Jordan {River}. You had testified about who {he was}. Look! {Now} he is baptizing people and many people are going out to him!” ²⁷ John answered, “Nobody can receive anything unless God gives it to him. ²⁸ You are surely witnesses to me saying that I am not the Messiah, but I am the one whom God has sent before the Messiah. ²⁹ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. {I am like} the friend of the bridegroom. {I} stand and listen to him and am very happy because {I} hear the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, {because the bride is going to the bridegroom}, I am extremely joyful. ³⁰ {Jesus, the bridegroom,} must become more influential, and I, {the bridegroom’s friend,} must become less influential.

³¹ Jesus comes from heaven, and he is greater than everyone and everything. Those {like myself} who are from the earth can only speak {with the limited persective of someone} from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is greater than everyone and everything {on the earth}. ³² Jesus tells {people} about the things he has seen and heard {in heaven}, but very few {people} accept what he says. ³³ {However,} whoever believes what Jesus says has verified that God is truthful. ³⁴ {This is} because this {Jesus} whom God has sent says God’s words. {We know he says God’s words} because God surely gives his Spirit {to him} without limit. ³⁵ {God} the Father loves the Son and has given him authority over everything. ³⁶ Whoever trusts in God’s Son will live forever {with him in heaven}. Whoever does not obey the Son {of God} will never have {eternal} life. Rather, God will continually be furious with him.”

Chapter 4

¹ Later, {the religious group called} the Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining more disciples than John {the Baptizer} and that he was baptizing more {people} than John {was baptizing}. Jesus {also} found out that the Pharisees had heard {this}. ² (Jesus did not actually baptize {anyone}, but his disciples were baptizing {people}.) ³ {When he found out that the Pharisees were aware of him,} Jesus left {the region of} Judea and returned once more to {the region of} Galilee. ⁴ Now {to get to the region of Galilee} he had to go through {the region of} Samaria. ⁵ Next, they arrived at a city named Sychar {in the region of Samaria}. Sychar was near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph {a long time ago}. ⁶ (Jacob’s well was in that area.) After {arriving at Sychar} Jesus was very tired because of his long journey, so he sat down {to rest} next to {Jacob’s} well. It was about noon. ⁷ A Samaritan woman came out {to the well} {to lower a bucket on a rope} to take out {some} water. Jesus said to her, “{Please} give me {some water} to drink.” ⁸ {He said this} because his disciples had left {him by himself} and had gone into the city in order to buy food. ⁹ And the Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “I am surprised that you, a Jew, are asking me, a woman from Samaria, for a drink.” ({She asked this} because Jews usually won't have anything to do with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus replied to her, “If you had known the gift that God wants to give you, and {if you had known} who {I am} who is requesting a drink from you, you would have asked me {for a drink}, and I would have given you living water.” ¹¹ The woman replied, “Sir, you do not have a bucket {with which to draw the water up out of the well,} and this well is deep. {Since you can’t get the water out of this well,} where did you get this living water from? ¹² You are surely not greater than our father Jacob. He {dug this well} and gave it to us. He, his sons, and his livestock drank {water} from it as well.” ¹³ Jesus replied to her, “Everyone who drinks water {from this well} will become thirsty again. ¹⁴ But anyone who drinks the water that I will give him will never become thirsty again. Rather, the water that I will give him will become a spring of water inside him {that fills him up} and causes him to live forever {in heaven}.” ¹⁵ The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, please give me some of this water in order that I may never become thirsty {again} or have to come to this well to draw water {again}.”

¹⁶ Jesus told her, “Go get your husband and bring him here.” ¹⁷ The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus told her, “You are right in saying that you have no husband, ¹⁸ because you have had not one, but five, husbands, and the man you are currently {living with} is not your husband. What you have said {about not having a husband} is true.”

¹⁹ The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped {God} {right here} on this mountain, but you {Jews} say that we must worship God at {your temple} in Jerusalem.” ²¹ Jesus told her, “Madam, believe me {when I say} that a time is coming when neither here on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. ²² You people {here in Samaria} worship {the God} whom you do not know. We {Jews} worship {the God} whom we know. {This is true} because the way to be saved {from your sins} comes from among the Jews. ²³ Nevertheless, the time is coming and has now arrived when those who truly worship {God} will worship the Father spiritually and truthfully. {This is} because the Father indeed searches for such people to worship him. ²⁴ God is a spiritual being, and those who worship him must worship him spiritually and truthfully.” ²⁵ The woman said to Jesus, “I know that the Messiah will come. (He is the one called “Christ” in Greek.) When he comes, he will tell us everything {that we need to know}.” ²⁶ Jesus told her, “I, who am speaking to you {now}, I am the Messiah!”

²⁷ Just at that moment, his disciples came back {from the city}. They were astonished because Jesus was talking {alone} with a woman {whom he didn’t know}. However, no one {dared} to ask him, “What do you want {from her}?” or “Why are you talking with her {at all}?”

²⁸ At that time the woman left her water jar there and returned to the city. She said to the men {of the city}, ²⁹ “Come and meet this man who told me so many things that I have done! He could not be the Messiah, could he?” ³⁰ Those men left the city and came to Jesus.

³¹ {While the woman was gone,} Jesus’ disciples, {who had just returned with the food,} pleaded with him {to eat}. They said, “Teacher, {please} eat [something}!” ³² Jesus told them, “I have sustenance that you know nothing about!” ³³ So they were saying to one another, “{Surely} no one {else} could have brought him {something} to eat, could they?” ³⁴ Jesus told them, “This is what sustains me: It is to do what my Father who sent me wants and to complete my Father’s work. ³⁵ {At this time of the year} you usually say, ‘There are four months left, and then {we will} harvest {the crops}.’ Listen to what I’m telling you. Look and see that {these people are like} fields that are now ready for harvest! ³⁶ The one who harvests {these crops} receives payment and collects fruit, {which is people receiving} life forever {in heaven}. The result is that those who sow the seed and those who reap the harvest will be glad together. ³⁷ What I’m going to say is true: One person sows the seeds, and another person harvests the crops. ³⁸ I sent you {disciples of mine} to gather the harvest from a crop that you did not plant. Others have worked very hard {to plant the crop}, but you are now joining {them} in their work.”

³⁹ Now many Samaritans who lived in the city {of Sychar} trusted in Jesus because of what the woman had told them. She said, “He told me so many things that I have done.” ⁴⁰ When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked him to remain with them. So he stayed there {with them} for two more days. ⁴¹ Many more of them trusted in Jesus because of what he proclaimed {to them}. ⁴² The townspeople told the woman, “We believe {in Jesus now,} but not just because of what you told us {about him}. {We believe} because we have heard {his message} for ourselves. {Now} we know that this man truly is the one who saves {the believers in} the world {from their sins}.”

⁴³ After he stayed for two days {with the Samaritans}, Jesus left {the city of Sychar} and entered {the region} of Galilee. ⁴⁴ (Jesus {wanted to go to Galilee} because he himself confirmed that a prophet does not receive honor in the place where he grew up {and he did not want publicity}.) ⁴⁵ Since this is true, when he arrived in {the region of} Galilee many of the people there {merely} welcomed him. {They welcomed him} because they had seen all the {amazing} things he had done in Jerusalem during the {recent Passover} celebration, which they also had gone to. ⁴⁶ Next, Jesus went back again to {the town of} Cana in {the region of} Galilee. {That was} where he had turned water into wine. There was an official of the king who lived {nearby} in {the city of} Capernaum and had a son who was very sick. ⁴⁷ When that official heard that Jesus had come back to Galilee from Judea, he went to Jesus {in Cana} and asked him to come down {to Capernaum} and heal his son because his son would die soon.” ⁴⁸ Jesus then told him, “You people will only trust in me {as the Messiah} if you see {me perform} wonderful miracles!” ⁴⁹ The official of the king said to him, “Sir, please come down {to my home in Capernaum} before my son dies!” ⁵⁰ Jesus told him, “Go {home}. Your son will live.” The man trusted what Jesus told him and he started to go {back home}. ⁵¹ As the official was traveling down {to his home in the city of Capernaum}, his servants met him {along the road}. They told him, “Your child is going to live.” ⁵² He asked his servants, “At what time did my son start getting better?” They answered him, “At 1:00 PM yesterday his fever went away.” ⁵³ And the {boy’s} father recognized that {his son had recovered} at the {exact} time that Jesus had told him that his son would live. So this same man along with everyone who lived in his house trusted in Jesus.

⁵⁴ That was the second great miracle that Jesus did. {He did it during the time that} he came to {the region of} Galilee after leaving {the region of} Judea.

Chapter 5

¹ After Jesus did this, the time came for another Jewish festival, and Jesus walked up to {the city of} Jerusalem {to celebrate the festival}. ² {There is a place} called the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, {which is one of the gates going into the city}. There is a pool beside {that gate} called Bethesda in the language used by the Jews. {Next to the pool are} five porches with roofs. ³ Many people were lying on these porches. They were people who were ill, unable to see, unable to walk, or unable to move. ^4[1] [{They were lying there} because an angel from the Lord would occasionally come down and aggravate the water. Whoever was the first person to step into the water after {the angel} aggravated it was healed from whatever illness or infirmity that was afflicting him.] ⁵ There was a man lying near this {pool called Bethesda} who had been sick for 38 years. ⁶ Jesus saw this man lying {near the pool} and he knew that he had been {lying} there for a long time. He asked the man, “Do you want your health to get better?” ⁷ The ill man answered him, “Sir, I don’t have anyone who can put me into the pool when {an angel} stirs the water. By the time I can put myself into the pool, someone else has {already} gone down into the pool {and been healed} before me, {so that I cannot be healed}.” ⁸ Jesus told him, “Stand up! Pick up the mat {that you have been lying on} and walk!” ⁹ Then Jesus healed the man at once, and the man picked up the mat {that he had been lying on} and walked.

(Now this happened on {the Jewish day for rest known as} the Sabbath. ¹⁰ Because {it was the Jewish day for rest}, the Jewish {leaders} said to the man whom Jesus had healed, “Today is a day for rest. You are not allowed to carry your mat {on this day because it is work}.” ¹¹ The man whom Jesus had healed answered them, “The man who healed me told me to pick up the mat {that I had been lying on} and walk.’” ¹² The Jewish {leaders} asked him, “Who told you to pick up your mat and walk?” ¹³ However, the man whom Jesus had healed did not know who had healed him because Jesus had left {the man} without being noticed since that area was crowded.

¹⁴ Later, Jesus found the man {whom he had healed} in the temple and told him, “Look, you are well now! Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse {than your previous illness} might happen to you.” ¹⁵ That man went away and told the Jewish {leaders} that the man who had healed him was Jesus. ¹⁶ So the Jew {leaders} started persecuting Jesus because he was miraculously healing {people} on the Jewish day for rest. ¹⁷ Jesus gave this answer to them, “{God,} my Father, is working today, so I am also working.” ¹⁸ As a consequence {of him saying this}, the Jewish {leaders} were trying to kill Jesus even more {than they had tried before}. {They wanted to kill him} because he was not only disobeying {their rules for} the day for rest, but also because he was claiming that he was equal with God by saying that God was his own Father.

¹⁹ Because of {these accusations} Jesus replied to the Jewish {leaders}, “I am telling you {people} the truth: {I,} the Son, can do nothing on my own authority. I can only do what I perceive that {God,} the Father, is doing. Whatever the Father does, {I,} the Son, also do. ²⁰ {This is true} because the Father loves {me,} the Son, and makes known to me everything that he is doing. The Father will also make known to me {miraculous} deeds {that will be} even greater than the miracles {that I have already done} in order that you might be astonished {by them}. ²¹ {This will happen} because I, the Son, give {eternal} life to anyone I want in the same way that the Father resurrects those who have died and gives them life {again}. ²² {This is true} because the Father does not judge anyone. Rather, he has given all authority to judge {people} to {me,} the Son. ²³ {The Father did this} in order that everyone would honor me, the Son, in the same way that they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor me cannot honor my Father who sent me. ²⁴ I am telling you {people} the truth: Anyone who accepts {and obeys} my teachings and trusts {God} who sent me will live forever {with me in heaven} and God will not judge him {as guilty}. Instead, that person has gone from being {spiritually} dead to being {spiritually} alive.

²⁵ I am telling you {people} the truth: A time is coming and in fact is here already, when those who have died will hear {my} voice, {the voice of} the Son of God, and those who hear me will live. ²⁶ {This is true} because as the Father is able to make people alive, in the same way he has also given {me,} the Son, the ability to make {people} alive. ²⁷ The Father has authorized me to judge {all mankind}, because I am the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not be surprised {that the Father has done} this because there will be a time when everyone who has died will hear my voice. ²⁹ Then they will come out {of their graves}. {God will} raise up those who have done good {to give them eternal} life. But {God will} raise up those who have done evil to condemn and punish {them} forever. ³⁰ I can do nothing on my own. I judge according to what I hear {from the Father}, and I judge in a just manner. {I judge justly} because I do not try to do what I want. Rather, {I do} what {my Father} who has sent me wants.

³¹ If I {alone} were {the only one} to be a witness about myself, {according to the law of Moses} my witness would not be trustworthy. ³² {Nevertheless,} there is someone else who testifies about me, and I know that what he testifies about me is trustworthy. ³³ You {Jewish leaders} sent {messengers} to John the Baptizer, and he told you the truth {about me}. ³⁴ However, I do not need anyone to be a witness {for me}. Nevertheless, I am saying this {about John the Baptizer} in order that God might save you. ³⁵ John the Baptizer {proclaimed God’s truth to you} like a burning and shining lamp. You were willing to rejoice for a while in the light {that was the truth that he proclaimed}. ³⁶ However, the witness that I give about myself is even greater than the witness John gave {about me}. {This is} because {this witness is} the miraculous works that {God} the Father has allowed me to do. These very works that I am doing are proof that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ Furthermore, my Father who sent me is the very one who has given testimony about me. None of you have ever heard him speak or seen what he looks like. ³⁸ You also do not obey the Father’s teachings. {I know this is true} because you do not trust me, the very person he has sent! ³⁹ You carefully study the Scriptures because you believe that by studying them you will be able to live forever {in heaven}. It is those very Scriptures that declare who I am. ⁴⁰ Yet still you refuse to be my disciples in order that you might live {forever in heaven}.

⁴¹ I do not accept honor from anyone. ⁴² However, I know that you do not love God {at all}. ⁴³ I have come with my Father’s authority, but still you do not accept me. If someone else were to come with his own authority, you would accept him. ⁴⁴ You cannot possibly trust in {me} when you are honoring each other instead of desiring the one and only God to honor you!

⁴⁵ Do not think that I am the one who will accuse you before my Father. Moses, the {very} person you have hoped {would defend you}, is {actually} the person who will accuse you. ⁴⁶ {He will accuse you} because if you had trusted Moses, {but you do not,} {then} you would trust me because Moses explained about me {in the law}. ⁴⁷ Since you do not even trust what Moses wrote, you cannot possibly trust what I have said to you!”

Chapter 6

¹ Some time after these things happened, Jesus crossed over to the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee, {which some people also call the Sea} of Tiberias. ² A large crowd followed him because they had seen the miraculous signs he was performing, {that is,} healing people who were very ill. ³ Jesus walked up on a steep hillside and sat down {there} with his disciples. ⁴ (Now at that time the Jewish Passover celebration was about to take place.) ⁵ Jesus then looked up and saw a very large crowd {of people} walking toward him. He asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread in order to feed all these people?” ⁶ (He asked Philip this question in order to test his {faith}, because Jesus already knew what he was going to do {about the problem}.) ⁷ Philip replied to him, “If we had the money that a man can earn in 200 days of work, it would not be enough {money to buy} bread to give each person {in this crowd} even a little piece {to eat}.” ⁸ Another disciple of his, Simon Peter’s brother Andrew, told Jesus, ⁹ “There is a boy here who has five little loaves of barley bread and two small fish. Yet, these {few loves and fish} are certainly not enough to feed all these {people}!” ¹⁰ Jesus told {his disciples} to make the people sit down. Thus about 5,000 men sat down. (There was a lot of grass in that place {for them to sit down on}.) ¹¹ Jesus then took the little loaves {of barley bread}, and he thanked {God for the food}. {Then} he {and his disciples} gave the loaves to the people who were sitting {on the grass} in order to eat. {He did} the same with the {two} fish as well. The people ate all {the fish and bread that} they wanted {to eat}. ¹² When everyone had eaten until they were full, Jesus told his disciples to collect all the leftover {uneaten} pieces {of barley bread} in order that none of it would be wasted. ¹³ Thus his disciples collected {the pieces}, and they filled 12 large baskets with the broken pieces that the people had left over from the five little loaves of barley bread.

¹⁴ Because {of this}, when the people saw this {miraculous} sign that Jesus had performed {in front of them}, they said, “Surely he is the Prophet whom {God promised} to send into the world!” ¹⁵ When Jesus knew that the people were planning to grab him in order to force him to be {their} king, he left {them} again and went up the hillside to be completely alone.

¹⁶ When it was evening, Jesus’ disciples walked down {the hillside} to the Sea {of Galilee}. ¹⁷ {They} got into a boat and started to sail across the sea to the town of Capernaum. (It had already become dark and Jesus had still not joined them.) ¹⁸ Because the wind was blowing strongly, it was causing the sea to be very turbulent. ¹⁹ After Jesus’ disciples had rowed {the boat} around four-and-a-half or five-and-a-half kilometers {out into the sea}, they saw Jesus walking on the water and approaching the boat. They were terrified! ²⁰ Jesus told them, “It is I, Jesus! Stop being afraid!” ²¹ They were very glad to take him into the boat. As soon as {he was with them in the boat}, their boat arrived at the place where they were going.

²² The day after {Jesus had fed the crowd}, the crowd {of people} that had stayed on the other side of the sea realized that there had been only one boat there {the day before}. {They also knew} that Jesus had not gone in the boat with his disciples. ²³ (People came from the city of Tiberias in other boats. {They put their boats} near the place where {the crowd} had eaten the bread after the Lord Jesus had thanked God {for it}.) ²⁴ So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and sailed to {the city of} Capernaum to look for Jesus.

²⁵ {The crowd} found Jesus {in Capernaum} on the side of the Sea of Galilee that is opposite {from where he had fed them}. They asked him, “Teacher, {we know you didn’t come in a boat,} so when did you arrive here {at Capernaum}?” ²⁶ Jesus replied, “I am telling you the truth: You are not looking for me because you saw the miraculous signs that I performed. Rather, {you are looking for me} only because you ate until you were full of the loaves of bread {that I gave you}. ²⁷ Stop working for food that will soon spoil! Instead, {work} for the food that will bring you life forever {in heaven}! {That food} is the bread that I, the Son of Man, will give you. {I alone can give it to you} because God my Father approves of me.”

²⁸ Then the crowd asked Jesus, “What works should we do in order to please God?” ²⁹ Jesus answered them, “The work that God wants you to do is this: Trust in me, the one whom he has sent.” ³⁰ The crowd asked him, “Then what miracle will you do in order {for us} to see it and trust in you? What will you do {for us}? ³¹ Our ancestors ate manna {when they wandered} in the wilderness {with Moses}, just as the prophets wrote: ‘God gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”

³² Jesus answered them, “I am telling you the truth: It was not Moses who gave your ancestors that bread from heaven. No, it was my Father, who is {now} giving you the true bread out of heaven. ³³ {This is true} because the true bread from God has come down from heaven and gives {eternal} life to the people in the world.”

³⁴ {The crowd did not understand what he meant}, so they said to Jesus, “Sir, please give this bread to us all the time.” ³⁵ Jesus told the crowd, “{Like food sustains physical life} I am the bread that gives {eternal} life. {Unlike with food or drink}, anyone who trusts in me will surely be satisfied forever. ³⁶ Nevertheless, I have {already} told you that, even though you see me, you still do not trust me. ³⁷ All the people my Father gives to me will come {and be my disciples}, and I will surely never drive away any of them. ³⁸ {I will never do that} because I have not come down from heaven in order to do what I want. Rather, {I have come down} in order to do what {my Father} who sent me wants {me to do}. ³⁹ This is what {my Father} who sent me wants: {He wants me} to keep all of those whom he has given to me. {He also wants} me to make these ones alive again on the last day {when I judge everyone}. ⁴⁰ {This is true} because this is {also} what my Father wants: {He wants} everyone who recognizes who I, the Son, am, and trusts in me to live forever {with me in heaven}. I will make these ones alive again on the last day {when I judge everyone}.”

⁴¹ The Jewish {leaders} then started to grumble about Jesus because he had said that he was the {true} bread that had come down out of heaven. ⁴² They said, “This is just Jesus, Joseph’s son! We know who his parents are. He cannot possibly have come down out of heaven as he claims!” ⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves {about what I just said}. ⁴⁴ Only those whom my Father who sent me causes to come {and be my disciples} are able to do so. I myself will make those people {who come to me} alive again on the last day {when I judge everyone}. ⁴⁵ The Prophets wrote that God will teach everyone. Everyone who listens to and learns from my Father will come {and be my disciples}. ⁴⁶ No one has seen {God} my Father other than me. I am the one who came from God. I alone have seen him. ⁴⁷ I am telling you the truth: Whoever trusts in me will live forever {with me in heaven}. ⁴⁸ I am the {true} bread that gives {eternal} life. ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate manna {when they wandered} in the wilderness {with Moses}, but they still died. ⁵⁰ {But} this bread {that I am talking about} came down out of heaven in order that someone would eat it and {that person’s spirit} would never die. ⁵¹ I {truly} am this bread that gives {eternal} life and came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever {with me in heaven}. My body is also this bread. I will give up my body for the sake of the {eternal} life of {everyone in} the world.”

⁵² The Jewish {leaders} then started arguing with each other. They said, “This man surely cannot give his body to us in order for us to eat it!” ⁵³ So Jesus told them: “I am telling you the truth: You must eat the flesh of me, the Son of Man, and drink my blood. {If you do not do these things, then} you will never have {eternal} life. ⁵⁴ Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever {with me in heaven}. I will also make that person alive again on the last day {when I judge everyone}. ⁵⁵ {This is so} because my flesh is true {spiritual} food and my blood is true {spiritual} drink. ⁵⁶ Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will be united with me, and I {will be united} with them. ⁵⁷ My Father makes everyone alive. {He} has sent me {here} and I can make {people} alive because he has enabled me {to do so}. In the same way, those who feed on me will live {forever} because of what I will do {for them}. ⁵⁸ I am this bread that has come down out of heaven. {This bread is} not like {the bread that} the {Israelite} ancestors ate {in the wilderness} but {still eventually} died. Anyone who eats me—this bread—will live forever {with me in heaven}.” ⁵⁹ Jesus said these statements {to the Jewish leaders} in a synagogue while he was teaching in {the city of} Capernaum.

⁶⁰ After they heard {what he had said}, many of Jesus’ disciples said, “What he is teaching is difficult to accept. Indeed, no one can accept it!” ⁶¹ {Although no one told} him, Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling about what he had said. {So} he asked them, “Did my teaching offend you? ⁶² {If this teaching has offended you,} then {would you also be offended} if you saw me, the Son of Man, ascending to {heaven} where I was formerly? ⁶³ The Holy Spirit is the only one who can give anyone eternal life. Human nature is useless {in this matter}. What I have taught you comes from the Holy Spirit and gives eternal life. ⁶⁴ Nevertheless, some of you do not believe {what I have said}.” (Jesus {said this} because {he} knew since he began {his work} who would not believe him and who would {eventually} betray him.)

⁶⁵ Then Jesus said, “Because {some of you do not believe me}, I told you {earlier} that only those to whom God the Father has given the ability to come {and be my disciple} will be able to {do so}.”

⁶⁶ After {Jesus said these things}, a lot of his disciples went back {to doing what they had been doing before they met him} and stopped being his disciples. ⁶⁷ Because {so many left him}, Jesus asked his twelve disciples, “{Surely} you do not also want to leave me, {do you}?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter replied, “Lord, {if we were to leave you}, there is no one else we could go to! {Only} you teach the message {that allows us} to live forever {in heaven}! ⁶⁹ We trust in you, and we know for certain that you are the Holy One who has come from God!” ⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, “I surely chose all you twelve men, but one of you is under the control of Satan!” ⁷¹ ({When Jesus said this} he was talking about Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son because he was the one among the Twelve disciples who would later betray Jesus.)

Chapter 7

¹ After those things {happened}, Jesus walked around in {the region of} Galilee because he did not want to walk around in {the region of} Judea. {He avoided Judea} because the Jewish {leaders there} were trying to find a way to kill him. ² (Now at that time the Jewish Shelters Celebration was about to take place.) ³ Jesus’ brothers told him, “Leave here and go to {the region of} Judea in order that your disciples can also observe you doing miraculous works. ⁴ {Do your miraculous works in Judea} because no one who wants to be famous does anything secretly. Since you are doing all these miracles, reveal who you {claim to be} to everyone {by doing miraculous works}!” ⁵ {Jesus’ brothers said this} because not even they believed he was the Messiah. ⁶ Because {they did not believe in him,} Jesus told them, “This is not the right time for me {to go to Jerusalem}, but you can go {there} whenever you want. ⁷ No one in the world can hate you. However, everyone hates me because I declare that they do evil deeds. ⁸ You go {to Jerusalem} for the celebration. I am not going to the celebration yet because now is {not} the right time for me to go.” ⁹ After saying that {to his brothers}, Jesus stayed a little longer in the {region of} Galilee.

¹⁰ However, a few days after his brothers left for the festival, he also went, but he did so secretly. ¹¹ Because {Jesus had secretly entered Jerusalem,} the Jewish leaders tried to find him at the celebration. They asked {people}, “Where is that man?” ¹² The crowds were quietly speaking a lot about Jesus. Some people said, “He is a good man!” But others said, “No! He deceives the crowd!” ¹³ Nevertheless, the people were afraid of the Jewish leaders, so they didn’t speak about Jesus in public.

¹⁴ About halfway through the Shelters Celebration, Jesus entered the temple {courtyard} and started teaching {the people there}. ¹⁵ Because of this, the Jewish leaders were shocked {at his teaching}. They said, “This man has not received religious training. He cannot possibly know the scriptures {so well}!” ¹⁶ Jesus replied to them, “What I teach does not come from myself. On the contrary, it comes from God who sent me. ¹⁷ If anyone wants to do what God wants, then that person will know that what I am teaching has come from God and not only by my own authority. ¹⁸ Anyone who speaks on his own authority {only} wants to glorify himself. However, anyone who wants to glorify the person who sent him speaks the truth and acts righteously. ¹⁹ Moses did indeed give you laws {from God}. None of you completely obeys those laws. {Since that is true,} why are you trying to kill me {for supposedly disobeying those same laws that you don’t obey?”

²⁰ Some people in the crowd replied, “A demon is controlling you! No one is trying to kill you!” ²¹ Jesus replied to the crowd, “{Because} I did one miraculous healing on the day for rest, all of you are shocked. ²² Because {some works like healing would occur on the day for rest}, Moses gave you a law about circumcision. {That law states that you must circumcise your sons exactly seven days after they are born.} ({Circumcision} didnt actually begin with Moses, but {this rite} began with your forefathers, {Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob}.) {Because of that law,} sometimes you must {work} on the day for rest by circumcising someone. ²³ Since you {sometimes} circumcise someone on the day for rest in order to avoid disobeying the law of Moses, you shouldn’t be angry with me for {doing a good work like} healing someone on that day! ²⁴ Stop judging me according to what you have seen! Rather, judge me according to what God says is right.”

²⁵ Some of the people {in the crowd} who dwelled in Jerusalem then said, “This is the man that our leaders are trying to kill! ²⁶ Look! He is saying these things publicly, but our leaders are not saying anything to oppose him. Can it be that our leaders really know that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But {this man cannot be the Messiah!} We know where this man came from, but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸ Jesus then spoke loudly while he was teaching in the temple {courtyard}. He said, “{Yes,} you know me, and you know where I have come from. But I have not come {here} on my own authority. Rather, the one who sent me is the real God, and you do not know him. ²⁹ I know him because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me.”

³⁰ Because {Jesus said these things}, the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest him, but no one could seize him because it was not yet the right time for him {to die}. ³¹ In contrast {to the Jewish leaders}, many in the crowd of people trusted in Jesus. They kept saying, “When the Messiah comes, he surely will not be able to do more miraculous signs than this man!” ³² {Some of} the Pharisees overheard them quietly speaking these things about Jesus. Then they and the ruling priests sent temple guards to arrest him.

³³ Because {they did this}, Jesus said, “I will only be with you for a little while {longer}. {Soon} I will go back to {God} who sent me. ³⁴ You will search for me, but you will not find me. You will not be able to come to the place where I will be.” ³⁵ So the Jewish leaders said to each other, “Where can this man go where we cannot find him? Will he {actually} go to those Jews who are spread throughout the world outside of Israel? Will he even teach the people {there} who aren’t Jews? ³⁶ What did he mean when he said that we will search for him, but we will not find him, and we will not be able to come to the place where he will be?”

³⁷ Now on the final and most important day of the {Shelters} Celebration, Jesus stood up {in the temple courtyard} and spoke loudly. He said, “Anyone who is thirsty should come to me and drink {what I will give them}! ³⁸ This is what {the prophets wrote in} the scripture about anyone who trusts in me: ‘Water that gives {eternal} life will abundantly flow from that person’s innermost being.’” ³⁹ (Now Jesus said this about the {Holy} Spirit, whom {God} was going to give to those who trusted in Jesus. {He said this} because {At that time God had not yet sent} the {Holy} Spirit {to dwell within those who trusted in him} because Jesus had not yet received honor {by his death, resurrection, and return to heaven}.)

⁴⁰ After some people among the crowd heard what Jesus had said, they said, “He is truly the Prophet {whom God had said would come}!” ⁴¹ Some other {people in the crowd} said, “He is the Messiah!” However, other {people in the crowd who mistakenly thought that Jesus was born in Galilee} said, “But the Messiah cannot possibly come from the {region of} Galilee. ⁴² {The prophets wrote in} the scriptures that the Messiah must come from the descendants of {King} David and {that he must come} from the village of Bethlehem, where David came from!” ⁴³ Thus {the people in} the crowd divided {into opposing groups} on account of Jesus. ⁴⁴ (Some of the people {in the crowd} wanted to arrest him. However, no one seized him.)

⁴⁵ The temple guards then returned to the ruling priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not {arrest him and} bring him {here}?” ⁴⁶ The temple guards replied, “No one has ever spoken like this man has!” ⁴⁷ Because {the guards said that,} the Pharisees replied {by asking}, “Can it be that he has deceived you as well? ⁴⁸ Surely, none of the members of our highest governing council or us Pharisees have trusted in him! ⁴⁹ However, this crowd {of people} does not know {God’s} laws {and God} has cursed them!”

⁵⁰ Then Nicodemus spoke. (He was the man who had come to Jesus {at night to speak with him} in the past. {He had done this} even though he was one of the Pharisees, {which was a group that usually opposed Jesus}.) He told the Jewish religious leaders, ⁵¹ “Our Jewish laws surely do not {allow us to} condemn someone without first listening to him and learning about what he has done.” ⁵² They replied to him {insultingly}, “Surely, you are not from the {region of} Galilee as well! Are you? Read through the scriptures carefully! {If you do that,} you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee.”

^53[1] [Then they all {left and} went to their own homes.

Chapter 8

^1[1] Jesus went to the Mount of Olives {and stayed near there that night}. ² At dawn the next morning, Jesus returned to the temple {courtyard} and many people came to him. ³ {Some of} the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman {to him}. They had apprehended her while she was committing adultery. They made her stand up in the midst {of this group}. ⁴ The priests wanted to test Jesus, in order to be able to accuse him {of breaking the law of Moses before the highest Jewish governing council}. So they said to him, “Teacher, we apprehended this woman while she was committing adultery, the very act {itself}! ⁵ Now Moses commanded us in the law that we must kill such women with stones. Nevertheless, what do you say {we should do}?” ⁶ However, Jesus bent down and wrote {something} on the ground with his finger. ⁷ While they continued to question him, he got up and told them, “Let the one among you who has never sinned throw the first stone at her {and lead the rest to kill her]!” ⁸ Then Jesus stooped down again and wrote {something} on the ground with his finger. ⁹ {After he did this,} those Jewish leaders {who were questioning him} started walking away, one by one. The older ones left first and then the younger ones. Then only Jesus was there with the woman in the midst {of the people}. ¹⁰ Jesus stood up and asked her, “Where are the men {who were accusing you}? Has no one condemned you {to be punished}?” ¹¹ The woman replied, “There is no one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “I do not condemn you {to be punished} either. Leave, and from now on do not sin {like this} anymore!”]

¹² Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am the one who gives {God's good and true} light to {the people in} the world. Anyone who becomes my disciple will never walk in {sinful} darkness {again}. Rather, {that person} will have {God's good and true} light that gives {eternal} life. ¹³ The Pharisees then told him, “You are the only witness for yourself! {Since the law of Moses requires at least two witnesses,} what you say cannot be true!” ¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Even if I were the {only} witness for myself, what I say is {still} true because I know where I came from and {I know} where I am going. Nevertheless, you do not know where I came from and {you do not know} where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge {people} according to human standards. {However,} I have not come to judge anyone {in that manner}. ¹⁶ Even when I {do} judge {people}, I will judge {them according to} the true {standard} because I do not judge {people} on my own. Rather, I and {my} Father who sent me, {will judge people together}. ¹⁷ {Moses} even {wrote} in your law that when {at least} two witnesses say the same thing, then what they say is true. ¹⁸ I am my own witness, but {my} Father who sent me is also a witness for me. {Therefore, what I say is true}.”

¹⁹ Because {Jesus said his father was a witness for him,} the Pharisees asked him, “Where is your father?” Jesus replied, “You do not know me, and you do not know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father, {but you do not}.” ²⁰ He said these things {about himself} while he was teaching in the temple {courtyard}. {He said them} at the place {in the temple courtyard} where people brought money offerings. Nobody apprehended him because it was not yet the right time for him {to die}.

²¹ Jesus then told the people again, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die {without God forgiving you for} sinfully {rejecting me}. You will not be able to come to {the place} where I am going.” ²² The Jewish {leaders} then said {among themselves}, “Perhaps he plans to kill himself, and that is {what he means} when he says that we will not be able to come to {the place} where he is going.” ²³ Jesus told them, “You are from {this earth} below, but I am from {heaven} above. You belong to this {sinful} world. I do not belong to this world. ²⁴ Because of this I told you that you will die {without God forgiving you for all} the sins {that you have committed}. This will certainly happen unless you trust that I am {God, as I say I am}.”

²⁵ Because {he said that}, they asked him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, “That is what I have been telling you ever since the beginning! ²⁶ I could say many things about you and judge you, {but I won’t do those things at this time}. Rather, I will tell the people in the world only what I have heard from the one who sent me. He always says the truth.”

²⁷ (They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father {in heaven}.) ²⁸ So Jesus told them, “When you have lifted me up {to kill me}, the Son of Man, you will know that I am {God}, and {you will know} that I do not do anything on my own authority. Rather, I only say what {my} Father has taught me {to say}. ²⁹ {My Father} who sent me is {always} with me. He has {never} abandoned me because I {always} do {only} the things that delight him.” ³⁰ While Jesus was saying these things, many {more people} believed that he {was the Messiah}.

³¹ Jesus then told the Jews who {now} believed that he {was the Messiah}, “If you obey what I teach you, {then} you are my genuine disciples. ³² {Furthermore,} you will know {God’s} truth, and {believing that} truth will free you {from what has enslaved you}.” ³³ They answered him, “We are the descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone’s slaves! Why do you say that we need to be free? ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I am telling you the truth: Anyone who sins {is controlled by his sinful desires like} a slave {is controlled by his master}. ³⁵ Slaves do not remain as {members of their master’s} family forever, {but may be freed or sold}. {However,} a son is a member of the family forever. ³⁶ So if the Son frees you {from being slaves to sin}, you will absolutely be able to refrain {from sinning}. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s {physical} descendants. However, you are trying to kill me because you refuse to trust what I say. ³⁸ I am telling {you about} the things that my Father has shown me. Therefore {I say that}, you do what {your} Father has told you {to do}.”

³⁹ They replied to him, “Abraham is our ancestor.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s descendants, you would be doing the {same} things he did. ⁴⁰ I have been telling you the true {things} that God told me, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham did not do {something like} that. ⁴¹ You are doing the {same} things that your {real} father did.” They told him, “We are not illegitimate children, {like you are}! We have {only} one Father, {and that is} God.” ⁴² Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, {which he is not,} you would love me because I came from him and have come to this world. {This is true} because I did not come on my own authority. Rather, {I came because} God sent me. ⁴³ Do you know why you do not understand what I say? It is because you do not accept {and obey} what I have told you! ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you desire to do what he desires. He has been murdering {people} since the time {people} first {sinned}. He has rejected what is true because he never speaks those true things. Whenever he lies, he is doing what is natural for him to do because he is a liar. He is even the origin of lying. ⁴⁵ Yet you do not believe me because I tell you what is true! ⁴⁶ {Since I have never sinned,} none of you can prove that I have. Since I tell you what is true, there is no good reason for you to not believe what I say! ⁴⁷ Those who belong to God accept {and obey} what he has said. Since {this is true,} you do not accept {and obey} what God has said because you do not belong to God.”

⁴⁸ The Jews {opposing Jesus} replied to him, “We are {certainly} correct when we say that you are one of the Samaritans, {whom we hate,} and that a demon is controlling you!” ⁴⁹ Jesus replied, “A demon is not controlling me! On the contrary, I honor my Father {in heaven}, and you dishonor me! ⁵⁰ I do not desire to persuade people to praise me. There is someone {else} who desires {to do that} and judges {whether you or I am telling the truth}. ⁵¹ I am telling you the truth: Anyone who obeys my teaching will surely never die!”

⁵² The Jews {opposing Jesus} said to him, “Now we are sure that a demon is controlling you! Abraham and the prophets died {long ago}! Yet you say that anyone who obeys your teaching will surely never die! ⁵³ You are surely not greater than our ancestor Abraham! He died and all the prophets also died. {So} who do you think you are?” ⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I persuade people to praise me, that {praise} would be worthless. My Father is the one who praises me. He is the one whom you say is your God. ⁵⁵ Although you do not know God, I do know him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like {each of} you. In contrast {to you}, I know him and I {always} obey what he says. ⁵⁶ Your ancestor Abraham was overjoyed {to think} that he could see me {come to the world}. {God allowed him} to see me {come} and he was happy.”

⁵⁷ Because {Jesus said this}, the Jews {opposing him} told him, “{Abraham died a long time ago and} you are not even fifty years old! How can you have seen Abraham?” ⁵⁸ Jesus told them, “I am telling you the truth: I was {God} before Abraham was born!” ⁵⁹ Because {he was claiming to be God,} the Jews {opposing Jesus} picked up rocks to throw at him {to kill him}. But Jesus hid {in the crowd} and left the temple {courtyard}.

Chapter 9

¹ While Jesus was walking along {the path}, he saw a man who had been blind since {the day} he was born. ² His disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be blind when he was born? Did this man or his parents sin?” ³ Jesus replied, “It was neither the sin of this man nor the sin of his parents {that caused him to be blind when he was born}. Rather, {He was blind when he was born} so that I might show {people} the {miraculous} works God will do in him. ⁴ While I am still with you, we must do the {miraculous} works that {my Father} who sent me wants {us to do}. Just like day is followed by night when people cannot work, a time will come when it is too late for us to do what God wants {us to do}. ⁵ While I am still {living} in this world, I am the one who gives {God's good and true} light to {the people in} the world.”

⁶ When he said this, he spat on the dirt and made mud by mixing his saliva {with the dirt}. Then he spread that mud on the blind man’s eyes. ⁷ Then Jesus said to the blind man, “Go and wash {the mud off} in the pool of Siloam!” (‘Siloam’ means ‘sent’ {in Aramaic}). So the man left and washed {the mud off in that pool}. Then he went {home} when he was able to see. ⁸ The man’s neighbors and others who had seen him in the past and knew that he was a beggar said, “This is surely the man who used to sit here and beg!” ⁹ Some {people} said, “Yes, he is that man.” Other {people} said, “No, but he just looks like that man.” However, the man himself said, “Yes, I am the man {who was blind}!” ¹⁰ So they asked him, “How is it that you can see now?” ¹¹ He replied, “The man people call Jesus made mud {with dirt and his saliva} and spread it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to {the pool of} Siloam and wash {the mud off}. So I went {there} and washed {the mud off}. Then I was able to see {for the first time}.” ¹² They asked him, “Where is that man?” He replied, “I do not know {where he is}.”

¹³ {Some of the people there} took the man who used to be blind to {some of} the Pharisees. ¹⁴ (Now the day when Jesus made the mud {with his saliva} and enabled the man to see was the Jewish day for rest.) ¹⁵ Then {the man was questioned} for a second time. {This time} the Pharisees as well asked him about how he was now able to see. He told them, “The man placed mud on my eyes and I washed {it off}, and now I {am able to} see {for the first time}.” ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees then said, “{We know that} this man has not come from God because he does not follow the rules for the Jewish day for rest.” {Some} other {Pharisees} said, “Surely a sinful man could not do the kinds of miraculous signs that this man does!” So {the Pharisees} disagreed with each other {regarding who Jesus was}. ¹⁷ So the Pharisees asked the blind man again, “What do you say about this man, since {you say that} he is the one who enabled you to see?” The man said, “He must be a prophet.”

¹⁸ Because {the man believed that Jesus was a prophet}, the Jewish leaders did not believe that the man had been blind and then became able to see until {after} they summoned the man’s parents {in order to question them}. ¹⁹ They asked his parents, “Is this man your son? Do you say that he was blind when he was born? {If that is so,} then how is he able to see at this time?” ²⁰ His parents replied, “We are certain that this man is our son. We are also certain that he was blind when he was born. ²¹ Nevertheless, we do not know how he is able to see at this time. We also do not know who enabled him to see. Ask him. He is old enough to speak on his own behalf.” ²² (The Jewish leaders had previously agreed among themselves that they would ban anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah from {entering} the Jewish meeting place. Because of this, the man’s parents were afraid of them and told them those things.) ²³ That is {also} why they said {to the Jewish leaders}, “Ask him. He is old enough.”

²⁴ So the Jewish leaders summoned the man who had been blind a second time. They told him, “Glorify God {by speaking only the truth}! We ourselves are certain that this man {who you say healed you} is sinful.” ²⁵ The man {whom Jesus healed} replied, “ I do not know if he is sinful or not. One thing I {do} know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see.” ²⁶ They then asked him, “What did he do to you {in order to heal you}? How did he enable you to see?” ²⁷ He replied, “I have already told you {the answers to those questions}, but you did not listen {to what I said}. Why do you want me to tell you again? Could it be that you also desire to become his disciples?” ²⁸ Then they spoke insultingly to him: “You are that man’s disciple! As for us, we are Moses’s disciples! ²⁹ We are certain that God spoke to Moses {long ago}. As for this man, we do not {even} know where he came from!” ³⁰ The man replied, “I am amazed! You do not {even} know where he came from, but he is the one who enabled me to see! ³¹ We are certain that God does not respond to {the prayers of} sinful people. Rather, he responds to {the prayers of} people who worship him and who do what he wants {them to do}. ³² Never before has anyone ever heard that someone enabled a man to see who was blind when he was born! ³³ If this man had not come from God, he could not do even one {miracle like that}!” ³⁴ The Jewish leaders replied to him, “You were born {blind} entirely as a result of {your parents’} sins! How dare you teach us!” Then they banned him from the Jewish meeting place.

³⁵ Jesus heard that the Jewish leaders had banned the man he had healed from the Jewish meeting place. When he {searched for him and} found him, he asked him, “Do you trust the Son of Man?” ³⁶ The man answered, “Sir, who is he? {Please tell me,} so that I may trust him.” ³⁷ Jesus told him, “You have {already} seen him. {I am} that {very} person who is talking to you now.” ³⁸ The man said, “Lord, I trust {that you are the Son of Man}.” Then he {went down on his knees} and worshiped Jesus.

³⁹ Jesus said, “I have come into this world in order to judge {its people}. {The result will be} that the people who realize they do not perceive God’s truth may perceive it, like a blind person becoming able to see. {Another result will be that} the people who {think they} perceive God’s truth will not perceive it, like a person who sees and becomes blind.” ⁴⁰ When some of the Pharisees who were near Jesus heard him say this, they asked him, “{Do you think that} we also cannot perceive {God’s truth}, like blind people?” ⁴¹ Jesus replied, “If you {recognized that you are spiritually} blind, you would not be guilty for sin. However, because you claim to {perceive God’s truth, like someone who} sees, you are still guilty for your sin.

Chapter 10

¹ “I am telling you the truth: Anyone who enters into the sheep pen by any way other than the pen’s gate is a thief or bandit {who has come to steal the sheep}. ² The man who enters {the sheep pen} through the gate is the shepherd {who takes care} of the sheep. ³ The man who guards the gate {when the shepherd is away} opens {the gate} for the shepherd {when he comes}. The sheep hear {the sound of} the shepherd’s voice. He summons by name {each of} the sheep that belong to him and leads them out {of the pen}. ⁴ After the shepherd has brought out {of the pen} all of the sheep that belong to him, he walks in front of them. His sheep follow him {from behind} because they recognize {the sound of} his voice. ⁵ His sheep will never follow someone whom they do not know. Rather, they will run away from him because they do not recognize the voices of people they do not know.”

⁶ Jesus told this illustration {from the work that shepherds do} to the Pharisees. Nevertheless, they did not understand what {the illustration} meant. ⁷ So Jesus spoke to them again, “I am telling you the truth: I am the gate through which the sheep {enter into the sheep pen}. ⁸ All the leaders who came before me {without God’s authority} were thieves and bandits. However, the {true} sheep did not obey them. ⁹ I myself am the gate {to heaven}. God will save {from eternal punishment} anyone who comes {to him} by trusting in me. {Whoever trusts in me} will be like a sheep who walks around {safely} and finds food. ¹⁰ Your leaders are like thieves who come only to steal, kill, and destroy {the sheep}. I have come to give {the sheep} eternal life which will be full {of blessings}.

¹¹ I myself am like a good shepherd. The good shepherd is willing to die {in order to protect and to save} his sheep, {and so am I willing to die for my disciples}. ¹² {Suppose that} someone hires a man who is not a shepherd to protect sheep that do not belong to that man. When he sees a wolf coming {to kill the sheep}, he leaves the sheep and runs away, so the wolf snatches some of them and causes some others to scatter. ¹³ {He runs away} because he was {only protecting the sheep} in order to receive money. He does not care about {what happens to} the sheep. ¹⁴ I myself am like a good shepherd. {Just like a good shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him,} I know those who belong to me, and they know me. ¹⁵ {We know each other} in the same way that my Father and I know each other. I am willing to die for {the benefit of} those sheep {who belong to me}. ¹⁶ There are also sheep that belong to me and are from a different sheep pen. {They are people who are not Jews.} I must also bring them {to myself}. They will respond to what I say, and {all those who belong to me} will be {united like} one flock, and I will be {their} one shepherd. ¹⁷ My Father loves me because I will willingly die in order that I may make myself alive again. ¹⁸ Nobody is forcing me to die. Rather, I myself choose to die. I have authority to willfully die and I have authority to make myself alive again. That is the work my Father has commanded me to do.”

¹⁹ The Jewish leaders divided {into opposing groups} again on account of what Jesus had said. ²⁰ Many of the {Jewish leaders} said, “A demon is controlling him and he is crazy! Do not listen to him!” ²¹ {Some} other {people} said, “What he is saying is not something a man controlled by a demon would {ever} say. Surely a demon cannot {possibly} enable a blind person to see!”

²² The time for the {Temple} Dedication Celebration in Jerusalem had come. It was in the winter. ²³ Jesus was walking in the temple courtyard in the place called Solomon’s Porch. ²⁴ The Jewish leaders gathered around Jesus and said, “How long will you keep us wondering about who you are? If you are the Messiah, {then} tell us plainly {so that we can know}.” ²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I have told you, but you {still} do not believe me. The miraculous deeds I do by my Father’s authority tell you {what you need to know} about me. ²⁶ However, you {people still} do not believe in me because you do not belong to me. You are like sheep {that are not part of my flock}. ²⁷ {Just like sheep obey the voice of their shepherd,} my people respond to what I say. I know them, and they are my disciples. ²⁸ I enable them to live forever {with God in heaven}. No one can ever destroy them, and {no one can ever} take them away from me. ²⁹ My Father gave them to me. He is greater than anyone and no one is able to take them away from him. ³⁰ My father and I are one {God}.”

³¹ The Jewish {leaders} again picked up stones in order to throw them at him and kill him. ³² Jesus said to them, “You have seen me do many miraculous good deeds that my Father told me to do. Which one of them are you going to kill me with stones for?” ³³ The Jewish {leaders} replied, “We do not want to kill you with stones because you did a good deed. Rather, {we want to kill you} because you blaspheme God by claiming to be God {even though} you are {just} a man!” ³⁴ Jesus replied to them, “In your scriptures a prophet wrote that God said, ‘I have said that you are gods.’ ³⁵ Since God called those to whom he spoke ‘gods’ and no one can prove that the Scripture is false, ³⁶ why do you say that I am blaspheming {God} because I said that I am the Son of God? {I am} the one whom my Father specially selected {to belong to him} and sent into this world. ³⁷ If I am not doing the {miraculous} deeds that my Father wants {me to do}, {then} you should not trust me. ³⁸ However, because I am doing these {miraculous} deeds, you should trust {what} these deeds {reveal about me} even though you do not trust me. {You should do that} in order to learn and comprehend that my Father and I are completely united.”

³⁹ Because {he said these things}, the Jewish {leaders} tried again to arrest Jesus, but he got away from them.

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back over {on the east side of} the Jordan {River}. {He went} to the place where John {the Baptizer} had baptized {people} at the beginning {of his ministry}. Jesus stayed there {for a while}. ⁴¹ Many {people} came to Jesus {there}. They said, “John the Baptizer never performed a {miraculous} sign, but everything that John said about this man is true!” ⁴² Many {people} trusted in him in that place.

Chapter 11

¹ A man named Lazarus became {very} ill. He lived in the village of Bethany where his {older} sisters Mary and Martha {also lived}. ² {This} is {the same} Mary who {later} would pour perfume on the Lord and would wipe {the oil off of} his feet with her hair. {It was} her brother Lazarus who was ill. ³ So the two sisters sent {someone to tell Jesus about Lazarus}. They said, “Lord, the one whom you love is {very} ill. {Please come!}” ⁴ When Jesus heard about {Lazarus’ illness,} he said, “This illness will not end in {Lazarus’} death. Rather, the purpose of this illness is to reveal how great God is. {Lazarus became ill} in order that the illness may reveal how great I, the Son of God, am.” ⁵ (Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus.) ⁶ So when Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he deliberately remained where he was for two {more} days.

⁷ Then after {those two days} Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go back to {the region of} Judea.” ⁸ His disciples said, “Teacher, the Jewish leaders {in Judea} currently want to kill you with stones! You surely should not return there again!” ⁹ Jesus replied, “{You know that} there are 12 hours of daylight. The person who walks during the daytime will walk safely because the light allows him to see {where he is going}. ¹⁰ However, when a person walks during the night, he will stumble because there is no light to allow him to see {where he is going}.”

¹¹ After saying these things, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I will go there to wake him up.” ¹² So his disciples told him, “Lord, if he is sleeping, then he will get well.” ¹³ (Jesus was {really} speaking about Lazarus’ death, but his disciples thought that he was talking about actual sleep.) ¹⁴ So Jesus told them clearly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I rejoice that I was not there {when he died}. {I let this happen} so that you may trust in {me}. {This is} for your benefit. Rather (than staying here,} let us go to where he is.” ¹⁶ So Thomas, whom they called ‘The Twin,’ said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go {with the Teacher} in order that we may die with him.”

¹⁷ So when Jesus arrived {in the village of Bethany,} he learned that people had already put Lazarus’ {dead body} in a tomb four days {before then}. ¹⁸ (Jerusalem was only about three kilometers away from {the village of} Bethany.) ¹⁹ Many Jewish people came to Martha and Mary {in Bethany} in order to console {both of} them concerning their {younger} brother {Lazarus’ death}. ²⁰ When Martha heard {someone say} that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. Mary {did not go with her} but stayed in the house. ²¹ When Martha {met Jesus}, she said to him, “Lord, if you had {only} been here {sooner}, my brother would not be dead! ²² However, even now {that he is dead} I am certain that God will do for you whatever you ask him {to do}.” ²³ Jesus told her, “Your brother will live again.” ²⁴ Martha told him, “I am certain that my brother will live again when God raises all dead people on the last day {when he judges everyone}.” ²⁵ Jesus told her, “I am the one who causes {dead people} to live again. {I am} the one who gives {people eternal} life. Whoever trusts in me will live {forever}, even if his {body} dies. ²⁶ All those who receive {eternal} life and trust in me will surely live forever. Do you believe {that} this {is true}?” ²⁷ Martha told him, “Yes, {I do,} Lord! I {do indeed} believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God. {You are} the one whom God promised would come into this world.

²⁸ After she said that, she returned {to the house} and secretly summoned her {younger} sister Mary. She told {Mary}, “The Teacher has arrived, and he is summoning you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard what her {older} sister said, she rose quickly and went out {to meet} Jesus. ³⁰ (At that time Jesus had not yet entered the village {of Bethany}. Rather, he was still at the place where Martha had met him.) ³¹ The Jewish people who were comforting Mary in her house saw her rise quickly and go outside, so they followed her. {They} thought that she was going to the tomb {where they had buried Lazarus} in order to grieve there.

³² When Mary arrived at the place where Jesus {had spoken to Martha} and saw him, she threw herself down on the ground in front of his feet. She told him, “Lord, if you had {only} been here {sooner}, my brother would not be dead!” ³³ When Jesus saw her grieving, and the Jewish people with her also grieving, he became extremely agitated. ³⁴ He asked, “Where have you entombed his body?” They told him, “Lord, come and see {where he is}.” ³⁵ Jesus started crying. ³⁶ So the Jewish people {who were with Mary} said {among themselves}, “See how much he loved Lazarus!” ³⁷ However, others among them said, “He could enable the blind man to see. But maybe he didn’t have enough power to prevent this man from dying!”

³⁸ Jesus then was emotionally agitated again when he came to the tomb. (It was a cave, and a large rock was covering its entrance.) ³⁹ Jesus said, “Remove the rock {from the cave’s entrance}.” {However,} Lazarus’ sister Martha told him, “Lord, by this time his body will smell bad because he died four days ago.” ⁴⁰ Jesus told her, “I surely told you that if you trusted me, you would see how great God is!”

⁴¹ So some people removed the rock {from the cave’s entrance}. Jesus looked up {toward heaven} and said, “Father, I thank you for listening to me. ⁴² I know that you always listen to me. Nevertheless, I said that for the sake of the crowd {of people} who are standing here. {I said this} in order that they might be confident that you sent me.” ⁴³ After he said that {prayer}, he shouted loudly, “Lazarus, come out {of the tomb}!” ⁴⁴ The man who had died came out {of the tomb}! {The people who prepared him for burial} had wrapped his feet and hands with strips of cloth and had wrapped a cloth around his face. {So} Jesus told the people {standing there}, “Take off {the strips of cloth that bind him}. Allow him to go.”

⁴⁵ As a result, many of the Jewish people who had come {to comfort} Mary and who had witnessed what Jesus had done trusted him. ⁴⁶ Nevertheless, some of the people {there} went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the ruling priests and the Pharisees gathered together the members of the highest Jewish ruling council. They were saying to each other, “What are we going to do {about this man}? He is performing many miraculous signs. ⁴⁸ If we allow him to keep doing these {miracles}, everyone will trust in him {and make him their king}. Then the Roman {army} will come and destroy both our temple and our people!”

⁴⁹ One {member} of this council was Caiaphas. {He was} the high priest during that year. He told them, “You people know nothing! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it would be {much} better for you to have one man die on behalf of the people {than} let {the Romans} kill all of the Jewish people.” ⁵¹ (Caiaphas did not say this because he thought of it himself. Rather, since he was the high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die on behalf of the Jewish people. ⁵² {He was also prophesying that Jesus would die,} not only for the Jewish people, but also in order to gather into one people all the children of God who have dispersed themselves {throughout the world}.) ⁵³ So from {the day that Caiaphas prophesied} forward, the Jewish council made plans to kill Jesus.

⁵⁴ Because of that, Jesus no longer traveled around publicly among his Jewish {opponents}. Instead, he left Jerusalem and went to a town called Ephraim that is in the region near the desolate area. He remained there with his disciples {for a while}.

⁵⁵ At that time the Jewish Passover Celebration was about to take place. Many {people} went up to Jerusalem from the region. {They came} before the Passover {Celebration began} in order to clean themselves {according to the Jewish rules for attending the celebration}. ⁵⁶ The people {who came to Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration} were searching for Jesus. While they were standing in the temple {courtyard}, they asked each other, “What do you think? He will surely not come to the Passover Celebration!” ⁵⁷ {Some time earlier} the Jewish ruling priests and the Pharisees had made a command that anyone who found out where Jesus was must report {his location to them}, so that they could arrest him.

Chapter 12

¹ Jesus later arrived in {the village of} Bethany six days before the {Jewish} Passover {Celebration} began. {Bethany was the village} where Lazarus dwelled. {He was} the man whom Jesus made alive again after he had died. ² There in Bethany, {some of Jesus’ friends} gave a dinner to honor Jesus. Martha served {the food to the guests}, and Lazarus was among those who were sitting {together} and eating with Jesus. ³ Mary then took {a bottle that contained} about half a liter of very expensive perfume, which was pure {oil from} nard {plants}, and she poured it out on Jesus’ feet and then wiped his feet with her hair. The pleasant scent of the perfume filled the entire house.

⁴ However, Judas Iscariot {objected}. (He was the one among Jesus’ disciples who would soon betray Jesus {by helping the Jewish leaders arrest him}.) He said, ⁵ “We should have sold this perfume for the money that a man can earn in 300 days of work. {Then we could have} given {that money} to poor {people}!” ⁶ (Judas did not say this because he cared about poor people. Rather, {he said this} because he was a thief. He kept charge of the bag that held their money, but he would steal the money {that people gave him to} put in the bag.) ⁷ So Jesus said, “Leave her alone! {She saved the perfume} in order to keep it to prepare me for the time when I {die and} am buried. ⁸ {She did the right thing} because poor people will always be among you {whom you can help}, but I will not be with you much longer.”

⁹ A large crowd of Jews heard that Jesus was {in Bethany}, so they went there. {They came} not only because Jesus was there, but also because they wanted to see Lazarus. {He was the man} whom Jesus made alive again after he had died. ¹⁰ By contrast, the ruling priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well {as Jesus}. ¹¹ {The ruling priests wanted to kill Lazarus} because he was the reason why many of the Jews were no longer believing what they were teaching and were trusting in Jesus {instead}.

¹² The next day the large crowd {of people} that had come {to Jerusalem} to {celebrate} the Passover Celebration found out that Jesus was on his way there. ¹³ So they cut branches off of palm trees and went out {to the road} to welcome him {as he came into the city}. They were shouting, “Please, save us! May God bless the one who comes with his authority. That one is the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ When Jesus came near to Jerusalem, he found a young donkey and sat on it {in order to ride it into the city}. {By doing this,} he fulfilled what {some prophets} had written in scripture:

     ¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, you who live in Jerusalem.

     Look! Your King is coming.

     He is riding on a donkey’s colt!”

¹⁶ When these events happened, his disciples did not understand {that they were a fulfillment of what those prophets had written}. However, after God glorified Jesus {by bringing him back to life}, they remembered what the prophets had written about him and that people had done those things to him.

¹⁷ The crowd {of people that was following along with Jesus} kept telling others that they had seen Jesus summon Lazarus to come out of the tomb and {had seen Jesus} make him alive again after he had died. ¹⁸ A different crowd {of people} went out {of the city gate} to meet Jesus. {They did so} because they heard that he had done the miraculous sign of {making Lazarus alive again}. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to each other, “See! We are failing to stop him. Look! Everyone is becoming his disciples!”

²⁰ Some people who were not Jews were among the people who went up {to Jerusalem} in order to worship {God} during the {Passover} Celebration. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from the city of Bethsaida, which is in the region of Galilee. They asked him, “Sir, would you introduce us to Jesus?” ²² Then Philip reported {this} to Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus {about the Greeks}. ²³ Jesus answered Philip and Andrew, “It is now the time for God to show everyone how great I, the Son of Man, am. ²⁴ I am telling you the truth: {My life is like a seed.} Unless a seed of wheat is planted in the ground and dies, it will only be one seed. But if it dies in the ground, then it will {grow and} produce much wheat. ²⁵ Anyone who wants to keep on living more than {be my disciple} will die, but anyone who wants to {be my disciple} more than to keep on living in this {sinful} world will keep his life forever. ²⁶ Anyone who wants to serve me, must be my disciple. My servant will be with me {in heaven}. My Father will honor anyone who serves me.

²⁷ At this moment I feel greatly distressed. I should surely not say, ‘Father, prevent me from experiencing this time {when I will suffer and die!}’ No, {I will not do that} because this is the {very} reason I have lived up to this time {when I will suffer and die}. ²⁸ Father, show how great you are!”

Then God spoke from heaven, “I have already shown how great I am; and I will do it again!” ²⁹ The crowd {of people} that was standing there heard the voice {of God} as well. {Some of them} said it was just {the sound of} thunder. Some other {people} said that an angel had spoken to Jesus. ³⁰ Jesus replied to them, “The voice {you heard was God’s voice}. {He did not speak} for my benefit, but for yours! ³¹ Now is {the time for God} to judge {the people in} this world. Now {is the time when} he will throw out {Satan, who is} the one who rules this world. ³² As for me, when people raise me high {on a cross}, I will cause all peoples to come to me.” ³³ (He said this to let the people know the way he would soon die.)

³⁴ The crowd {of people} then replied to him, “We have learned from Scripture that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say that the Son of Man will be lifted up {to die on a cross}? Who is this ‘Son of Man’ {you are speaking about}?” ³⁵ Jesus told them, “{I am} the light {that reveals God’s truth and goodness}. {I} will be with you only a little longer. Live {according to my example} while I am still here in order to prevent the darkness {that is sin and evil} from controlling you. {Those who live sinfully are like} people who wander around in darkness, not knowing where they are going! ³⁶ Trust in me, the light {that reveals God’s truth and goodness}, while I am still with you. {Do this} in order to be God’s people, {those who know his truth and goodness}.”

After he said those things, Jesus left them and hid {himself} from the people. ³⁷ Even though Jesus had done many {miraculous} signs in front of the people, {most of} them did not trust in him. ³⁸ Their unbelief happened in order to make come true what Isaiah the prophet had written {long ago}:

     “Lord, no one has believed what we said!

     {It seems like} no one has seen the power that the Lord has revealed!” ³⁹ They could not trust {in Jesus} for this reason: Isaiah had also written, ⁴⁰ “The Lord has made them unable to {perceive what they} see,

     and he has made them stubborn.

     {He has done this} in order that they would not {perceive} what they see,

     and would not truly understand,

     and would not turn away from sin to God and I would not forgive them.”

⁴¹ Isaiah wrote that {long ago} because he saw how great Jesus is and spoke concerning him.

⁴² Although this was true, many members of the highest Jewish governing council trusted in Jesus. Nevertheless, they did not tell others {that they trusted in Jesus} because they feared that the Pharisees would ban them from {entering} the Jewish meeting place. ⁴³ {They feared this} because they preferred that other people honor them rather than that God would honor them.

⁴⁴ Jesus spoke loudly {to a crowd of people}, “Those who trust me are not only trusting me but also {are trusting my Father} who sent me. ⁴⁵ Those who see me are also seeing {my Father} who sent me. ⁴⁶ I came {into this world} as the light {that reveals God’s truth and goodness} to {everyone in} the world in order that anyone who trusts in me will not stay in the darkness {that is sin and evil}.

⁴⁷ I do not condemn anyone who listens to my teachings but refuses to obey them because I did not come {into this world} in order to condemn {the people in} the world. Rather, I came {into this world} in order to save them {from being punished for their sins}. ⁴⁸ Anyone who rejects me and does not accept {and obey} my teachings will be condemned according to the {very} teachings I have spoken. On the last day {when God judges everyone,} God will judge that person {on the basis of} my teachings. ⁴⁹ {This will happen} because I did not speak on my own authority. Rather, {my} Father himself who sent me commanded me regarding what I should say and how I should say it. ⁵⁰ I am certain that what my Father has commanded {me to say} is {what people must believe in order to} live forever {in heaven}. So I say exactly what my Father has told me to say.”

Chapter 13

¹ On {the day} before the Passover Celebration would begin, Jesus knew that it was the time for him to leave this world {and to return} to his Father. He {always} loved his disciples who were with him in this world, and he loved them until he died. ² When {Jesus and his disciples} were having {their} evening meal, the devil had already caused Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to think that he should betray Jesus {by helping the Jewish leaders arrest him}. ³ Jesus knew that his Father had given him complete power {and authority} over everything and also knew that he came from God and would {soon} return to God. ⁴ {Because he knew those things,} Jesus got up from {the table where they were eating} the evening meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his {waist}. ⁵ He poured out {some} water into a large bowl and started washing his disciples’ feet and wiping them dry with the towel that he had wrapped around his {waist}.

⁶ When he came to Simon Peter {to wash his feet}, Peter told him, “Lord, you should not wash my feet!” ⁷ Jesus replied to him, “Right now you do not understand what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ Peter said, “You will surely never wash my feet!” Jesus replied to him, “If I do not wash you, then you will not inherit {God’s blessings} with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter told him, “Lord, {do} not {wash} my feet only! Wash my hands and my head also!” ¹⁰ Jesus told him, “Anyone whom someone has washed only needs to wash his feet. The rest of his body is clean. You {disciples} are clean, but not all {of you are clean}.” ¹¹ ({Jesus said this about being spiritually clean} because he knew who was going to betray him {by helping the Jewish leaders arrest him}. That is the reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”)

¹² After he finished washing their feet, he put his outer clothing on {again}. Then he sat down {at the table} again and told them, “You must understand what I have {just} done for you! ¹³ You rightly call me ‘teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ because that is what I am. ¹⁴ Since I, your teacher and Lord, have {humbly served you by} washing your feet, you also should {humbly serve each other by} washing each other’s feet. ¹⁵ {By washing your feet} I have given you an example {to follow} in order that you should {humbly serve each other} as I have {humbly} served you. ¹⁶ I am telling you the truth: {Just as} a servant is not more important than his master, nor is a messenger more important than the person who has sent him, {you are not more important than me}. ¹⁷ Since you {now} know {that you should humbly serve each other}, God will bless you if you do so.

¹⁸ I am not saying that all of you {will be blessed}. I know {well} the people whom I have chosen {to be my disciples}. However, {what is about to happen must take place} in order that what {a prophet} wrote in scripture can come true: ‘The one who shared a meal with me {as a friend} has opposed me.’

¹⁹ From now on I am telling you {what will happen} before {it happens} in order that when it {does} happen, you may trust that I am {God}. ²⁰ I am telling you the truth: Whoever accepts the one I send {out}, {also} accepts me; and whoever accepts me, {also} accepts {my Father} who sent me.”

²¹ After Jesus said this, he felt disturbed. He solemnly declared, “I am telling you the truth: One of you is going to give me up {to my opponents}.” ²² His disciples kept looking at one another and wondered who {among them} he was talking about. ²³ One of his disciples, {I} whom Jesus {especially} loved, was sitting at the table beside Jesus. ²⁴ Simon Peter made a gesture to {me} to indicate that {I} should ask Jesus which disciple he was talking about. ²⁵ So {I} leaned back against Jesus and {quietly} asked him, “Lord, who is {the one who will betray you}?” ²⁶ Jesus replied, “It is the man to whom I will give this piece of bread after I dip it {in the bowl}.” Then he dipped the bread {in the bowl} and gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. ²⁷ As soon as {Judas took} the piece of bread {from Jesus}, Satan took control of him. Jesus then told him, “Do quickly what you have planned to do.” ²⁸ (No one {else} among those sitting {at the table} knew why Jesus had said that to Judas. ²⁹ Some {of them} thought that Jesus was telling him to go and buy some things that they needed for the Passover Celebration or to give some {money} to the poor. {They thought this} because Judas had the bag that held their money.) ³⁰ So after {Judas} took the bread {from Jesus}, he immediately went out. (It was night.)

³¹ So after Judas left, Jesus said, “Now God will show {people} how great I, the Son of Man, am. I will also show {people} how great God is. ³² God himself will show {people} how great I, the Son of Man, am, and he will do this right away.

³³ {You whom I love as though you were my} children, I will be with you only a little while longer. {Then} you will look for me, but {it will be} just like I told the Jewish leaders and am telling you now: You will not be able to come to {the place} where I am going. ³⁴ I {now} give you this new command in order that you might love each other: You must love each other in the same way that I have loved you. ³⁵ If you love each other, everyone {who sees that love} will know that you are my disciples.”

³⁶ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “You cannot go with me now to {the place where} I am going, but you will go {there} later.” ³⁷ Peter told him, “Lord, why can’t I go with you now? I am willing to die for you!” ³⁸ Jesus replied, “You are not {really} willing to die for me! I am telling you the truth: You will surely say three times that you do not know me before the rooster crows {in the morning}!”

Chapter 14

¹ “Do not be distressed. Trust God. Trust me as well. ² There are many places {for people} to dwell where my Father dwells. If that were not true, I would have told you so, because I will go {there} to prepare a place for you {to dwell}. ³ And after I go {there} to prepare a place for you {to dwell}, I will return and take you to be with me, in order for you also to be with me where I am. ⁴ You know how to go to {the place} where I am going.”

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we have no idea where you are going! We cannot {possibly} know how to go {there}!” ⁶ Jesus told him, “I am how {people can} go {to there}. {I am the one who reveals} what is true {about God}, and the {one who gives eternal} life {to people}. The only way people can come to my Father is by trusting me. ⁷ Since you know who I am, you know my Father also. From this time forward, you know him, and {it is as though} you have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, let us see the Father and that will satisfy us!” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “I have been with you {all} for such a long time. Surely you know me, Philip! Those who have seen me {are like those who} have seen my Father. So you have no reason to say ‘Let us see the Father’! ¹⁰ You {surely} must believe that I and my Father are completely united! I did not speak all that I have spoken to you on my own. Rather, my Father who is united with me is working his own {miraculous} works {through me}. ¹¹ Trust me {when I say} that I and my Father are completely united! Otherwise, if {you are} not {going to trust what I say,} {at least} trust {me} on account of all the {miraculous} works {that you have seen me do}. ¹² I am telling you the truth: Whoever trusts in me will also do the {miraculous} works that I do. He will do even greater {works} than those I do because I am going to my Father. ¹³ I will do anything that you request as my representative. {I will do this} in order that {I,} his Son, might show how great my Father is. ¹⁴ I will do anything that you request {from} me as my representative.

¹⁵ If you {really} love me, you will obey everything that I have commanded you. ¹⁶ Then I will request from my Father, and he will {answer me by} giving you another one to help you in order for him to be with you forever. ¹⁷ {He is} the {Holy} Spirit who declares what is true about God. The {unbelieving people in} the world cannot accept Him because they do not see him or know him. You {disciples} know this Spirit because he dwells with you and he will {later dwell} in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you without anyone to take care of you. I will {soon} return to you. ¹⁹ In a little while {the unbelievers in} the world will not see me anymore, but you {yourselves} will see me {again}. Because I {will soon} live {again}, you too will live {again}. ²⁰ When you see me again, you will know that I am united with my Father and that you and I are completely united. ²¹ Whoever knows and obeys what I command {truly} loves me. And my Father loves whoever loves me. I will love that person {too} and I will reveal myself to that person.”

²² Judas (not {Judas} Iscariot, {but a different disciple with the same name}) spoke to Jesus. {He said,} “Lord, what has changed {to cause} you to reveal yourself {just} to us and not to {all the people in} the world?” ²³ Jesus replied to him, “Whoever loves me obeys my teaching. My Father will love that person. He and I will come to that person and dwell inside that person. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not obey my teachings. What you have just heard me say I did not say on my own. Rather, {what I have said has come} from {my} Father who has sent me. ²⁵ I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But my Father will send the Holy Spirit in my place. He is the one who will help you. He will teach you all {of God’s truth that you need to know}. He will also cause you to remember all the things that I have told you. ²⁷ As I leave you {I give you} a peaceful feeling. {It is} my peaceful feeling that I am giving to you. I give to you {a peaceful feeling} in a different manner than {the people in} the world give {it}. Do not be distressed or afraid.

²⁸ You heard me tell you that I am going away and will {later} return to you. If you {really} loved me, you would rejoice that I am returning to my Father {in heaven} because he is superior to me. ²⁹ I have told you these things now before they happen so that you will {continue to} trust {me} when they do happen. ³⁰ I will not {be able to} talk with you much longer because {Satan,} the one who rules this world, is coming. But he has no control over me. ³¹ However, {this will happen} in order for {the people in} the world to know that I love my Father and I will do exactly what my Father has commanded me to do. Rise, let us leave this place.”

Chapter 15

¹ “I am {like} a genuine vine {that grows fruit}. My Father is {like} a gardener {who takes care of it}. ² My Father cuts off and removes every branch that {seems to be} part of me {but} does not produce fruit. As for every branch that produces fruit, he cleans it by pruning it so that it may produce even more fruit. ³ You {are like branches that} have already been cleaned {by pruning} because of the teaching that I have told you {before}. ⁴ Stay united with me, and I {will stay united} with you. As the branch cannot produce any fruit unless it stays attached to the vine, so you cannot {produce spiritual fruit} unless you stay united with me.

⁵ I am {like} the vine; you are {like} the branches. {If you} stay united with me and I {stay united} with you, you will produce a lot of fruit. {This is true} because you cannot do anything without my help. ⁶ As for anyone who does not stay united with me, that person is like a branch that the gardener {cuts off} and throws away. After {such branches} dry up, the gardener’s workers pick them up and throw them into a fire and burn them up. ⁷ If you stay united with me and obey what I have taught you, you can request anything {from God} that you want, and he will grant your request. ⁸ You show {people} how great my Father is by producing a lot of fruit and being my disciples.

⁹ I have loved you in the same way that my Father has loved me. Now keep living in a way that is appropriate for those whom I love. ¹⁰ If you obey what I have commanded you, you will be acting in a way that is appropriate for those whom I love, just like I have obeyed what my Father has commanded me and I act in a way that is appropriate for someone whom he loves. ¹¹ I told you these things in order that you may be as joyful as I am, and {in order that} you may be joyful to the greatest degree. ¹² This is what I am commanding you {to do}: Love each other in the way that I have loved you. ¹³ No one has greater love than a person who is willing to die for his friends. ¹⁴ You are {really} my friends if you keep doing what I have commanded you {to do}. ¹⁵ I am not going to call you my servants any longer, because a servant does not understand what his master is doing. I now call you friends, because I have made you understand everything that my Father has told me. ¹⁶ You did not choose {to be my disciples}. Rather, I chose you {to be my disciples} and assigned you {to this role} in order that you would go out and produce {spiritual} fruit and {in order that} the fruit you produce should last forever. {I also chose you} in order that my Father would give you everything that you request from him as my representatives. ¹⁷ I command you {to do} these things in order that you would love one another.

¹⁸ Since {the people who oppose God in} the world detest you, you must realize that they detested me first. ¹⁹ If you were part of {the people who oppose God in} the world, those unbelievers would love you as {they love} their own. However, I chose you to come out from among them. The {people who oppose God in} the world detest you because you are not part of them. ²⁰ Remember that I told you that a servant is not more important than his master. Since they have caused me to suffer, they will certainly cause you to suffer as well. If any of them have obeyed my teaching, they will also obey what you teach. ²¹ Yet the {unbelievers in this world} will do all these {hateful} things to you because you represent me {and} because they do not know {my Father} who has sent me {here}. ²² If I had not come and taught them {God’s truth}, they would not have been guilty {of rejecting me and my message}. However, {since I have come and taught them}, now they do not have any excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever detests me also detests my Father. ²⁴ If I had not performed {miraculous} works among them that no one else has ever done, they would not be guilty of sin. Yet, as it is, they have seen {these works} and detest me. They also detest my Father. ²⁵ However, this {has happened} in order that these words {that a prophet} wrote in their scriptures would come true: ‘They hated me for no reason.’

²⁶ When I send to you from my Father the one who will help you, he will tell {people} who I am. He is the {Holy} Spirit who declares what is true about God and goes forth from my Father. ²⁷ You also must tell everyone {about me} because you have been with me since {the very first days} when I began {my work}.”

Chapter 16

¹ I told you about these things {that will happen} so that you would continue trusting in me {when they do happen}. ² {The Jews who oppose me} will ban you from {entering} the Jewish meeting places. Yet {something even worse will happen.} The time is coming when all the people who will kill you will think that they are pleasing God {by doing so}. ³ They will do such things because they have never known {who} I {really am}, nor {who} my Father {is}. ⁴ I have told you about these things {that will happen} in order that when they happen, you will remember that I told you they would happen. I did not tell you about them in {the very first days} when I began {my work} because I was with you {then}.

⁵ “Now I am going {back} to {my Father} who sent me. Yet {now} none of you is asking me where I am going! ⁶ You are very sad because I have told you these things. ⁷ Nevertheless, I {now} tell you true information: It is better for you that I leave {than that I stay}. {This is true} because if I do not leave, {then} the one who will help you will not come to you. However, If I go away, {then} I will send him to you. ⁸ When that one who will help comes, he will convict {people in} the world of the sins {they have committed}. {He will convict them} of not being righteous; and {he will convict} them that God will judge them. ⁹ {He will convict people} of their sin because {they have sinned by} not trusting in me. ¹⁰ {He will convict people} of not being righteous because I am going {back} to my Father, and you will no longer see me {as the example of how to be righteous}. ¹¹ {He will convict people} that God will judge them because he has condemned {Satan, who is} the one who rules this world.

¹² I want to tell you many more things. However, {if I tell you} now, you will not be able to accept {them}. ¹³ When the {Holy} Spirit who declares what is true about God comes, he will enable you to understand all the truth {you need to know}. {He can do so} because he will not speak from his own authority. Rather, he will say whatever he hears {from God}, and he will tell you ahead of time about things that will happen. ¹⁴ The Holy Spirit will show how great I am by telling you what {he has heard} from me. ¹⁵ Everything my Father has belongs to me. That is why I said that the Holy Spirit will tell you what he has heard from me.

¹⁶ After a short time you will not see me, and after a short time, you will see me again.” ¹⁷ Some of his disciples then asked one another, “What does Jesus mean when he says to us, ‘After a short time you will not see me, and after a short time, you will see me again’? And {what does he mean when he says}, ‘Because I am going back to my Father’?” ¹⁸ So they kept asking, “What does ‘after a short time’ mean? We do not understand what he is saying.”

¹⁹ Jesus recognized that his disciples wanted to ask him more questions. So he said to them, “You are asking each other what I meant when I said, ‘After a short time you will not see me, and after a short time, you will see me again.’ ²⁰ I am telling you the truth: You will cry and mourn, but {the people who oppose God in} the world will rejoice. You will be very sad, but you will change from being sad to being joyful. ²¹ A woman experiences pain when she gives birth {to a child} because it is the time for her to give birth. Yet she forgets that she suffered after she has given birth to the child because she is joyful {about the fact} that she has brought a human being into the world. ²² In the same way, although you are sad at this time, I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will stop you from rejoicing. ²³ When you see me again, you will not ask me anything. I am telling you the truth: My Father will give you whatever you request from him as my representatives. ²⁴ Up to now you have not requested anything {from my Father} as my representatives. Request {anything from my Father} and you will receive {whatever you request}. God will give it to you in order that you may be joyful to the greatest degree.

²⁵ I have told you these things using figurative language, but there will soon be a time when I will not use that kind of language to speak with you anymore. Rather, I will tell you about my Father using language that you can easily understand. ²⁶ When you see me again you will request {anything from God} as my representatives and I will not have to ask my Father on your behalf ²⁷ because my Father himself loves you because you love me and trust that I came {here} from God. ²⁸ I came from my Father and entered this world. Again {I tell you that} I will leave this world and go {back} to my Father.”

²⁹ His disciples responded, “Finally! Now you are using language that we can easily understand and not using figurative language. ³⁰ Now we understand that you know everything. There is no need for anyone to ask you questions {because you already know what that person will ask}. This is why we trust that you came {here} from God.”

³¹ Jesus replied to them, “Now you {finally} trust me! ³² Look! There will soon be a time, and that time will be very soon, when others will scatter you everywhere. Each of you will go to his own home, and you will leave me by myself. However, I will not be by myself because my Father is {always} with me. ³³ I have told you {all} these things {that will happen} in order that you may feel peaceful {because you are united} with me. In this world you will be afflicted, but be brave! I have defeated {the people who oppose God in} the world!”

Chapter 17

¹ After Jesus told {his disciples about} these things {that would happen}, he looked up toward heaven and said, “Father, it is now time {for me to suffer and die}. Show everyone how great {I,} your Son, am in order that I may show everyone how great you are. ² {Please do this} because you gave me authority over all people in order that I might enable all those whom you chose to come to me to live forever {with me in heaven}. ³ This is {what it means to} live forever: To know you, who are the only real God, and to know me, Jesus the Messiah, the one whom you have sent {into the world}. ⁴ I have shown {everyone} how great you are {while I have been} on the earth. {I did this} by finishing the work that you assigned me to do. ⁵ Father, at this time show how great I am in your presence with the {same} greatness that I had in your presence before the time we created the world.

⁶ I have showed who you really are to the men whom you have given me from {among the people in} the world. They belonged to you and you have given them to me. They have obeyed your teaching. ⁷ At this time they know that everything you have given me has come from you. ⁸ {They know this} because I have told them the teachings that you told me. They themselves accepted those teachings, and they are certain that I came from you and they believe that you sent me {here}. ⁹ I am praying for them. I am not praying for {the people who oppose you in} the world. Rather, {I am praying} for those {people} whom you gave me because they belong to you. ¹⁰ All {the disciples} that are mine belong to you, and {all the disciples} that belong to you are mine. They show {everyone} how great I am. ¹¹ I will not stay in this {sinful} world any longer. However, my disciples are staying in it. I will {soon} return to you. My Father, who is set apart, keep them safe by your same power that you gave to me in order that they may be united in the same way that we are {united}. ¹² During the time that I have been with them, I have kept them safe by your same power that you gave to me. I have guarded them and only one of them will be {eternally} ruined. {He is} the one whom you had destined to be {eternally} ruined in order that the scriptures would come true.

¹³ At this time I am about to return to you. I have said these things while I am in this {sinful} world in order that I may give them my complete joy. ¹⁴ I have told them your teaching. {Thus the people who oppose you in} the world have detested them because, like me, they do not belong to those who oppose you. ¹⁵ I am not requesting that you take my disciples out of this {sinful} world. Rather, {I am requesting} that you keep them safe from {being harmed by} Satan, the evil one. ¹⁶ Like me, they do not belong to {the people who oppose you in} the world. ¹⁷ Set my disciples apart {to serve you} by {enabling them to know and live according to} what is true. Your teaching is what is true. ¹⁸ I am sending them among {the people in} the world in the same way that you sent me among them. ¹⁹ I set myself apart {as a sacrifice} on their behalf in order that they also may set themselves apart {to serve you} by {knowing and living according to} what is true.”

²⁰ Now I am praying not only for these {disciples here}, but {I am praying} also for those {people} who will trust in me by means of what my disciples say. ²¹ {I pray} that they may all be united in the same way that you, my Father, and I are completely united. {I pray} that they may also be united to us in order that {the people in} the world might know that you sent me {here}. ²² I have honored the people who trust in me just like you honored me in order that they may be united in the same way that we are united. ²³ {This means that} I am united with them and you are united with me. {I have done this} in order that they may be completely united {together} in order that {the people in} the world may know that you sent me {here} and that you love the people {who trust in me} in the same way that you love me.

²⁴ “My Father, I want these {people} whom you have given to me to be with me where I will be in heaven in order that they can see how glorious I am. You made me glorious because you have loved me from before the time when we created the universe.

²⁵ My Father {who always does what is right}, {the people who oppose you in} the world do not know {who} you {are}, but I know {who} you {are}. These {people who trust me} know that you have sent me {here}. ²⁶ I have made them know {who} you {are}. I will continue to do so in order that they may love {others} like you love me and {in order that} I may be united with them.”

Chapter 18

¹ After Jesus finished praying, he left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side {of the valley} they entered into a grove {of olive trees}.

² Judas is the one who was about to help Jesus’ opponents {arrest him}. He knew the place {where Jesus was} because Jesus often went there with his disciples. ³ So Judas brought to that grove a group of {Roman} soldiers and some temple guards who had been sent by the ruling priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lamps, and weapons. ⁴ Because Jesus knew what was going to happen to him, he went forward and asked the soldiers and temple guards, “Who are you looking for?” ⁵ They replied to him, “Jesus from Nazareth.” Jesus told them, “I am {that person}.” (Judas was standing with them. He was the one who was helping Jesus’ opponents arrest him.) ⁶ When Jesus told them, “I am {that person},” they stepped back and {involuntarily} fell down to the ground. ⁷ Jesus then asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus from Nazareth.” ⁸ Jesus replied, “I told you that I am {that person}. Since I am the one whom you are looking for, let these {other men} go. ⁹ (This happened in order that these words that he had said {to his Father} would come true: “I did not lose even one of those {whom you gave me}.”)

¹⁰ Simon Peter had a {short} sword. He took it out {of its sheath} and struck the high priest’s servant {with it} and cut off his right ear. Malchus was that servant’s name. ¹¹ Jesus then told Peter, “Put your {short} sword {back} into its sheath! I must surely suffer in the way that my Father has planned for me {to suffer}!”

¹² The group of {Roman} soldiers, along with their leader and some of the temple guards from the Jewish leaders, seized Jesus and tied his {hands}. ¹³ Then they took him to Annas first because he was Caiaphas’s father-in-law {and Caiaphas} was the high priest that year. ¹⁴ (It was Caiaphas who had advised the {other} Jewish leaders that it would be {much} better to have one man die on behalf of the people {than let the Romans kill them}.)

¹⁵ Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did one other disciple. {Annas} the high priest knew the other disciple, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard {when the soldiers and guards took} Jesus {there}. ¹⁶ However, Peter had to stay outside at the door. Therefore, that disciple who knew the high priest went out {again} and spoke to the servant girl who was watching the door. Then he was allowed to bring Peter into {the courtyard}. ¹⁷ That servant girl who was watching the door then told Peter, “You are surely one of the disciples of the man {whom they have arrested}!” He replied, “No, I am not!” ¹⁸ (It was cold, so the {high priest’s} servants and the temple guards made a fire and were standing and warming themselves around it. Peter was also standing and warming himself there with them.)

¹⁹ The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and what he had been teaching {them}. ²⁰ Jesus replied to him, “I have spoken in public to everyone {who would listen}. I have always taught in the Jewish meeting places and in the temple. {I have taught in the places} where many Jews gather. I have never said anything secretly. ²¹ You should not ask me! Ask the people who heard what I taught them. They certainly know what I said.” ²² After Jesus said this, one of the temple guards who was standing near him slapped him. He said, “You should not answer the high priest like that!” ²³ Jesus replied to him, “If what I said was wrong, tell me what it was. However, if {what I said was} right, you should not slap me.” ²⁴ Then Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, the {other} high priest, while his {hands} were {still} tied.

²⁵ Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself {in the courtyard}, when someone told him, “You are surely also one of the disciples of this man {whom they have arrested}!” Peter denied {this} and said, “No, I am not!” ²⁶ One of the high priest’s servants was a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. He said {to Peter}, “Surely I saw you in the {olive tree} grove with the man {whom they have arrested}!” ²⁷ Peter then again denied {that he had been with Jesus}. A rooster crowed immediately {after he did that}.

²⁸ The Jewish leaders then brought Jesus from Caiaphas’ house to the headquarters of {Pilate,} the {Roman} governor. (It was early morning. {The Jewish leaders} did not enter {Pilate’s} headquarters {because Pilate was not a Jew. If they entered a non-Jew’s home, they thought} they would defile themselves and be unable to eat the Passover Celebration {meal}.) ²⁹ So Pilate came out to talk to them. He asked {them}, “What are you accusing this man of doing?” ³⁰ The Jewish leaders replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have brought him to you!” ³¹ So Pilate told them, “You yourselves take him, and judge him by your {own} law.” The Jewish leaders replied, “We want to execute him, but {your Roman} law prevents us from doing that.” ³² ({This happened} in order that what Jesus had said about how he would soon die would come true.)

³³ Pilate then went back inside his headquarters. He commanded {soldiers to bring} Jesus {to him} and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus replied, “Are you asking {me} this {question} because you thought of it yourself, or did others tell you {this} concerning me?” ³⁵ Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew! Your own countrymen and the ruling priests brought you to me. What {wrong} have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus replied, “The kingdom that I rule over does not belong to this {sinful} world. If it did, my servants would have fought in order to prevent the Jewish leaders from arresting me. But, as it is, the kingdom that I rule over does not belong to this {sinful} world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus replied, “You {yourself} say so. This is why I was born into this world: {I came} in order to tell {people} what is true {about God}. Everyone who believes what is true {about God} accepts and obeys what I say.” ³⁸ Pilate asked him, “Nobody knows what is really true!”

After Pilate asked that question, he went outside and talked to the Jewish leaders again. He told them, “I have found {no evidence} that this man has broken a law. ³⁹ However, you {Jews} have a custom: {Every year} during the Passover {Celebration you ask me and} I release to you someone {who is in prison}. So do you want me to release your king to you?” ⁴⁰ The Jewish leaders then shouted again, “No, {do not release} this man, but {release} Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Chapter 19

¹ Then Pilate sent for Jesus. He had his soldiers beat him severely using whips. ² The soldiers also took some branches with thorns and wove them to make something like a crown. Then they put it on his head. They also put a purple robe on him. They did these things to ridicule him by pretending that he was a king. ³ They mocked him and said, “Hooray for the King of the Jews!” and they struck him over and over again.

⁴ Pilate came outside again and said to the people, “Look, I am bringing him out to you so that you can know that I find no reason to punish him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!” ⁶ When the chief priests and temple guards saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him! As for me, I find no reason to punish him.” ⁷ The Jewish leaders replied to Pilate, “We have a certain law that says he ought to die because he claimed to be the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard that, he was more afraid of what would happen to himself if he commanded the soldiers to kill Jesus. ⁹ He entered his headquarters once more and called the soldiers to bring Jesus back inside. Then he said to Jesus, “From where do you come?” However, Jesus did not answer him. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I also have authority to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all, if God had not given it to you. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin.”

¹² From that moment on, Pilate kept trying to release Jesus. However, the Jewish leaders cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Roman emperor Caesar! Anyone who makes himself a king, stands opposed to Caesar.” ¹³ When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Then Pilate sat down in front of him in the judgment seat, the place where he usually pronounced verdicts. This was called “The Stone Pavement,” and in Hebrew it was “Gabbatha.” ¹⁴ Now it was the day before the Passover Festival, the day of preparation. It was almost noontime when Pilate said to the Jews, “See, here is your king!” ¹⁵ They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?” The chief priests replied, “We have no king but Caesar!” ¹⁶ Then at last Pilate agreed to do what they wanted, and he told the soldiers to crucify Jesus. Then the soldiers took Jesus away.

¹⁷ He went out, carrying his own cross by himself to the place called “The Place of a Skull,” which in Hebrew is called “Golgotha.” ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and at the same time they also nailed two other men who were both criminals to their crosses. One was on either side, with Jesus in the middle.

¹⁹ Pilate also told someone to write a notice on a board and fasten it to Jesus’ cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’ ²⁰ Many Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in three languages: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. ²¹ The chief priests went back to Pilate and said, “You should not have written, ‘King of the Jews’, but rather, ‘This man said that he is the King of the Jews’.” ²² Pilate replied, “What I told them to write is what they have written, and I will not change it.”

     ²³ After the soldiers had put Jesus on the cross, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. However, they kept his tunic separate. This tunic had been woven from top to bottom from one piece of cloth. ²⁴ So they said to each other, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us decide who will keep it as one piece by casting lots for the one who will get it.” When this happened it made the scripture come true that said,

     “They divided my clothes among them.

     They cast lots for my clothing.”

Indeed the soldiers did those things.

²⁵ Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene were all standing near his cross. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother standing there and John, the apprentice whom he especially loved, standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Mother, here is the one who will act like a son to you.” ²⁷ And he said to the apprentice, “Here is your mother!” So from that very moment, that apprentice took her to live in his home.

²⁸ A little later, Jesus knew that everything that God sent him to do had now been done, and in order to make come true one final thing that the scriptures had foretold, he said, “I am thirsty!” ²⁹ A jar of sour wine stood there, so they took a short branch from a hyssop plant and put a sponge on it, and they dipped in the sour wine and held it up to Jesus’ mouth. ³⁰ After Jesus drank the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and died.

³¹ This was the day of preparation for the Passover (and the next day was a very special day of rest for the Jews). It was against their law to allow dead bodies to remain on the crosses on the holiday, so they went to Pilate and asked him to break the legs of the three men so that the men would die quickly and their bodies would be taken down. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other, the two men who had been crucified with Jesus. ³³ When they came to Jesus, they saw he was dead already. So they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, and right away blood and water poured out of his body. ³⁵ The one who saw this bears witness—his testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth—so that you may put your trust in Jesus. ³⁶ These things happened in order to fulfill what was written in scripture: “No one will break any of his bones.”

³⁷ And they fulfilled another scripture that read: ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’

³⁸ After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, an apprentice of Jesus, but a secret apprentice because he was afraid of the Jews, went to Pilate and asked him if he might take away Jesus’ body. Pilate gave Joseph permission, so he came and took away the body of Jesus. ³⁹ Nicodemus, who had once come to Jesus at night, also came and brought with him a mixture of myrrh and aloe spices to prepare the body for burial. The spices weighed about 33 kilograms. ⁴⁰ They took the body of Jesus and wrapped strips of linen cloth around it, putting the spices under the strips of cloth. They did this according to the Jewish customs about burying bodies in caves. ⁴¹ Now in the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden, and at the edge of the garden was a newly-made burial cave in which no one had been buried. ⁴² The Passover was about to begin that evening, and they chose this tomb because it was close at hand and because they could bury Jesus quickly. So they laid Jesus there.

Chapter 20

¹ Now on Sunday, the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb very early in the day, while it was still dark. She saw that someone had moved the stone away from the entrance to the cave. ² So she ran to Jerusalem, where Simon Peter and the other apprentice—the one whom Jesus loved—were staying, and told them, “They have taken the Lord’s body from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put it!” ³ When they heard this, Peter and the other apprentice rushed out to the tomb. ⁴ They were both running, but the other apprentice was faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down and looked into the cave; he saw the strips of linen lying there, but he hesitated to go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter, who was running behind him, arrived there, but he went inside the tomb. He, too, saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, ⁷ but he also saw the cloth cover that had been on Jesus’ head, folded and put aside, separate from the linen strips. ⁸ Then the other apprentice also went inside; he saw these things and began to believe that Jesus had truly become alive again. ⁹ Before this happened, they did not understand from what the prophets had written in the scriptures, that he had to become alive again after he died.

¹⁰ So the apprentices went back to their homes. ¹¹ Mary was left standing just outside the tomb, weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the cave. ¹² She saw two angels dressed in white robes sitting on the very place where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away the body of my Lord, and I do not know where they have put it!” ¹⁴ After she said that, she turned around and saw someone standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She thought the man speaking to her was the gardener, and she said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you have put his body, and I will take it.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet gone up to heaven to be with my Father. Go to my apprentices and tell them, ‘I am about to return to heaven to be with my Father and your Father, to the one who is my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the apprentices and announced, “I have seen the Lord”—and she reported to them what Jesus had said to her.

¹⁹ On that Sunday evening, the first day of the week, the doors were locked, and the apprentices were staying inside because they were afraid that the Jewish authorities might arrest them. Suddenly Jesus came and stood in the middle of their group; he said to them, “May God give you peace.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The apprentices were very happy when they saw the Lord! ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “May God give you peace. Just as the Father sent me, now I am sending you.” ²² After he said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of anyone, God will forgive them. If you do not forgive another’s sins, they will be held against them.”

²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the twelve apprentices, who was called “The Twin,” was not with the other apprentices when Jesus came to them. ²⁵ The other apprentices told him, “We have seen the Lord.” However, he said to them, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands and put my fingers in the holes made by the nails, and unless I put my hand into the gaping wound on his side, I will never put my trust in him.”

²⁶ Eight days later, his apprentices were again inside the house, and this time Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, and he said to them all, “May God give you peace.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it in my side! Stop doubting that it is I; put your trust in me.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Now you believe that I have risen because you see me. Yet God gives great happiness to those who have not seen me and still believe.”

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other works of power and miracles that proved who he is. His apprentices witnessed them, but they were so numerous that I have not written them all down in this book. ³¹ Nevertheless, I have written these so that you may have complete confidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that by trusting in him, you may have everlasting life in his name.

Chapter 21

¹ After that, Jesus appeared to the apprentices by Lake Tiberias (also known as Lake Galilee). He made himself known in this way: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (called The Twin), Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two other apprentices, were together. ³ Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.” They said, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴ In the morning as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, but the apprentices did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “My friends, do you have any fish?” They said, “No.” ⁶ He said to them, “Throw your net out off the right side of the boat and you will find some.” They cast it as he told them, and they caught so many fish in the net that they were unable to pull the net into the boat! ⁷ John, the apprentice whom Jesus especially loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard him say this, he tucked up his outer garment around himself (he had worn almost nothing while working), and jumped into the water. ⁸ The other apprentices came to shore in the boat, pulling behind the net full of fish. They were not far from shore, only ninety meters away. ⁹ When they got to shore, they saw a charcoal fire ready and hot, with fish cooking on it, and there was some bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught!” ¹¹ Simon Peter got back in the boat and dragged the net to the shore, full of large fish. There were 153 of them. Even so, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast!” None of the apprentices dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time that Jesus appeared to the apprentices after God had brought him back from the dead.

¹⁵ When they finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others love me?” Peter said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Be a shepherd to my sheep.” ¹⁷ Jesus said to him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?” Peter said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” ¹⁸ I am telling you the truth: When you were young, you put your own clothes on and you walked about wherever you wanted to go. However, when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone will dress you and will lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate how Peter would die in order to honor God. Then Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰ Peter turned around and saw John, the apprentice whom Jesus especially loved following them. He was the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the table and said, “Lord, who is going to hand you over to your enemies?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what is going to happen to this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, that is not your concern! You follow me.” ²³ So the report circulated among the brothers and sisters that this disciple was not going to die. Yet Jesus did not say that he would not die. He said only, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, that is not your concern!”

²⁴ I, John, am the apprentice who is bearing witness about all these things, and I have written them down. We know that his testimony is true.

²⁵ Jesus did many other things, so many that if they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.