The Whitened Harvest

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”

28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 “Come, see a Man (A)who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”

32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”

33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”

34 Jesus said to them, (B)“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to (C)finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes (D)the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, (E)for they are already white for harvest! 36 (F)And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that (G)both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: (H)‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; (I)others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

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The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

27 Just then his disciples returned(A) and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.(B) Could this be the Messiah?”(C) 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi,(D) eat something.”

32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat(E) that you know nothing about.”

33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will(F) of him who sent me and to finish his work.(G) 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.(H) 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests(I) a crop for eternal life,(J) so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’(K) is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

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