John 20
J.B. Phillips New Testament
The first day of the week: the risen Lord
20 1-2 But on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala arrived at the tomb, very early in the morning, while it was still dark, and noticed that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. At this she ran, found Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him.”
3-10 Peter and the other disciple set off at once for the tomb, the two of them running together. The other disciple ran faster than Peter and was the first to arrive at the tomb. He stooped and looked inside and noticed the linen cloths lying there but did not go in himself. Hard on his heels came Simon Peter and went straight into the tomb. He noticed that the linen cloths were lying there, and that the handkerchief, which had been round Jesus’s head, was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself, a little way apart. Then the other disciple, who was the first to arrive at the tomb, came inside as well, saw what had happened and believed. (They did not yet understand the scripture which said that he must rise from the dead.) So the disciples went back again to their homes.
11-12 But Mary stood just outside the tomb, and she was crying. And as she cried, she looked into the tomb and saw two angels in white who sat, one at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 The angels spoke to her, “Why are you crying?” they asked. “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have put him!” she said.
14 Then she turned and noticed Jesus standing there, without realising that it was Jesus.
15 “Why are you crying?” said Jesus to her. “Who are you looking for?” She, supposing that he was the gardener, said, “Oh, sir, if you have carried him away, please tell me where you have put him and I will take him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” At this she turned right round and said to him, in Hebrew, “Master!”
17 “No!” said Jesus, “do not hold me now. I have not yet gone up to the Father. Go and tell my brothers that I am going up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
18 And Mary of Magdala went off to the disciples, with the news, “I have seen the Lord!”, and she told them what he had said to her.
19 In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples had met together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood right in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you!”
20 Then he showed them his hands and his side, and when they saw the Lord the disciples were overjoyed.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Yes, peace be with you! Just as the Father sent me, so I am now going to send you.”
22-23 And then he breathed upon them and said, “Receive holy spirit. If you forgive any men’s sins, they are forgiven, and if you hold them unforgiven, they are unforgiven.”
The risen Jesus and Thomas
24-25 But one of the twelve, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples kept on telling him, “We have seen the Lord”, but he replied, “Unless I see in his own hands the mark of the nails, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe!”
26 Just over a week later, the disciples were indoors again and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you!”
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your fingers here—look, here are my hands. Take my hand and put it in my side. You must not doubt, but believe.”
28 “My Lord and my God!” cried Thomas.
29 “Is it because you have seen me that you believe?” Jesus said to him. “Happy are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!”
30-31 Jesus gave a great many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that in that faith you may have life as his disciples.
John 20
Worldwide English (New Testament)
20 Mary Magdalene came to the grave on the first day of the week. It was early in the morning and not very light. She saw that the stone had been taken away from the grave.
2 So she ran and met Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved. She said to them, `They have taken the Lord out of the grave! We do not know where they have laid him!'
3 Then Peter and that other disciple also went to the grave.
4 Both of them ran. The other disciple ran faster than Peter and got to the grave first.
5 He bent down and looked in. He saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go inside.
6 Then Simon Peter came up behind him. He went into the grave and saw the linen cloths lying there.
7 He also saw the small cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. It was not with the other cloths, but it was folded together by itself in another place.
8 Then the other disciple, who got there first, also went in. He saw and believed.
9 Until this time they did not understand the holy writings where it says, `He must rise from death.'
10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
11 But Mary stood outside the grave crying. As she cried, she bent down and looked into the grave.
12 She saw two angels with white clothes on. They were sitting where Jesus' body had been. One sat at the head and one at the foot.
13 They said to her, `Woman, why are you crying?' She said to them, `They have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him.'
14 When she had said this, she turned around. She saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, `Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?' She thought he was the man who took care of the garden. So she said to him, `Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him. I will take him away.'
16 Jesus said to her, `Mary.' She turned around again and said, `Master!'
17 Jesus said to her, `Do not hold me, because I have not yet gone up to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am going up to my Father. He is your Father also. I am going up to my God. He is your God also.'
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples. She said, `I have seen the Lord!' And she told them what he had said to her.
19 It was the first day of the week. In the evening the disciples were in a house together. The doors were shut because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood there with them. He said to them, `Peace to you!'
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, `Peace to you! My Father sent me: now I am sending you in the same way.'
22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, `Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 Whoever you make free from the wrong things they have done will be free. Whoever you do not make free from the wrong things they have done will not be free.'
24 Thomas, one of the twelve disciples, was called the Twin. He was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples told him about it. They said, `We have seen the Lord!' Thomas said, `I will not believe unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands. I will not believe unless I put my finger on the mark and feel his side with my hand.'
26 Then eight days later his disciples were in the house again. This time Thomas was with them. The doors were shut. Then Jesus came and stood there with them. He said to them, `Peace to you!'
27 Then he said to Thomas, `Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Feel my side with your hand. Do not doubt anymore, but believe.'
28 Thomas said to him, `My Lord and my God!'
29 Jesus said to him, `You yourself have seen me. Is that why you now believe? God will bless people who believe though they have not seen me.'
30 Jesus did many other big works when he was with the disciples. They are not written in this book.
31 But these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And when you believe in his name, then he will give you power to live.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
© 1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications