John 21
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
21 Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John,[a] were there, together with two other disciples. 3 (A) Simon Peter said, “I'm going fishing!”
The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out in their boat. But they didn't catch a thing that night.
4 Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. 5 Jesus shouted, “Friends, have you caught anything?”
“No!” they answered.
6 (B) So he told them, “Let your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish.”
They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.
7 Jesus' favorite disciple told Peter, “It's the Lord!” When Simon heard it was the Lord, he put on the clothes he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. 8 The boat was only about 100 meters from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.
9 When the disciples got out of the boat, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. 10 Jesus told his disciples, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” 11 Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were 153 large fish, but still the net did not rip.
12 Jesus said, “Come and eat!” But none of the disciples dared ask who he was. They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.
Jesus and Peter
15 When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?”[b]
Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I do!”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said.
16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him.
17 Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”
Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don't want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honor to God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”
Jesus and His Favorite Disciple
20 (C) Peter turned and saw Jesus' favorite disciple following them. He was the same one who had sat next to Jesus at the meal and had asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw this disciple, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me.” 23 So the rumor spread among the other disciples that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die. He simply said, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return?”
24 This disciple is the one who told all of this. He wrote it, and we know he is telling the truth.
25 Jesus did many other things. If they were all written in books, I don't suppose there would be room enough in the whole world for all the books.
John 21
Living Bible
21 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Lake of Galilee. This is how it happened:
2 A group of us were there—Simon Peter, Thomas, “The Twin,” Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, my brother James and I[a] and two other disciples.
3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come too,” we all said. We did, but caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn we saw a man standing on the beach but couldn’t see who he was.
5 He called, “Any fish, boys?”[b]
“No,” we replied.
6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of them!” So we did, and couldn’t draw in the net because of the weight of the fish, there were so many!
7 Then I[c] said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” At that, Simon Peter put on his tunic (for he was stripped to the waist) and jumped into the water and swam ashore. 8 The rest of us stayed in the boat and pulled the loaded net to the beach, about 300 feet away. 9 When we got there, we saw that a fire was kindled and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went out and dragged the net ashore. By his count there were 153 large fish; and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said; and none of us dared ask him if he really was the Lord, for we were quite sure of it. 13 Then Jesus went around serving us the bread and fish.
14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to us since his return from the dead.
15 After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others?”[d]
“Yes,” Peter replied, “you know I am your friend.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question:
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I am your friend.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 Once more he asked him, “Simon, son of John, are you even my friend?”
Peter was grieved at the way Jesus asked the question this third time. “Lord, you know my heart;[e] you know I am,” he said.
Jesus said, “Then feed my little sheep. 18 When you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and others will direct you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following, the one who had leaned around at supper that time to ask Jesus, “Master, which of us will betray you?” 21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord? What sort of death will he die?”[f]
22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to live[g]
23 So the rumor spread among the brotherhood that that disciple wouldn’t die! But that isn’t what Jesus said at all! He only said, “If I want him to live until I come, what is that to you?”
24 I am that disciple! I saw these events and have recorded them here. And we all know that my account of these things is accurate.
25 And I suppose that if all the other events in Jesus’ life were written, the whole world could hardly contain the books!
Footnotes
- John 21:2 my brother James and I, literally, “the sons of Zebedee.”
- John 21:5 boys, literally, “children.”
- John 21:7 Then I, literally, “Then that disciple therefore whom Jesus loved.” and swam ashore, implied.
- John 21:15 more than these others, literally, “more than these”; see Mark 14:29.
- John 21:17 my heart, literally, “all things.”
- John 21:21 What sort of death will he die? implied; literally, “And this man, what?”
- John 21:22 live, literally, “tarry.” So also in v. 23.
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