John 12
Contemporary English Version
At Bethany
(Matthew 26.6-13; Mark 14.3-9)
12 Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. 2 A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.
3 (A) Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume[a] and poured it on Jesus' feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house.
4 A disciple named Judas Iscariot[b] was there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, 5 “Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 6 Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.
7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 (B) You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me.”
A Plot To Kill Lazarus
9 A lot of people came when they heard that Jesus was there. They also wanted to see Lazarus, because Jesus had raised him from death. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus. 11 He was the reason that many of the people were turning from them and putting their faith in Jesus.
Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Matthew 21.1-11; Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-40)
12 The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, 13 (C) they took palm branches and went out to greet him.[c] They shouted,
“Hooray![d]
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
God bless the King
of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say,
15 (D) “People of Jerusalem,
don't be afraid!
Your King is now coming,
and he is riding
on a donkey.”
16 At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory,[e] they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would.
17-18 A crowd had come to meet Jesus because they had seen him call Lazarus out of the tomb. They kept talking about him and this miracle.[f] 19 But the Pharisees said to each other, “There is nothing we can do! Everyone in the world is following Jesus.”
Some Greeks Want To Meet Jesus
20 Some Greeks[g] had gone to Jerusalem to worship during Passover. 21 Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.
The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up
23 Jesus said:
The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory.[h] 24 I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. 25 (E) If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life. 26 If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you.
27 Now I am deeply troubled, and I don't know what to say. But I must not ask my Father to keep me from this time of suffering. In fact, I came into the world to suffer. 28 So Father, bring glory to yourself.
A voice from heaven then said, “I have already brought glory to myself, and I will do it again!” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some of them thought it was thunder. Others thought an angel had spoken to Jesus.
30 Then Jesus told the crowd, “That voice spoke to help you, not me. 31 This world's people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world[i] is already being thrown out! 32 If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me.” 33 Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death.
34 (F) The crowd said to Jesus, “The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you can. Then you won't be caught walking blindly in the dark. 36 Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light.”
The People Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus
After Jesus had said these things, he left and went into hiding. 37 He had worked a lot of miracles[j] among the people, but they were still not willing to have faith in him. 38 (G) This happened so that what the prophet Isaiah had said would come true,
“Lord, who has believed
our message?
And who has seen
your mighty strength?”
39 The people could not have faith in Jesus, because Isaiah had also said,
40 (H) “The Lord has blinded
the eyes of the people,
and he has made
the people stubborn.
He did this so that they
could not see
or understand,
and so that they
would not turn to the Lord
and be healed.”
41 Isaiah said this, because he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke about him.[k] 42 Even then, many of the leaders put their faith in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone about it. The Pharisees had already given orders for the people not to have anything to do with anyone who had faith in Jesus. 43 And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God.
Jesus Came To Save the World
44 In a loud voice Jesus said:
Everyone who has faith in me also has faith in the one who sent me. 45 And everyone who has seen me has seen the one who sent me. 46 I am the light that has come into the world. No one who has faith in me will stay in the dark.
47 I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge. 48 But everyone who rejects me and my teachings will be judged on the last day[l] by what I have said. 49 I don't speak on my own. I say only what the Father who sent me has told me to say. 50 I know that his commands will bring eternal life. This is why I tell you exactly what the Father has told me.
Footnotes
- 12.3 very expensive bottle of perfume: The Greek text has “expensive perfume made of pure spikenard,” a plant used to make perfume.
- 12.4 Iscariot: See the note at 6.71.
- 12.13 took palm branches and went out to greet him: This was one way the people welcomed a famous person.
- 12.13 Hooray: This translates a word that can mean “please save us.” But it is most often used as a shout of praise to God.
- 12.16 had been given his glory: See the note at 7.39.
- 12.17,18 miracle: See the note at 2.11.
- 12.20 Greeks: Perhaps Gentiles who worshiped with the Jews. See the note at 7.35.
- 12.23 be given his glory: See the note at 7.39.
- 12.31 world: In the Gospel of John “world” sometimes refers to the people who live in this world and to the evil forces that control their lives.
- 12.37 miracles: See the note at 2.11.
- 12.41 he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke about him: Or “he saw the glory of God and spoke about Jesus.”
- 12.48 the last day: See the note at 6.39.
约翰福音 12
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
香膏抹脚
12 逾越节前六天，耶稣来到伯大尼，就是祂叫拉撒路从死里复活的村子。 2 村里有人为耶稣预备了晚饭，拉撒路也与耶稣同席，玛大在旁边伺候。 3 玛丽亚拿出一瓶[a]珍贵的纯哪哒香膏来抹耶稣的脚，又用自己的头发去擦，屋里顿时充满了香气。
4 有一个门徒，就是将要出卖耶稣的加略人犹大说： 5 “为什么不把香膏卖三百个银币[b]去周济穷人呢？” 6 他这样说不是因为他真的关心穷人，其实他是个贼，常常借管钱的机会中饱私囊。
7 耶稣说：“由她吧！她这是为我安葬作预备。 8 因为你们身边总会有穷人，可是你们身边不会总有我。”
9 有许多犹太人知道耶稣在那里，就来看祂，不单是为了看耶稣，也想看看从死里复活的拉撒路。 10 于是，祭司长计划连拉撒路也杀掉， 11 因为有许多犹太人因为拉撒路的缘故离开他们，去信了耶稣。
光荣进圣城
12 第二天，很多上来过节的人听见耶稣快到耶路撒冷了， 13 就拿着棕树枝出去迎接祂，并且高声欢呼：
“和散那[c]！
奉主名来的以色列王当受称颂！”
14 那时，耶稣找到一头驴驹，就骑上它，正如圣经记载：
15 “锡安的居民啊，不要害怕！
你的君王骑着驴驹来了。”
16 起初门徒不明白这些事，后来耶稣得了荣耀，他们才想起圣经上这些有关耶稣的记载果然在祂身上应验了。 17 那些亲眼看见耶稣叫拉撒路复活、走出坟墓的人不断传扬这件事。 18 许多听过耶稣行这神迹的人都去迎接祂。 19 法利赛人彼此议论说：“我们真是枉费心思！你看，整个世界都跟着祂跑了。”
耶稣预言自己的死
20 有几个希腊人也上耶路撒冷过节。 21 他们找到了加利利的伯赛大人腓力，请求说：“先生，我们想见见耶稣。” 22 腓力把这件事告诉安得烈，二人去转告耶稣。
23 耶稣说：“人子得荣耀的时候到了。 24 我实实在在地告诉你们，一粒麦子如果不落在地里死了，仍是一粒，如果死了，就会结出许多麦粒来。 25 爱惜自己生命的，必会失掉生命；憎恶自己今世生命的，才能保住生命，直到永生。 26 谁要事奉我，就要跟从我。我在哪里，事奉我的人也要在哪里。我父必尊重事奉我的人。
27 “我现在心里忧伤，说什么才好呢？求父救我离开这个时刻吗？然而，我原是为这个时刻来的。 28 父啊！愿你使自己的名得荣耀！”
当时天上有声音说：“我已使自己的名得了荣耀，并且还要得荣耀。”
29 站在那里的人群中有人听见就说：“打雷了！”也有人说：“是天使在跟祂说话。”
30 耶稣说：“这声音不是为我发出的，是为你们发出的。 31 现在是这世界受审判的时候，世界的王[d]要被赶出去了。 32 至于我，当我从地上被举起来时，必吸引万人归向我。” 33 耶稣这句话指的是祂会怎样死。
34 众人问：“我们从律法书上知道，基督是永远长存的，你怎么说‘人子要被举起来’呢？这人子是谁呢？”
35 耶稣对他们说：“光在你们中间照耀的时候不多了，你们要趁着有光的时候走路，免得黑暗来临后，走在黑暗里的人不知道要往哪里去。 36 所以你们当趁着有光的时候信从光，好成为光明的儿女。”
耶稣说完后，便离开他们，隐藏起来。
犹太人不信祂
37 耶稣虽然在他们面前行了许多神迹，他们还是不信祂。 38 这是要应验以赛亚先知的话：
“主啊，谁相信我们所传的呢？主的能力[e]向谁显现呢？”
39 接着，以赛亚又说出他们不能信的缘故：
40 “主使他们眼瞎、心硬，
免得他们眼睛看见，
心里明白，回心转意，
就得到我的医治。”
41 以赛亚看见了祂的荣耀，所以才这样说。 42 虽然这样，仍有很多犹太的官员信了耶稣，只是在法利赛人面前不敢公开承认，因为害怕会被赶出会堂。 43 因为他们爱从世人而来的荣耀，胜过爱从上帝而来的荣耀。
耶稣的道要审判人
44 耶稣高声说：“信我的，其实不只是信我，而是信差我来的那位。 45 人看见了我，就是看见了差我来的那位。 46 我来是要作世界的光，好叫信我的人脱离黑暗。 47 听了我的话却不遵守的人，我不审判他，因为我来不是要审判世人，而是要拯救世人。 48 弃绝我、不接受我话的人将受到审判，我讲过的道在末日要审判他， 49 因为我不是凭自己讲的，我说什么、讲什么都是差我来的父吩咐的。 50 我知道祂的命令能带来永生。所以祂怎么告诉我，我就怎么说。”
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