John 20
English Standard Version
The Resurrection
20 (A)Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that (B)the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, (C)the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and (D)we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 (E)So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw (F)the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and (G)the face cloth, which had been on Jesus'[a] head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, (H)who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet (I)they did not understand the Scripture, (J)that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And (K)she saw (L)two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, (M)“Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, (N)“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and (O)saw Jesus standing, (P)but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, (Q)“Woman, why are you weeping? (R)Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be (S)the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[b] (T)“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to (U)my brothers and say to them, (V)‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to (W)my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene (X)went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 (Y)On the evening (Z)of that day, the first day of the week, (AA)the doors being locked where the disciples were (AB)for fear of the Jews,[c] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, (AC)“Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, (AD)he showed them his hands and his side. Then (AE)the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As (AF)the Father has sent me, (AG)even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he (AH)breathed on them and said to them, (AI)“Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 (AJ)If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 Now (AK)Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[d] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, (AL)“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. (AM)Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, (AN)“Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, (AO)“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, (AP)“My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? (AQ)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of This Book
30 (AR)Now Jesus did many other signs (AS)in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 (AT)but these are written so that you may (AU)believe that Jesus is the Christ, (AV)the Son of God, and that by believing (AW)you may have life (AX)in his name.
Footnotes
- John 20:7 Greek his
- John 20:16 Or Hebrew
- John 20:19 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time
- John 20:24 Greek Didymus
John 20
Good News Translation
The Empty Tomb(A)
20 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the entrance. 2 She went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!”
3 Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb. 4 The two of them were running, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go in. 6 Behind him came Simon Peter, and he went straight into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there 7 and the cloth which had been around Jesus' head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. (9 They still did not understand the scripture which said that he must rise from death.) 10 Then the disciples went back home.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene(B)
11 Mary stood crying outside the tomb. While she was still crying, she bent over and looked in the tomb 12 and saw two angels there dressed in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 “Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.
She answered, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!”
14 Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there; but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who is it that you are looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener, so she said to him, “If you took him away, sir, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned toward him and said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (This means “Teacher.”)
17 “Do not hold on to me,” Jesus told her, “because I have not yet gone back up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.”
18 So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what he had told her.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples(C)
19 It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 (D)If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”
The Purpose of This Book
30 In his disciples' presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. 31 But these have been written in order that you may believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.
Footnotes
- John 20:31 believe; some manuscripts have continue to believe.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
