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The Ripened Harvest

27 Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, ‘What do you want? ’ or ‘Why are you talking with her? ’

28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, 29 ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? ’(A) 30 They left the town and made their way to him.(B)

31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, ‘Rabbi,(C) eat something.’

32 But he said, ‘I have food to eat that you don’t know about.’

33 The disciples said to one another, ‘Could someone have brought him something to eat? ’

34 ‘My food is to do the will of him(D) who sent me(E) and to finish his work,’(F) Jesus told them. 35 ‘Don’t you say, “There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest”? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open[a] your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready[b] for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life,(G) so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: “One sows and another reaps.”(H) 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labour for; others have laboured, and you have benefited from[c] their labour.’

The Saviour of the World

39 Now many Samaritans(I) from that town believed in him because of what the woman said[d] when she testified,(J) ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ 40 So when the Samaritans came to him,(K) they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there for two days. 41 Many more believed because of what he said.[e] 42 And they told the woman, ‘We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Saviour(L) of the world.’[f]

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Footnotes

  1. 4:35 Lit Raise
  2. 4:35 Lit white
  3. 4:38 Lit you have entered into
  4. 4:39 Lit because of the woman’s word
  5. 4:41 Lit because of his word
  6. 4:42 Other mss add, the Messiah

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.”

Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town(L) believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”(M) 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”(N)

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27 Just then his followers came back from town and were surprised to see him talking with a woman. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Do you think he might be the Christ?” 30 So the people left the town and went to see Jesus.

31 Meanwhile, his followers were begging him, “Teacher, eat something.”

32 But Jesus answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

33 So the followers asked themselves, “Did somebody already bring him food?”

34 Jesus said, “My food is to do what the One who sent me wants me to do and to finish his work. 35 You have a saying, ‘Four more months till harvest.’ But I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields ready for harvest now. 36 Already, the one who harvests is being paid and is gathering crops for eternal life. So the one who plants and the one who harvests celebrate at the same time. 37 Here the saying is true, ‘One person plants, and another harvests.’ 38 I sent you to harvest a crop that you did not work on. Others did the work, and you get to finish up their work.”[a]

39 Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus because of what the woman said: “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they begged him to stay with them, so he stayed there two more days. 41 And many more believed because of the things he said.

42 They said to the woman, “First we believed in Jesus because of what you said, but now we believe because we heard him ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

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Footnotes

  1. 4:38 I . . . their work. As a farmer sends workers to harvest grain, Jesus sends his followers out to bring people to God.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of his own word;

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

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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.”

The Savior of the World

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him (J)because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own (K)word.

42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for (L)we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed [a]the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 4:42 NU omits the Christ