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The loving conversation of Christ with the woman from Samaria by the well’s side. How he heals the ruler’s son.

As soon as the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard how Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples), he left Judea and went back to Galilee. And it so was that he had to go through Samaria. Then he came to a village of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And there was Jacob’s well.

Jesus, then wearied in his journey, sat on the well. And it was about the sixth hour, and there came a woman of Samaria to draw water. And Jesus said to her, Give me to drink. For his disciples had gone away to the town to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask drink of me, a Samaritan? (For the Jews will have nothing to do with the Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you would have asked of him, and he would have given you the water of life.

11 The woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do you have that water of life from? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and he himself drank from it, and his children and his animals?

13 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. 14 But whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never more thirst, but the water that I give him will be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman said to him, Sir, give me of that water so that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. 16 Jesus said to her, Go and call your husband, and come here. 17 The woman answered and said to him, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no husband. 18 For you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.

19 The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, but you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.

21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You Samaritans worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation comes of the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For indeed, the Father seeks such to worship him. 24 God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.

25 The woman said to him, I know well the Messiah will come, who is called Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he.

27 And at that point his disciples came, and were surprised that he talked with the woman. Yet no one said to him, What are you asking? or, Why are you talking with her? 28 The woman then left her water-pot, and went her way into the village and said to the people, 29 Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Is he not the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the village and came to him.

31 And in the meanwhile his disciples urged him, saying, Rabbi, eat! 32 He said to them, I have food to eat that you know not of. 33 Then the disciples said between themselves, Has anyone brought him food?

34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, There are yet four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you: lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are already white for harvest. 36 And he who reaps receives reward, and gathers fruit unto life eternal, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 And this saying is true, that one sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labour. Other men laboured, and you have entered into their labours.

39 Many of the Samaritans of that village believed on him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I ever did. 40 Then when the Samaritans had come to him, they besought him to stay with them. And he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own words, 42 and said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, but because we have heard him ourselves and know that this is even indeed Christ, the Saviour of the world.

43 After two days he departed from there and went away into Galilee. 44 And Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honour in his own country. 45 Then, as soon as he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast. For they had also gone to the feast day.

46 And Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 As soon as he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him and besought him to come down and heal his son, for he was even ready to die. 48 Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders, you cannot believe. 49 The nobleman said to him, Sir, come away before my child dies! 50 Jesus said to him, Go your way, your son lives.

And the man believed the words that Jesus had spoken to him, and went his way. 51 And as he was going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Your child lives. 52 Then he enquired of them the hour when the child began to recover. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 And the father knew that it was the same hour in which Jesus had said to him, Your son lives. And he believed, and all his household. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did after he had come out of Judea into Galilee.

A Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and (A)baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.

So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that (B)Jacob (C)gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For (D)Jews have no dealings with (E)Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the (F)gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you (G)living water.”

11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but (H)whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him (I)will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

15 (J)The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, (K)I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on (L)this mountain, and you Jews say that in (M)Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming (N)when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship (O)what you do not know; we know what we worship, for (P)salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will (Q)worship the Father in (R)spirit (S)and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 (T)God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah (U)is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, (V)He will tell us all things.”

26 Jesus said to her, (W)“I who speak to you am He.

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 (X)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, (Y)“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to (Z)finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes (AA)the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, (AB)for they are already white for harvest! 36 (AC)And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that (AD)both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: (AE)‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; (AF)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 (AG)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 (AH)word.

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

Welcome at Galilee

43 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44 For (AJ)Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, (AK)having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; (AL)for they also had gone to the feast.

A Nobleman’s Son Healed

46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee (AM)where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain [b]nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, (AN)“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”

49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”

50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”

52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.

54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Footnotes

  1. John 4:42 NU omits the Christ
  2. John 4:46 royal official