John 2  International Children’s Bible

The Wedding at Cana

2 Two days later there was a wedding in the town of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. ² Jesus and his followers were also invited to the wedding. ³ When all the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Dear woman, why come to me? My time has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you to do.”

⁶ In that place there were six stone water jars. The Jews used jars like these in their washing ceremony.^[a] Each jar held about 20 or 30 gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled the jars to the top.

⁸ Then he said to them, “Now take some out and give it to the master of the feast.”

So the servants took the water to the master. ⁹ When he tasted it, the water had become wine. He did not know where the wine came from. But the servants who brought the water knew. The master of the wedding called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “People always serve the best wine first. Later, after the guests have been drinking a lot, they serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best wine till now.”

¹¹ So in Cana of Galilee, Jesus did his first miracle. There he showed his glory, and his followers believed in him.

Jesus in the Temple

¹² Then Jesus went to the town of Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his followers. They all stayed in Capernaum for a few days. ¹³ But it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the Temple he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging money. ¹⁵ Jesus made a whip out of cords. Then he forced all these men, with the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of the men who were exchanging it. ¹⁶ Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”

¹⁷ When this happened the followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures: “My strong love for your Temple completely controls me.”^[b]

¹⁸ The Jews said to Jesus, “Show us a miracle for a sign. Prove that you have the right to do these things.”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days.”

²⁰ The Jews answered, “Men worked 46 years to build this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three days?”

²¹ (But the temple Jesus meant was his own body. ²² After Jesus was raised from death, his followers remembered that Jesus had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus said.)

²³ Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Many people believed in him because they saw the miracles he did. ²⁴ But Jesus did not believe in them because he knew them all. ²⁵ He did not need anyone to tell him about people. Jesus knew what was in a person’s mind.