John 21
Christian Standard Bible
Jesus’s Third Appearance to the Disciples
21 After this, Jesus revealed(A) himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.[a](B) He revealed himself in this way:
2 Simon Peter,(C) Thomas(D) (called “Twin”[b]), Nathanael(E) from Cana of Galilee,(F) Zebedee’s(G) sons, and two others of his disciples were together.
3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.
“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.(H)
4 When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus.(I) 5 “Friends,”[c] Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”
“No,” they answered.
6 “Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did,[d] and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. 7 The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” (J)
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. 8 Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards[e](K) away), the other disciples came in the boat,(L) dragging the net full of fish.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. 11 So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.(M)
12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time(N) Jesus appeared[f](O) to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus’s Threefold Restoration of Peter
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[g] do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”
“Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love(P) me?”(Q)
“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”
“Shepherd(R) my sheep,”(S) he told him.
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love(T) me?”
Peter was grieved(U) that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything;(V) you know that I love you.”
“Feed(W) my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you,(X) when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death(Y) Peter would glorify God.(Z) After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”(AA)
Correcting a False Report
20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved(AB) following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” (AC) 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22 “If I want him to remain until I come,”(AD) Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
23 So this rumor[h] spread to the brothers and sisters(AE) that this disciple would not die.(AF) Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
Epilogue
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books[i] that would be written.(AG)
John 21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way.(A) 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,[a] Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.(B) 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.(C)
4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.(D) 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.”(E) 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.(F) 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea.(G) 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.(H) 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish.(I) 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.(J)
Jesus and Peter
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”(K) 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”(L) 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.(M) 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”(N)
Jesus and the Beloved Disciple
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”(O) 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”(P) 23 So the rumor spread among the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”[b](Q)
24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.(R) 25 But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.(S)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.