John 3:14-4:17

New International Version

¹⁴ Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(A) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[a](B) 15} that everyone who believes^(C) may have eternal life in him.”^[b](D)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(E) the world that he gave^(F) his one and only Son,^(G) that whoever believes^(H) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(I) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(J) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^{(K) 18} Whoever believes in him is not condemned,^(L) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^{(M) 19} This is the verdict: Light^(N) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^{(O) 20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^{(P) 21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John Testifies Again About Jesus

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.^{(Q) 23} Now John^(R) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.)^{(S) 25} An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.^{(T) 26} They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,^(U) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified^(V) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’^{(W) 29} The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(X) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^{(Y) 30} He must become greater; I must become less.”^[c]

³¹ The one who comes from above^(Z) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(AA) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(AB) but no one accepts his testimony.^{(AC) 33} Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent^(AD) speaks the words of God, for God^[d] gives the Spirit^(AE) without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^{(AF) 36} Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(AG) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John^(AH)— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea^(AI) and went back once more to Galilee.

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria.^{(AJ) 5} So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.^{(AK) 6} Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”^{(AL) 8} (His disciples had gone into the town^(AM) to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan^(AN) woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.^[e])

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”^(AO)

¹¹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well^(AP) and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.^(AQ) Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water^(AR) welling up to eternal life.”^(AS)

¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty^(AT) and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

¹⁶ He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

¹⁷ “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.