31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him.(A) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs(B) than this man?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,(C) and then I am going to the one who sent me.(D) 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”(E)

35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered(F) among the Greeks,(G) and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”(H)

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival,(I) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.(J) 38 Whoever believes(K) in me, as Scripture has said,(L) rivers of living water(M) will flow from within them.”[a](N) 39 By this he meant the Spirit,(O) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.(P) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(Q)

40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”(R)

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?(S) 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants(T) and from Bethlehem,(U) the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided(V) because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.(W)

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,”(X) the guards replied.

47 “You mean he has deceived you also?”(Y) the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?(Z) 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50 Nicodemus,(AA) who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”(AB)


[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home,

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Footnotes

  1. John 7:38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”

31 And (A)many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Jesus and the Religious Leaders

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. 33 Then Jesus said [a]to them, (B)“I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I (C)go to Him who sent Me. 34 You (D)will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you (E)cannot come.”

35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to (F)the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

37 (G)On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, (H)“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 (I)He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, (J)out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 (K)But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [b]believing in Him would receive; for the [c]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet (L)glorified.

Who Is He?

40 Therefore [d]many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is (M)the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is (N)the Christ.”

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 (O)Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, (P)where David was?” 43 So (Q)there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Now (R)some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

Rejected by the Authorities

45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

46 The officers answered, (S)“No man ever spoke like this Man!”

47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

50 Nicodemus (T)(he who came to [e]Jesus [f]by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 (U)“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for (V)no prophet [g]has arisen out of Galilee.”

An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World

53 [h]And everyone went to his own house.

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Footnotes

  1. John 7:33 NU, M omit to them
  2. John 7:39 NU who believed
  3. John 7:39 NU omits Holy
  4. John 7:40 NU some
  5. John 7:50 Lit. Him
  6. John 7:50 NU before
  7. John 7:52 NU is to rise
  8. John 7:53 NU brackets 7:53 through 8:11 as not in the original text. They are present in over 900 mss. of John.