John 7
Contemporary English Version
Jesus' Brothers Don't Have Faith in Him
7 Jesus decided to leave Judea and to start going through Galilee because the leaders of the people wanted to kill him. 2 (A) It was almost time for the Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus' brothers said to him, “Why don't you go to Judea? Then your disciples can see what you are doing. 4 No one does anything in secret, if they want others to know about them. So let the world know what you are doing!” 5 Even Jesus' own brothers had not yet become his followers.
6 Jesus answered, “My time hasn't yet come,[a] but your time is always here. 7 The people of this world cannot hate you. They hate me, because I tell them that they do evil things. 8 Go on to the festival. My time hasn't yet come, and I am not going.” 9 Jesus said this and stayed on in Galilee.
Jesus at the Festival of Shelters
10 After Jesus' brothers had gone to the festival, he went secretly, without telling anyone.
11 During the festival the leaders of the people looked for Jesus and asked, “Where is he?” 12 The crowds even got into an argument about him. Some were saying, “Jesus is a good man,” while others were saying, “He is lying to everyone.” 13 But the people were afraid of their leaders, and none of them talked in public about him.
14 When the festival was about half over, Jesus went into the temple and started teaching. 15 The leaders were surprised and said, “How does this man know so much? He has never been taught!”
16 Jesus replied:
I am not teaching something I thought up. What I teach comes from the one who sent me. 17 If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me. 18 If I wanted to bring honor to myself, I would speak for myself. But I want to honor the one who sent me. This is why I tell the truth and not a lie. 19 Didn't Moses give you the Law? Yet none of you obey it! So why do you want to kill me?
20 The crowd replied, “You're crazy! What makes you think someone wants to kill you?”
21 Jesus answered:
I worked one miracle,[b] and it amazed you. 22 (B) Moses commanded you to circumcise your sons. But it wasn't really Moses who gave you this command. It was your ancestors, and even on the Sabbath you circumcise your sons 23 (C) in order to obey the Law of Moses. Why are you angry with me for making someone completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.
25 Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “Isn't this the man they want to kill? 26 Yet here he is, speaking for everyone to hear. And no one is arguing with him. Do you suppose the authorities know he is the Messiah? 27 But how could that be? No one knows where the Messiah will come from, but we know where this man comes from.”
28 As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he shouted, “Do you really think you know me and where I came from? I didn't come on my own! The one who sent me is truthful, and you don't know him. 29 But I know the one who sent me, because I came from him.”
30 Some of the people wanted to arrest Jesus right then. But no one even laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.[c] 31 A lot of people in the crowd put their faith in him and said, “When the Messiah comes, he surely won't perform more miracles[d] than this man has done!”
Officers Sent To Arrest Jesus
32 When the Pharisees heard the crowd arguing about Jesus, they got together with the chief priests and sent some temple police to arrest him. 33 But Jesus told them, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you won't find me. You cannot go where I am going.”
35 The people asked each other, “Where can he go to keep us from finding him? Is he going to some foreign country where our people live? Is he going there to teach the Greeks?[e] 36 What did he mean by saying that we will look for him, but won't find him? Why can't we go where he is going?”
Streams of Life-Giving Water
37 (D) On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! 38 (E) Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.” 39 Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory.[f]
The People Take Sides
40 When the crowd heard Jesus say this, some of them said, “He must be the Prophet!”[g] 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah!” Others even said, “Can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 (F) The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of King David. Doesn't this mean that he will be born in David's hometown of Bethlehem?” 43 The people started taking sides against each other because of Jesus. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.
The Leaders Refuse To Have Faith in Jesus
45 When the temple police returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked, “Why didn't you bring Jesus here?”
46 They answered, “No one has ever spoken like this man!”
47 The Pharisees said to them, “Have you also been fooled? 48 Not one of the chief priests or the Pharisees has faith in him. 49 And these people who don't know the Law are under God's curse anyway.”
50 (G) Nicodemus was there at the time. He was a member of the council, and was the same one who had earlier come to see Jesus.[h] He said, 51 “Our Law doesn't let us condemn people before we hear what they have to say. We cannot judge them before we know what they have done.”
52 Then they said, “Nicodemus, you must be from Galilee! Read the Scriptures, and you will find that no prophet is to come from Galilee.”
A Woman Caught in Sin
53 Everyone else went home,
Footnotes
- 7.6 My time hasn't yet come: See the note at 2.4.
- 7.21 one miracle: The healing of the sick man (5.1-18; see also the note at 2.11).
- 7.30 his time had not yet come: See the note at 2.4.
- 7.31 miracles: See the note at 2.11.
- 7.35 Greeks: Perhaps Gentiles or Jews who followed Greek customs.
- 7.39 had not yet been given his full glory: In the Gospel of John, Jesus is given his full glory both when he is nailed to the cross and when he is raised from death to sit beside his Father in heaven.
- 7.40 the Prophet: See the note at 1.21.
- 7.50 who had earlier come to see Jesus: See 3.1-21.
John 7
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers
7 After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee,(A) since He did not want to travel in Judea(B) because the Jews(C) were trying to kill Him.(D) 2 The Jewish Festival of Tabernacles[a][b](E) was near, 3 so His brothers(F) said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea so Your disciples can see Your works(G) that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even His brothers believed in Him.)
6 Jesus told them, “My time(H) has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand. 7 The world cannot hate(I) you, but it does hate Me because I testify about it—that its deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the festival yourselves. I’m not going up to the festival yet,[c] because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 After He had said these things, He stayed in Galilee.
Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles
10 After His brothers had gone up to the festival, then He also went up, not openly but secretly. 11 The Jews were looking for Him at the festival and saying, “Where is He?” 12 And there was a lot of discussion about Him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good(J) man.” Others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He’s deceiving(K) the people.” 13 Still, nobody was talking publicly about Him because they feared the Jews.
14 When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple complex(L) and began to teach. 15 Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How does He know the Scriptures,(M) since He hasn’t been trained?”
16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t Mine but is from the One who sent Me.(N) 17 If anyone wants to do His will,(O) he will understand whether the teaching is from God or if I am speaking on My own. 18 The one who speaks for himself seeks his own glory.(P) But He who seeks the glory(Q) of the One who sent Him is true,(R) and there is no unrighteousness in Him.(S) 19 Didn’t Moses(T) give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law!(U) Why do you want to kill Me?”
20 “You have a demon!” the crowd responded. “Who wants to kill You?”
21 “I did one work,(V) and you are all amazed,” Jesus answered. 22 “Consider this: Moses has given you circumcision(W)—not that it comes from Moses but from the fathers(X)—and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.(Y) 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath(Z) so that the law of Moses(AA) won’t be broken, are you angry at Me because I made a man entirely well on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging(AB) according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”
The Identity of the Messiah
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem(AC) were saying, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? 26 Yet, look! He’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to Him. Can it be true that the authorities(AD) know He is the Messiah?(AE) 27 But we know where this man is from.(AF) When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where He is from.”
28 As He was teaching in the temple complex,(AG) Jesus cried out, “You know Me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me(AH) is true. You don’t know Him;(AI) 29 I know Him because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”(AJ)
30 Then they tried to seize Him. Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour[d] had not yet come. 31 However, many from the crowd believed in Him and said, “When the Messiah comes, He won’t perform more signs than this man has done,(AK) will He?”
32 The Pharisees(AL) heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, so the chief priests(AM) and the Pharisees sent temple police to arrest Him.
33 Then Jesus said, “I am only with you for a short time.(AN) Then I’m going to the One who sent Me.(AO) 34 You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”(AP)
35 Then the Jews(AQ) said to one another, “Where does He intend to go so we won’t find Him? He doesn’t intend to go to the Dispersion[e](AR) among the Greeks(AS) and teach the Greeks, does He? 36 What is this remark He made: ‘You will look for Me, and you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’(AT)?”
The Promise of the Spirit
37 On the last and most important day of the festival,(AU) Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me[f](AV) and drink!(AW) 38 The one who believes in Me,(AX) as the Scripture(AY) has said,[g] will have streams of living water(AZ) flow(BA) from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit.(BB) Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit,(BC) for the Spirit[h] had not yet been received[i][j] because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The People Are Divided over Jesus
40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This really is the Prophet!”[k](BD) 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah!” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does He? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture(BE) say that the Messiah comes from David’s(BF) offspring[l] and from the town of Bethlehem,(BG) where David once lived?” 43 So a division(BH) occurred among the crowd because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him,(BI) but no one laid hands on Him.
Debate over Jesus’ Claims
45 Then the temple police(BJ) came to the chief priests(BK) and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why haven’t you brought Him?”
46 The police answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”[m](BL)
47 Then the Pharisees responded to them: “Are you fooled(BM) too? 48 Have any of the rulers(BN) or Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed!”
50 Nicodemus(BO)—the one who came to Him previously, being one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”(BP)
52 “You aren’t from Galilee(BQ) too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”[n](BR)
[53 So each one went to his house.
Footnotes
- John 7:2 Or Booths
- John 7:2 One of 3 great Jewish religious festivals, along with Passover and Pentecost; Ex 23:14; Dt 16:16
- John 7:8 Other mss omit yet
- John 7:30 The time of His sacrificial death and exaltation; Jn 2:4; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1
- John 7:35 Jewish people scattered throughout Gentile lands who spoke Gk and were influenced by Gk culture
- John 7:37 Other mss omit to Me
- John 7:38 Jesus may have had several OT passages in mind; Is 58:11; Ezk 47:1-12; Zch 14:8
- John 7:39 Other mss read Holy Spirit
- John 7:39 Other mss read had not yet been given
- John 7:39 Lit the Spirit was not yet; the word received is implied from the previous clause.
- John 7:40 Probably the Prophet in Dt 18:15
- John 7:42 Lit seed
- John 7:46 Other mss read like this man
- John 7:52 Jonah and probably other prophets did come from Galilee; 2Kg 14:25
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