Jesus at the Feast of Booths

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because (A)the Jews[a] were seeking to kill him. Now (B)the Jews' Feast of (C)Booths was at hand. (D)So his brothers[b] said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, (E)show yourself to the world.” (F)For not even (G)his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, (H)“My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but (I)it hates me because I testify about it that (J)its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not[c] going up to this feast, for (K)my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

10 But after (L)his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 (M)The Jews (N)were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much (O)muttering about him among the people. (P)While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, (Q)he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet (R)for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up (S)into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore (T)marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning,[d] when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, (U)“My teaching is not mine, but his (V)who sent me. 17 (W)If anyone's will is to do God's[e] will, (X)he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I (Y)am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority (Z)seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 (AA)Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. (AB)Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, (AC)“You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did (AD)one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 (AE)Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but (AF)from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, (AG)are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? 24 (AH)Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Can This Be the Christ?

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom (AI)they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, (AJ)speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that (AK)the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But (AL)we know (AM)where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, (AN)no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, (AO)as he taught in the temple, (AP)“You know me, and you know where I come from. But (AQ)I have not come of my own accord. (AR)He who sent me is true, (AS)and him you do not know. 29 (AT)I know him, for I come (AU)from him, and (AV)he sent me.” 30 (AW)So they were seeking to arrest him, but (AX)no one laid a hand on him, (AY)because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet (AZ)many of the people believed in him. They said, (BA)“When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd (BB)muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent (BC)officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, (BD)“I will be with you a little longer, and then (BE)I am going to him who sent me. 34 (BF)You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? (BG)Does he intend to go to (BH)the Dispersion among (BI)the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, (BJ)‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

Rivers of Living Water

37 (BK)On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, (BL)“If anyone thirsts, let him (BM)come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, (BN)as[f] the Scripture has said, (BO)‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of (BP)living water.’” 39 Now (BQ)this he said about the Spirit, (BR)whom those who believed in him were to receive, (BS)for as yet the Spirit had not been (BT)given, (BU)because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division Among the People

40 When they heard these words, (BV)some of the people said, “This really is (BW)the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is (BX)the Christ.” But some said, (BY)“Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes (BZ)from the offspring of David, and comes (CA)from Bethlehem, the village (CB)where David was?” 43 So there was (CC)a division among the people over him. 44 (CD)Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 (CE)The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, (CF)“No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, (CG)“Have you also been deceived? 48 (CH)Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 (CI)Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 (CJ)“Does our law judge a man without first (CK)giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, (CL)“Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that (CM)no prophet arises from Galilee.”

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.][g]

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53 [[They went each to his own house,

Footnotes

  1. John 7:1 Or Judeans; Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time
  2. John 7:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10
  3. John 7:8 Some manuscripts add yet
  4. John 7:15 Or this man knows his letters
  5. John 7:17 Greek his
  6. John 7:38 Or let him come to me, and let him who believes in me drink. As
  7. John 7:53 Some manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11; others add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations in the text

And after these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach itinerated in the Galil, for he was not wanting to move about in Yehudah, because those of Yehudah were seeking to kill him.

Now the Chag of Sukkot was near. [VAYIKRA 23:34; DEVARIM 16:16]

His achim then said to him, Leave here and go away into the land of Yehudah, that also your talmidim will see your ma’asim which you do.

For no one who seeks public notice does anything besod (secretly). If these things you do, then manifest yourself to HaOlam.

For not even the achim of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach were believing in him. [TEHILLIM 69:8]

Therefore, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, My sha’ah has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

The Olam Hazeh is not capable of sin’ah (hatred) toward you, but the Olam Hazeh hates me, and for this reason: I give solemn edut (testimony) about it because the ma’asim of the Olam Hazeh are ra’'im (evil).

You make aliyah leregel up to the Chag (Feast). I am not going up to this Chag (Feast), because my time has not yet been fulfilled.

And having said these things, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach remained in the Galil.

10 But when the achim of him made aliyah leregel to the Chag (Feast), then also Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went up [Yochanan 5:30] not publicly but besod (secretly).

11 Then those of Yehudah were seeking Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach in the Chag (Feast) and were saying, Where is that man?

12 And there was much telunnah (murmuring) about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach among the multitudes. Some were saying, He is tov (good), but others were saying, Lo (no), he deceives the multitude.

13 No one, however, was speaking openly about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach because of the fear of those of Yehudah.

14 But around the middle period of the Chag (Feast), Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went up to the Beis Hamikdash and was saying shiurim (teaching torah).

15 Therefore, those of Yehudah were marveling, saying, How has this man binah (understanding) of a Yeshiva yode’a sefer (scholar), not having learned?

16 Therefore, in reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, My Torah (teaching) is not mine but of the One having sent me.

17 If anyone wants to do the ratzon Hashem, he will have da’as about my Torah, whether it is of Hashem or I speak only from myself. [TEHILLIM 25:14; 92:16; BAMIDBAR 16:28]

18 The one speaking from himself seeks his own kavod (glory), but he who is seeking the kavod of the One having sent him, this one is ne’eman and there is no avlah (injustice) in him.

19 Has not Moshe given you the Torah? None of you is able to be shomer chukkat Torah. Why are you seeking to kill me? [DEVARIM 32:46; MISHLE 20:9; KOHELET 7:20; YESHAYAH 53:6]

20 The multitude said, You have a shed (demon). Who is seeking to kill you?

21 In reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Of the Pe’ulot of Hashem, I accomplished echad, one pe’ulah, and everyone marvels.

22 Moshe has given you bris milah not that bris milah is of Moshe, but it is of the Avot, and on a Shabbos you perpetually perform bris milah. [BERESHIS 17:10-14; 21:4; VAYIKRA 12:3]

23 If a man receives bris milah on Shabbos and lo tufar Torat Moshe (the Torah of Moses may not be broken, BERESHIS 17:14) are you angry with me because I gave a man refu’ah shleimah on Shabbos?

24 Do not judge according to appearance but judge with mishpat tzedek. [ZECHARYAH 7:9; SHMUEL ALEF 16:7; YESHAYAH 11:3 4; VAYIKRA 19:15]

25 Therefore, some of the ones of Yerushalayim were saying, Is it not this man whom they are seeking to kill?

26 And, hinei, he speaks publicly and they say nothing to him. Perhaps the manhigim (the gedolim of Judaism) have da’as that this man is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach?

27 But this man, we have da’as where he is from; but the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, whenever he comes, no one has da’as where he is from.

28 Therefore, in the Beis Hamikdash while teaching, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach cried out, saying, You have da’as of me, and you have da’as of where I am from. I have not come on my own, but the One Who sent me is ne’eman. He is the One of Whom you do not have da’as.

29 I have da’as of Him, because from Him Ani Hu, and He is the One Who sent me.

30 Therefore, they were seeking to arrest him, and no one laid a hand on him, because his sha’ah (hour, time) had not yet come.

31 From the multitude, however, many put their emunah, their bitachon, in him, and were saying, The Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, whenever he comes, surely he will not do more otot (miraculous signs) than the things which this man did?

32 The Perushim heard the telunnah (murmuring) of these things from the multitude, the talk about Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and they sent the Rashei Hakohanim and the mesharetim of the Perushim that they might arrest him.

33 Therefore, he said, Yet a little time I am with you and I go away to the One having sent me.

34 You will seek me and not find me and where Ani Hu you are not able to come.

35 Therefore, those of Yehudah said to themselves, Where is this man about to journey that we will not find him? Surely he is not about to sojourn to the Golus of the Yevanim (Greeks) to teach the Yevanim? [MISHLE 1:28]

36 What is this dvar which he said, You will seek me and will not find me and where Ani Hu, you are not able to come?

37 Now on the last day of the Chag, Hoshana Rabbah, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink. [Lv 23:36; Isa 55:1; 12:3; 49:10]

38 The one with emunah in me, as the Kitvei Hakodesh said, ‘Out of the midst of him, rivers of MAYIM CHAYYIM [Zech 14:8] will flow.’ [Prov 18:4; Isa 44:3; 58:11; 43:19f, Ezek 47:1-12; Joel 4:18; Song 4:15].

39 But this he said about the Ruach Hakodesh which the ones having emunah (faith) in him were about to receive, for the Ruach Hakodesh had not yet been given, because he had not yet received kavod. [YOEL 2:28 (3:1)]

40 Some of the multitude, therefore, having heard these dvarim were saying, This man is beemes the Navi.

41 Others were saying, This man is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But some were saying, Surely the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach comes not from the Galil, does he?

42 Has not the Kitvei Hakodesh said that the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is from the zera Dovid and from Beit-Lechem, the shtetl where Dovid lived? [2Sm 7:12; Psa 89:3-4; Mic 5:1(2); Jer 23:5]

43 A machloket (controversy), therefore, occurred among the multitude because of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

44 And some of them were wanting to arrest him, but no one laid his hands on him.

45 Then the avadim of the Rashei Hakohanim and Perushim came and the Rashei Hakohanim and Perushim said to them, Why did you not bring him?

46 In reply, the avadim said, Never Ish spoke like this Ish.

47 In reply, therefore, the Perushim said, Surely not you also have been deceived?

48 Has any of the manhigim put their emunah (faith) in him, or any of the Perushim [T.N.but cf Yn 7:50; 19:39]?

49 But this am ha’aretz crowd has no da’as of Torah and is cursed. [DEVARIM 27:26]

50 Rav Nakdimon, the one having come to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach earlier, being one of their own, says to them,

51 Surely Torateinu (Our Torah) judges not the Man unless it hears first from the Man himself and has da’as of what he does, does it? [Dt 1:16; 17:6; Ex 23:1]

52 They answered and said to Rav Nakdimon, Surely not you also are from the Galil, are you? Search [the Kitvei Hakodesh] and see that from the Galil a Navi does not arise. [T.N. but cf 2Kgs 14:25; Isa 9:1,2]

53 And they went each one to his bais.

Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders(A) there were looking for a way to kill him.(B) But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles(C) was near, Jesus’ brothers(D) said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.(E)

Therefore Jesus told them, “My time(F) is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me(G) because I testify that its works are evil.(H) You go to the festival. I am not[b] going up to this festival, because my time(I) has not yet fully come.” After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus(J) and asking, “Where is he?”

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”

Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”(K) 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.(L)

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.(M) 15 The Jews(N) there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning(O) without having been taught?”(P)

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.(Q) 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out(R) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory,(S) but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law?(T) Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”(U)

20 “You are demon-possessed,”(V) the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle,(W) and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision(X) (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs),(Y) you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”(Z)

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?(AA) 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities(AB) really concluded that he is the Messiah?(AC) 27 But we know where this man is from;(AD) when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,(AE) cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.(AF) I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.(AG) You do not know him, 29 but I know him(AH) because I am from him and he sent me.”(AI)

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,(AJ) because his hour had not yet come.(AK) 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him.(AL) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs(AM) 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,(AN) and then I am 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 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(AQ) among the Greeks,(AR) 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’?”(AS)

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival,(AT) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.(AU) 38 Whoever believes(AV) in me, as Scripture has said,(AW) rivers of living water(AX) will flow from within them.”[c](AY) 39 By this he meant the Spirit,(AZ) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.(BA) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(BB)

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

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

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

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,”(BI) the guards replied.

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

50 Nicodemus,(BL) 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.”(BM)


[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,

Footnotes

  1. John 7:1 Some manuscripts not have authority
  2. John 7:8 Some manuscripts not yet
  3. 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.”