John 12
Worldwide English (New Testament)
12 Six days before the Passover Feast Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived. This was the Lazarus that Jesus had raised from death.
2 The people made supper for Jesus. Martha helped give food for the people, and Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Jesus.
3 Mary had a jar of oil. It smelled very nice and cost much money. She put some of it on Jesus' feet. Then she wiped his feet with her hair. The smell of oil went all through the house.
4 Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, was there. He was one of the disciples, the one who was going to give Jesus over to the people who hated him.
5 He said, `This oil is worth a year's wages! Why did we not sell it and give the money to poor people?'
6 Judas did not say this because he cared for poor people. But he used to steal. He carried the disciples' money bag and he used to take money out of the bag for himself.
7 Then Jesus said, `Leave her alone. She has kept this oil for the time when they will bury me.
8 You will have poor people with you always. But you will not always have me with you.'
9 Many of the Jews knew that Jesus was at Bethany. So they came because Jesus was there. But they also came to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from death.
10 The chief priests planned to kill Lazarus also.
11 Many of the Jews left the priests and believed in Jesus, because of Lazarus.
12 The next day Jesus went to Jerusalem. Many people who were at the feast heard that he was coming.
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went to meet him. They shouted, `Praise God! God bless the King of Israel! He is coming in the name of the Lord!'
14 Then Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it. He did as the holy writings say,
15 `Do not fear, people of Jerusalem. Your King is coming. He will be riding on a young donkey.'
16 His disciples did not understand this at first. But when God had made Jesus great, then they remembered what the holy writings said about him. They remembered that people had done these things to him.
17 Many people were with Jesus when he called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from death. They had talked about what he did.
18 That is why many people went out to meet Jesus. They had heard about the big work he did.
19 The Pharisees said to each other, `See, you cannot stop this thing. People everywhere are going after him.'
20 Some of the people who came to worship God at the feast were Greek people.
21 They came to Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, `Sir, we want to see Jesus.'
22 Philip came to Andrew and told him. Then they both went and told Jesus.
23 Jesus said, `The time has come when the Son of Man will be made great.
24 I tell you the truth. If a seed of grain is not put in the ground to die, it will be only a seed. But if it dies, it will bear many seeds.
25 Anyone who tries to keep his life will lose it. Anyone who gives up his life in this world will live for ever in the next world.
26 If anyone wants to do my work, he must go where I go. Then he and I will be together. My Father will honour everyone who works for me.
27 `Now my heart is very sad. Shall I say, "Father, save me from this time of trouble"? No, I have come to this time just so that I might go through it.
28 Father, do what will make your name great.' Then a voice from the sky said, `I have already done that and I will do it again.'
29 Some people were standing near. When they heard the voice, they said, `It is thundering.' Other people said, `An angel talked to him.'
30 Jesus answered them, `This voice did not come for my sake, but it came for your sake.
31 It is time now for the world to be judged. The ruler of this world will be put out.
32 And as for me, if they lift me up from the earth, I will draw all people to me.'
33 He said this to show how he would die.
34 The people answered him, `Our law book tells us that Christ will stay here for ever. Why do you say, "The Son of Man will be raised up from the earth"? Tell us who this Son of Man is.'
35 Then Jesus said to them, `You have light for a short time longer. Walk while you have the light so that you will not need to walk in the dark. The person who walks in the dark cannot see where he is going.
36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may be a people who have the light in you.' When Jesus had said this, he left them. They did not know where he was.
37 Even though they had seen Jesus doing many big works, they did not believe in him.
38 What the prophet Isaiah said came true. He said, `Lord, who has believed what we told them? Who has believed even though they have seen the power of God's hand?'
40 So they could not believe. Isaiah said also, `God has made them blind. Their hearts have no feeling. They cannot see. They do not understand with their heart. They will not turn to God. If they did turn, he would heal them.'
41 Isaiah said this about the Christ when he saw how great he was.
42 Some of the chief rulers believed in Jesus, but they did not tell anyone that they believed in him. They were afraid the Pharisees would put them out of the meeting place.
43 They wanted the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44 Jesus called out, `Anyone who believes in me does not believe just in me, but in the one who sent me.
45 Anyone who sees me sees the one who sent me.
46 I am a light and have come into the world. Anyone who believes in me will not be in the dark.
47 If anyone hears what I say and does not believe it, I do not judge him. I did not come to judge the world. I came to save the world.
48 The one who will not believe in me and will not listen to what I say will be judged anyway. The same things that I have said will judge him on the last day.
49 `I have not said this from my own mind, but my Father who sent me told me what to say. He told me what to tell you.
50 I know that what he told me to say has power to give life for ever. So I say everything my Father has told me to say.'
John 12
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
12 So six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead.
2 So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at the table with Him.
3 Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said,
5 Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year’s wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)?
6 Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections].
7 But Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My [a]embalming.]
8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.
9 Now a great crowd of the Jews heard that He was at Bethany, and they came there, not only because of Jesus but that they also might see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.
10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also,
11 Because on account of him many of the Jews were going away [were withdrawing from and leaving the Judeans] and believing in and adhering to Jesus.
12 The next day a vast crowd of those who had come to the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him. And as they went, they kept shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He and praise to Him Who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!(A)
14 And Jesus, having found a young donkey, rode upon it, [just] as it is written in the Scriptures,
15 Do not fear, O Daughter of Zion! Look! Your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!(B)
16 His disciples did not understand and could not comprehend the meaning of these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him.
17 The group that had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from among the dead kept telling it [bearing witness] to others.
18 It was for this reason that the crowd went out to meet Him, because they had heard that He had performed this sign (proof, miracle).
19 Then the Pharisees said among themselves, You see how futile your efforts are and how you accomplish nothing. See! The whole world is running after Him!
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the Feast were some Greeks.
21 These came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and they made this request, Sir, we desire to see Jesus.
22 Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip together [went] and told Jesus.
23 And Jesus answered them, The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified and exalted.
24 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest.
25 Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]
26 If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [[b]to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
27 Now My soul is troubled and distressed, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]? But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour [that I might undergo it].
28 [Rather, I will say,] Father, glorify (honor and extol) Your [own] name! Then there came a voice out of heaven saying, I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again.
29 The crowd of bystanders heard the sound and said that it had thundered; others said, An angel has spoken to Him!
30 Jesus answered, This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sake.
31 Now the judgment (crisis) of this world is coming on [sentence is now being passed on this world]. Now the ruler (evil genius, prince) of this world shall be cast out (expelled).
32 And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself.
33 He said this to signify in what manner He would die.
34 At this the people answered Him, We have learned from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; how then can You say, The Son of Man must be lifted up [on the cross]? Who is this Son of Man?(C)
35 So Jesus said to them, You will have the Light only a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light [keep on living by it], so that darkness may not overtake and overcome you. He who walks about in the dark does not know where he goes [he is drifting].
36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light [have faith in it, hold to it, rely on it], that you may become sons of the Light and be filled with Light. Jesus said these things, and then He went away and hid Himself from them [was lost to their view].
37 Even though He had done so many miracles before them (right before their eyes), yet they still did not trust in Him and failed to believe in Him—
38 So that what Isaiah the prophet said was fulfilled: Lord, who has believed our report and our message? And to whom has the arm (the power) of the Lord been shown (unveiled and revealed)?(D)
39 Therefore they could not believe [they were unable to believe]. For Isaiah has also said,
40 He has blinded their eyes and hardened and benumbed their [callous, degenerated] hearts [He has made their minds dull], to keep them from seeing with their eyes and understanding with their hearts and minds and repenting and turning to Me to heal them.
41 Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him.(E)
42 And yet [in spite of all this] many even of the leading men (the authorities and the nobles) believed and trusted in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that [if they should acknowledge Him] they would be expelled from the synagogue;
43 For they loved the approval and the praise and the glory that come from men [instead of and] more than the glory that comes from God. [They valued their credit with men more than their credit with God.]
44 But Jesus loudly declared, The one who believes in Me does not [only] believe in and trust in and rely on Me, but [in believing in Me he believes] in Him Who sent Me.
45 And whoever sees Me sees Him Who sent Me.
46 I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes in Me [whoever cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] may not continue to live in darkness.
47 If anyone hears My teachings and fails to observe them [does not keep them, but disregards them], it is not I who judges him. For I have not come to judge and to condemn and to pass sentence and to inflict penalty on the world, but to save the world.
48 Anyone who rejects Me and persistently sets Me at naught, refusing to accept My teachings, has his judge [however]; for the [very] message that I have spoken will itself judge and convict him at the last day.
49 This is because I have never spoken on My own authority or of My own accord or as self-appointed, but the Father Who sent Me has Himself given Me orders [concerning] what to say and what to tell.(F)
50 And I know that His commandment is (means) eternal life. So whatever I speak, I am saying [exactly] what My Father has told Me to say and in accordance with His instructions.
Footnotes
- John 12:7 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- John 12:26 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
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