John 2
The Message
From Water to Wine
2 1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”
4 Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.”
5 She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”
6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.
8 “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.
9-10 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”
11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days.
Tear Down This Temple . . .
13-14 When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength.
15-17 Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for your house consumes me.”
18-19 But the Jews were upset. They asked, “What credentials can you present to justify this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.”
20-22 They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said.
23-25 During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn’t entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn’t need any help in seeing right through them.
John 2
Wycliffe Bible
2 And the third day weddings were made in the Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 And Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the weddings.
3 And when wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have not wine.
4 And Jesus saith to her, What to me and to thee, woman? mine hour came not yet.
5 His mother saith to the ministers, Whatever thing he saith to you, do ye.
6 And there were set six stone cans, after the cleansing of the Jews, holding each two or three metretes. [Forsooth there were put six stone pots, after the cleansing of Jews, taking each two or three measures.]
7 And Jesus saith to them, Fill ye the pots with water. And they filled them, up to the mouth. [Jesus saith to them, Fill ye the pots with water. And they filled them unto the highest part.]
8 And Jesus said to them, Draw ye now, and bear ye to the master of the feast[a]. And they bare.
9 And when the master of the feast had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whereof it was, but the ministers knew that drew the water[b], the master of the feast calleth the spouse,
10 and saith to him, Each man setteth first good wine, and when men be filled, then that that is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine into this time. [and saith to him, Each man putteth first good wine, and when men shall be full-filled, then that that is worse; soothly thou hast kept good wine till now.]
11 Jesus did this the beginning of signs in the Cana of Galilee, and showed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After these things he came down to Capernaum, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and they dwelled there not many days [and they dwelt there not many days].
13 And the pask of Jews was nigh, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And he found in the temple men selling oxen, and sheep, and culvers, and [money-]changers sitting.
15 And when he had made as it were a scourge of small cords, he drove out all of the temple, and oxen, and sheep[c]; and he shedded [out] the money of changers, and turned upside-down the boards.
16 And he said to them that sold culvers, Take away from hence these things, and do not ye make the house of my Father an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples had mind, for it was written, The fervent love of thine house hath eaten me [The zeal, or fervour of love, of thine house hath eaten me].
18 Therefore the Jews answered, and said to him, What token showest thou to us [What sign, or token, showest thou to us], that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered, and said to them, Undo ye this temple, and in three days I shall raise it.
20 Therefore the Jews said to him, In forty and six years this temple was builded, and shalt thou in three days raise it [In forty and six years this temple is built, and thou in three days shalt raise it]?
21 But he said of the temple of his body.
22 Therefore when he was risen from death, his disciples had mind, that he said these things of his body [Therefore when he had risen from dead men, his disciples had mind, for he said this thing]; and they believed to the scripture, and to the word that Jesus said.
23 And when Jesus was at Jerusalem in pask, in the feast day, many believed in his name, seeing his signs that he did [seeing the signs of him which he did].
24 But Jesus trusted not himself to them, for he knew all men;
25 and for it was not need to him, that any man should bear witnessing of man, for he knew, what was in man.
John 2
Revised Standard Version
The Wedding at Cana
2 On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Caper′na-um, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for thy house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; 24 but Jesus did not trust himself to them, 25 because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.