John 2
EasyEnglish Bible
The marriage at Cana
2 Two days after that, there was a marriage party. It was in the town of Cana, in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. 2 People had asked Jesus and his disciples to come to the party too. 3 When people had drunk all the wine, Jesus' mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’ 4 Jesus replied, ‘Woman, why do you tell me this? It is not my time yet.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you to do.’
6 There were six big pots there. People had used stone to make them. Each pot could contain about 100 litres of water. The water was there so that the Jews could wash themselves in the way that their special rules taught. 7 Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the pots with water.’ So they filled the pots to the top. 8 Then he said, ‘Now take some of the water from the pots and give it to the master of the party.’ So they did that. 9 The master of the party tasted the water. The water had now become wine! The master did not know where the wine had come from. But the servants who had given it to him knew about it. Then the master asked the new husband to come to him. 10 The master said to him, ‘Everyone else brings out the best wine first. When people have had plenty to drink, then they give people cheaper wine. But you are different. You have kept the best wine until now.’
11 Jesus did this first miracle at Cana, in Galilee. In this way, Jesus showed how great and powerful he was. And his disciples believed in him.
Jesus goes to the temple
12 After this, Jesus went to a town called Capernaum. His mother, his brothers and his disciples went with him. They stayed there for a few days.[a]
13 It was almost time for the Jewish Passover festival. So Jesus went to Jerusalem.[b] 14 He went into the yard of the temple. There he found people who were selling cows, sheep and doves. Other people were sitting at tables to change coins for people. 15 So Jesus made a whip from some pieces of rope. Then he made all the people leave the temple quickly, with the sheep and the cows. He threw onto the ground all the coins of the men who changed money. He turned their tables over. 16 He said to the people who sold birds, ‘Take them out of here! Do not make my Father's house into a market!’ 17 His disciples remembered what it says in the Bible: ‘My love for your house burns inside me like a fire.’[c]
18 Then the Jews asked Jesus, ‘What is your authority to do this? Do a miracle to show us that you really do have authority.’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘If you destroy this house of God, I will build it up again in three days.’ 20 The Jews replied, ‘People have worked for 46 years to build this house. But you say that you will build it again in three days!’ 21 But the house that Jesus was speaking about was his own body. 22 The disciples remembered this when Jesus had become alive again after his death. They remembered that he had said this. Then they believed what the Bible taught. They also believed the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 While Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover festival, he did many miracles.[d] Many people saw these miracles that showed he was from God. As a result, they believed in Jesus. 24 But Jesus himself did not trust the people. He knew what all people are really like. 25 He did not need anyone to tell him what people are like. He knew already what was really in each person.
Footnotes
- 2:12 Capernaum was another town in Galilee. It was next to the lake called Lake Galilee.
- 2:13 The Passover was an event that was very special to the Jews. Every year, all the men had to come to the temple at Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. They remembered the time, many years before, when God had led their ancestors out of Egypt. God had saved them so that they did not have to be slaves to Egypt's people. He had killed all the oldest sons of Egypt's people. But he had saved the Jewish sons of Israel's people. He told the Jews that they must put a lamb's blood on the wood over the top and on the sides of their doors. If the blood was there, their oldest sons would not die. See Exodus 12.
- 2:17 See Psalms 69:9.
- 2:23 Jesus did many miracles, but John only tells us about seven of them. In Greek, John uses a word for miracle that means sign. It tells us more about God.
John 2
New Matthew Bible
Christ turns the water into wine, and drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple.
2 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana, a village of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 And Jesus was invited also, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when the wine failed, Jesus’ mother said to him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus said to her, Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come. 5 And his mother said to the servants, Whatever he says to you, do it.
6 And there were standing there six waterpots of stone, for the purification rites of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 And Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, Draw some out now, and bring it to the master of the feast. And they brought it.
9 When the master of the feast tasted the water that was turned to wine, and did not know where it was from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, All men at the beginning set out good wine, and when people have drunk, then that which is worse. But you have kept back the good wine until now.
11 This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and showed his glory, and his disciples believed on him. 12 After that, he descended into Capernaum with his mother and his brethren and his disciples, but continued not many days there.
13 And the Jews’ Passover was near at hand. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 and found sitting in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers. 15 And he made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables, 16 and said to those who sold doves, Take these things away from here, and do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise! 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written: The zeal of your house has consumed me.
18 Then the Jews said to him, What sign can you show to us, seeing that you do these things? 19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rear it up again.
20 Then the Jews said, This temple was forty-six years in building, and will you rear it up in three days?
21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 As soon therefore as he was risen up again from death, his disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed the scripture, and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 When he was at Jerusalem, at Passover in the feast, many believed on his name when they saw the miracles that he did. 24 But Jesus did not put himself in their hands, 25 because he knew all men, and needed not that anyone should testify of man. For he knew what was in man.
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Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.