Jesus’s Threefold Restoration of Peter

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[a] do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love(A) me?”(B)

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd(C) my sheep,”(D) he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love(E) me?”

Peter was grieved(F) that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything;(G) you know that I love you.”

“Feed(H) my sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “Truly I tell you,(I) when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate by what kind of death(J) Peter would glorify God.(K) After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 21:15–17 Other mss read “Simon, son of Jonah; Mt 16:17; Jn 1:42

Peter Is Restored Three Times

15 Now when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs!” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Shepherd my sheep!” 17 He said to him a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed because he said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything! You know that I love you!” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep! 18 Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you tied your clothes[a] around yourself and walked wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you up and carry you where you do not want to go.[b] 19 (Now he said this to indicate by what kind of death he would glorify God.) And after he[c] had said this, he said to him, “Follow me!”

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Footnotes

  1. John 21:18 The words “your clothes” are not in the Greek text but are implied
  2. John 21:18 *The words “to go” are not in the Greek text but are implied
  3. John 21:19 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had said”) which is understood as temporal