and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired from His journey, was just sitting by the well. It was about [a]the sixth hour.

The Woman of Samaria

A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His (A)disciples had gone away to (B)the city to buy food. So the (C)Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, though You are a Jew, are asking me for a drink, though I am a Samaritan woman?” (For (D)Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you (E)living water.” 11 She *said to Him, “[b]Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this (F)living water? 12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who (G)gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him (H)shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to (I)eternal life.”

15 The woman *said to Him, “[c]Sir, (J)give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.” 16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said to Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “[d]Sir, I perceive that You are (K)a prophet. 20 (L)Our fathers worshiped on (M)this mountain, and yet you Jews say that (N)in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that [e](O)a time is coming when you will worship the Father (P)neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 (Q)You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because (R)salvation is from the Jews. 23 But [f](S)a time is coming, and [g]even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father (T)in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be [h]His worshipers. 24 God is [i]spirit, and those who worship Him must worship (U)in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that (V)Messiah is coming ((W)He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus *said to her, (X)I am He, the One speaking to you.”

27 And at this point His (Y)disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” 28 So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and *said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man (Z)who told me all the things that I have done; (AA)this is not the [j]Christ, is He?” 30 They left the city and were coming to Him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “(AB)Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the (AC)disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus *said to them, “My food is to (AD)do the will of Him who sent Me, and to (AE)accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white (AF)for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving (AG)wages and is gathering (AH)fruit for (AI)eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘(AJ)One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have [k]come into their labor.”

The Samaritans

39 Now from (AK)that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “(AL)He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to [l]Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of His word; 42 and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is (AM)the Savior of the world.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. John 4:6 I.e., noon
  2. John 4:11 Or Lord
  3. John 4:15 Or Lord
  4. John 4:19 Or Lord
  5. John 4:21 Lit an hour
  6. John 4:23 Lit an hour
  7. John 4:23 Lit now is, when
  8. John 4:23 Lit the ones worshiping Him
  9. John 4:24 Or Spirit
  10. John 4:29 I.e., Messiah
  11. John 4:38 I.e., enjoyed the fruit of their labor
  12. John 4:40 Lit Him

Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of his own word;

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Read full chapter

and there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore having been weary from the journeying, was sitting thus on the well; it was as it were the sixth hour;

there cometh a woman out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, `Give me to drink;'

for his disciples were gone away to the city, that they may buy victuals;

the Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, `How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?' for Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said to her, `If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'

11 The woman saith to him, `Sir, thou hast not even a vessel to draw with, and the well is deep; whence, then, hast thou the living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'

13 Jesus answered and said to her, `Every one who is drinking of this water shall thirst again;

14 but whoever may drink of the water that I will give him, may not thirst -- to the age; and the water that I will give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up to life age-during.'

15 The woman saith unto him, `Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.'

16 Jesus saith to her, `Go, call thy husband, and come hither;'

17 the woman answered and said, `I have not a husband.' Jesus saith to her, `Well didst thou say -- A husband I have not;

18 for five husbands thou hast had, and, now, he whom thou hast is not thy husband; this hast thou said truly.'

19 The woman saith to him, `Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet;

20 our fathers in this mountain did worship, and ye -- ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it behoveth to worship.'

21 Jesus saith to her, `Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;

22 ye worship what ye have not known; we worship what we have known, because the salvation is of the Jews;

23 but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him;

24 God [is] a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.'

25 The woman saith to him, `I have known that Messiah doth come, who is called Christ, when that one may come, he will tell us all things;'

26 Jesus saith to her, `I am [he], who am speaking to thee.'

27 And upon this came his disciples, and were wondering that with a woman he was speaking, no one, however, said, `What seekest thou?' or `Why speakest thou with her?'

28 The woman then left her water-jug, and went away to the city, and saith to the men,

29 `Come, see a man, who told me all things -- as many as I did; is this the Christ?'

30 They went forth therefore out of the city, and were coming unto him.

31 And in the meanwhile his disciples were asking him, saying, `Rabbi, eat;'

32 and he said to them, `I have food to eat that ye have not known.'

33 The disciples then said one to another, `Did any one bring him anything to eat?'

34 Jesus saith to them, `My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work;

35 do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already.

36 `And he who is reaping doth receive a reward, and doth gather fruit to life age-during, that both he who is sowing and he who is reaping may rejoice together;

37 for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper.

38 I sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others laboured, and ye into their labour have entered.

39 And from that city many believed in him, of the Samaritans, because of the word of the woman testifying, -- `He told me all things -- as many as I did.'

40 When, then, the Samaritans came unto him, they were asking him to remain with them, and he remained there two days;

41 and many more did believe because of his word,

42 and said to the woman -- `No more because of thy speaking do we believe; for we ourselves have heard and known that this is truly the Saviour of the world -- the Christ.'

Read full chapter