John 4:19-39

New International Version

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.^{(A) 20} Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,^(B) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”^(C)

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming^(D) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.^{(E) 22} You Samaritans worship what you do not know;^(F) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.^{(G) 23} Yet a time is coming and has now come^(H) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit^(I) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit,^(J) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)^(K) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”^(L)

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

²⁷ Just then his disciples returned^(M) and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.^(N) Could this be the Messiah?”^{(O) 30} They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

³¹ Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi,^(P) eat something.”

³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat^(Q) that you know nothing about.”

³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will^(R) of him who sent me and to finish his work.^{(S) 35} Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.^{(T) 36} Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests^(U) a crop for eternal life,^(V) so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’^(W) is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

³⁹ Many of the Samaritans from that town^(X) believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”^(Y)