John 4
Good News Translation
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
4 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John. (2 Actually, Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; only his disciples did.) 3 So when Jesus heard what was being said, he left Judea and went back to Galilee; 4 on his way there he had to go through Samaria.
5 (A)In Samaria he came to a town named Sychar, which was not far from the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by the trip, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7 A Samaritan woman came to draw some water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.” (8 His disciples had gone into town to buy food.)
9 (B)The woman answered, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan—so how can you ask me for a drink?” (Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use.)[a]
10 Jesus answered, “If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water? 12 It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You don't claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?”
13 Jesus answered, “Those who drink this water will get thirsty again, 14 but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.”
15 “Sir,” the woman said, “give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will I have to come here to draw water.”
16 “Go and call your husband,” Jesus told her, “and come back.”
17 “I don't have a husband,” she answered.
Jesus replied, “You are right when you say you don't have a husband. 18 You have been married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have told me the truth.”
19 “I see you are a prophet, sir,” the woman said. 20 “My Samaritan ancestors worshiped God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes. 23 But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants. 24 God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
26 Jesus answered, “I am he, I who am talking with you.”
27 At that moment Jesus' disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, “What do you want?” or asked him, “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there, 29 “Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?” 30 So they left the town and went to Jesus.
31 In the meantime the disciples were begging Jesus, “Teacher, have something to eat!”
32 But he answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 So the disciples started asking among themselves, “Could somebody have brought him food?”
34 “My food,” Jesus said to them, “is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work he gave me to do. 35 You have a saying, ‘Four more months and then the harvest.’ But I tell you, take a good look at the fields; the crops are now ripe and ready to be harvested! 36 The one who reaps the harvest is being paid and gathers the crops for eternal life; so the one who plants and the one who reaps will be glad together. 37 For the saying is true, ‘Someone plants, someone else reaps.’ 38 I have sent you to reap a harvest in a field where you did not work; others worked there, and you profit from their work.”
39 Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days.
41 Many more believed because of his message, 42 and they told the woman, “We believe now, not because of what you said, but because we ourselves have heard him, and we know that he really is the Savior of the world.”
Jesus Heals an Official's Son
43 After spending two days there, Jesus left and went to Galilee. 44 (C)For he himself had said, “Prophets are not respected in their own country.” 45 (D)When he arrived in Galilee, the people there welcomed him, because they had gone to the Passover Festival in Jerusalem and had seen everything that he had done during the festival.
46 (E)Then Jesus went back to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. A government official was there whose son was sick in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to go to Capernaum and heal his son, who was about to die. 48 Jesus said to him, “None of you will ever believe unless you see miracles and wonders.”
49 “Sir,” replied the official, “come with me before my child dies.”
50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live!”
The man believed Jesus' words and went. 51 On his way home his servants met him with the news, “Your boy is going to live!”
52 He asked them what time it was when his son got better, and they answered, “It was one o'clock yesterday afternoon when the fever left him.” 53 Then the father remembered that it was at that very hour when Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his family believed.
54 This was the second miracle that Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Footnotes
- John 4:9 Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use; or Jews will have nothing to do with Samaritans.
John 4
Common English Bible
Jesus leaves Judea
4 Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was making more disciples and baptizing more than John (2 although Jesus’ disciples were baptizing, not Jesus himself). 3 Therefore, he left Judea and went back to Galilee.
Jesus in Samaria
4 Jesus had to go through Samaria. 5 He came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, which was near the land Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his journey, so he sat down at the well. It was about noon.
7 A Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” 8 His disciples had gone into the city to buy him some food.
9 The Samaritan woman asked, “Why do you, a Jewish man, ask for something to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with each other.)
10 Jesus responded, “If you recognized God’s gift and who is saying to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would be asking him and he would give you living water.”
11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you don’t have a bucket and the well is deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave this well to us, and he drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never be thirsty again. The water that I give will become in those who drink it a spring of water that bubbles up into eternal life.”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty and will never need to come here to draw water!”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, get your husband, and come back here.”
17 The woman replied, “I don’t have a husband.”
“You are right to say, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus answered. 18 “You’ve had five husbands, and the man you are with now isn’t your husband. You’ve spoken the truth.”
19 The woman said, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you and your people say that it is necessary to worship in Jerusalem.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You and your people worship what you don’t know; we worship what we know because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—and is here!—when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth. The Father looks for those who worship him this way. 24 God is spirit, and it is necessary to worship God in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one who is called the Christ. When he comes, he will teach everything to us.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I Am—the one who speaks with you.”[a]
27 Just then, Jesus’ disciples arrived and were shocked that he was talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 The woman put down her water jar and went into the city. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who has told me everything I’ve done! Could this man be the Christ?” 30 They left the city and were on their way to see Jesus.
31 In the meantime the disciples spoke to Jesus, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32 Jesus said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”
33 The disciples asked each other, “Has someone brought him food?”
34 Jesus said to them, “I am fed by doing the will of the one who sent me and by completing his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘Four more months and then it’s time for harvest’? Look, I tell you: open your eyes and notice that the fields are already ripe for the harvest. 36 Those who harvest are receiving their pay and gathering fruit for eternal life so that those who sow and those who harvest can celebrate together. 37 This is a true saying, that one sows and another harvests. 38 I have sent you to harvest what you didn’t work hard for; others worked hard, and you will share in their hard work.”
39 Many Samaritans in that city believed in Jesus because of the woman’s word when she testified, “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of his word, 42 and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this one is truly the savior of the world.”
Jesus arrives in Galilee
43 After two days Jesus left for Galilee. (44 Jesus himself had testified that prophets have no honor in their own country.) 45 When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the festival, for they also had been at the festival.
Jesus’ second miraculous sign in Galilee
46 He returned to Cana in Galilee where he had turned the water into wine. In Capernaum there was a certain royal official whose son was sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus was coming from Judea to Galilee, he went out to meet him and asked Jesus if he would come and heal his son, for his son was about to die. 48 Jesus said to him, “Unless you see miraculous signs and wonders, you won’t believe.”
49 The royal official said to him, “Lord, come before my son dies.”
50 Jesus replied, “Go home. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and set out for his home.
51 While he was on his way, his servants were already coming to meet him. They said, “Your son lives!” 52 So he asked them at what time his son had started to get better. And they said, “The fever left him yesterday at about one o’clock in the afternoon.” 53 Then the father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son lives.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54 This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did while going from Judea to Galilee.
Footnotes
- John 4:26 Or It is I, the one who speaks with you.
Johannes 4
Het Boek
Jezus en de Samaritaanse vrouw
4 Jezus hoorde dat de Farizeeën ervan op de hoogte waren dat Hij meer leerlingen kreeg en meer mensen doopte dan Johannes. 2 Jezus doopte overigens niet Zelf, maar zijn leerlingen deden dat. 3 Daarom verliet Hij Judea en ging terug naar Galilea.
4 Hij moest door Samaria 5 en kwam in de stad Sichar in Samaria. Deze stad lag vlakbij het stuk land dat Jakob aan Jozef had gegeven 6 en daar was ook de bron van Jakob. Jezus was moe van het lopen en rustte uit bij de bron. Dat was omstreeks twaalf uur ʼs middags. 7 Er kwam een Samaritaanse vrouw water putten. Jezus vroeg of zij Hem wat te drinken wilde geven. 8 Hij was op dat moment alleen omdat zijn leerlingen naar de stad waren om eten te kopen. 9 ‘Dat begrijp ik niet,’ zei de vrouw verbaasd. ‘Ik ben een Samaritaanse en U bent een Jood. Welke Jood vraagt een Samaritaanse nu iets te drinken?’ Want Joden gaan niet met Samaritanen om. 10 ‘Als u wist wat God geeft en wie Ik ben die u om water heeft gevraagd,’ antwoordde Jezus, ‘dan zou u Míj om water hebben gevraagd en Ik zou u levend water hebben gegeven.’ 11 ‘Maar Here,’ zei zij. ‘U hebt geen kruik en de put is diep. Waar haalt U dat levende water dan vandaan? 12 Bent U dan meer dan onze stamvader Jakob? Hij heeft deze put gegraven. En zijn zoons, zijn vee en hijzelf hebben er water uit gedronken.’ 13 Jezus antwoordde: ‘Wie van het water uit deze put drinkt, krijgt weer dorst. 14 Maar wie van het water drinkt dat Ik hem geef, zal nooit meer dorst krijgen. Dat water zal in hem als een fontein worden, waaruit eeuwig leven voortkomt.’ 15 De vrouw zei: ‘Here, geef mij van dat water, dan zal ik nooit meer dorst krijgen en hier geen water meer hoeven putten.’ 16 Jezus zei: ‘Ga uw man eens halen.’ 17 ‘Ik heb geen man,’ antwoordde de vrouw. ‘Dat is waar,’ zei Jezus. 18 ‘U bent vijf keer getrouwd geweest en de man met wie u nu samenleeft, is uw man niet.’ 19 ‘Here,’ zei de vrouw tegen Hem. ‘U moet een profeet zijn! 20 Op welke plaats moeten wij God eigenlijk aanbidden? Hier op de berg Gerizim zoals onze voorouders altijd deden of in Jeruzalem zoals de Joden zeggen?’ 21 Jezus antwoordde: ‘Geloof Mij, er komt een tijd dat de mensen de Vader niet zullen aanbidden op de Gerizim en ook niet in Jeruzalem. 22 U aanbidt blindelings, want u kent God niet. Wij weten wie wij aanbidden, wij kennen God, want de Redder van de wereld komt uit het Joodse volk. 23 Maar er komt een tijd, en die is er nu al, dat iedereen die de Vader echt wil aanbidden, dat overal kan doen, door de Geest die Waarheid schenkt. De Vader zoekt mensen die Hem zo aanbidden. 24 God is Geest en wij kunnen Hem alleen aanbidden als onze aanbidding geestelijk en oprecht is.’ 25 De vrouw zei: ‘Ik weet dat de Messias komt,’ Messias betekent namelijk Christus, ‘Hij zal ons Gods boodschap precies vertellen.’ 26 Jezus antwoordde haar: ‘Ik ben de Christus.’
27 Op dat moment kwamen zijn leerlingen eraan. Zij vonden het vreemd dat Hij met een vrouw sprak, maar geen van hen zei er iets van. 28 De vrouw liet haar kruik bij de put staan en ging de stad in. ‘Kom mee!’ riep zij naar de mensen. 29 ‘Er is daar Iemand die mij wist te vertellen wat ik mijn leven allemaal gedaan heb. Zou Hij de Christus kunnen zijn?’ 30 De mensen liepen de stad uit om Hem te zien. 31 Ondertussen vroegen de leerlingen of Jezus iets wilde eten. 32 ‘Nee,’ zei Hij. ‘Ik heb iets te eten dat jullie niet kennen.’ 33 ‘Zou iemand Hem iets te eten hebben gebracht?’ vroegen ze elkaar.
34 Jezus antwoordde: ‘Mijn voeding is het doen van de wil van God, die Mij gezonden heeft, en het volbrengen van zijn werk. 35 Zegt men niet dat er pas vier maanden na de zaaitijd geoogst kan worden? Maar kijk eens rond! Overal liggen de velden rijp om te oogsten. 36 De maaier krijgt zijn loon al en haalt de eerste opbrengst voor het eeuwige leven binnen. Nu zijn de zaaier én de maaier blij. 37 Want de een zaait en de ander maait. 38 Ik heb jullie erop uitgestuurd om te maaien wat je niet hebt gezaaid. Anderen hebben het voorbereidende werk gedaan en jullie mogen de oogst binnenhalen.’
39 Veel mensen uit de Samaritaanse stad geloofden in Jezus. Zij waren overtuigd geraakt omdat de vrouw vertelde dat Hij precies wist wat er in haar leven gebeurd was. 40 Toen zij bij Hem kwamen, vroegen zij of Hij bij hen bleef en Hij bleef nog twee dagen. 41 Er gingen nog veel meer mensen in Hem geloven. 42 ‘Wij geloven nu ook in Hem,’ zeiden zij tegen de vrouw, ‘maar niet alleen door wat u ons hebt verteld. We hebben Hem nu zelf gehoord en weten dat Hij werkelijk de Redder van de wereld is.’
43 Na die twee dagen ging Jezus weer op weg naar Galilea. 44 Hij had gezegd dat een profeet in zijn vaderland niet geëerd wordt. 45 Toch werd Hij in Galilea wel ontvangen, want de mensen die met Pesach, het Joodse Paasfeest, in Jeruzalem waren geweest, hadden zijn wonderen gezien.
46 Op zijn reis door Galilea kwam Hij ook weer in Kana, waar Hij water in wijn had veranderd. 47 Een hoge ambtenaar uit Kafarnaüm hoorde dat Jezus uit Judea naar Galilea was gekomen en ging meteen naar Hem toe. Zijn zoon was doodziek en hij vroeg Jezus mee te gaan om de jongen te genezen. 48 ‘U zult nooit in Mij geloven als u geen duidelijke bewijzen en wonderen ziet,’ zei Jezus tegen hem. 49 Maar de man bleef aandringen: ‘Here, kom toch mee! Anders sterft mijn kind nog!’ 50 ‘Ga maar naar huis,’ zei Jezus. ‘Uw zoon blijft leven.’ De man geloofde Hem en ging op weg naar huis. 51 Zijn bedienden kwamen hem tegemoet. ‘Uw zoon is genezen!’ vertelden zij hem. 52 Hij vroeg hun wanneer de jongen genezen was. ‘Gistermiddag om één uur was de koorts ineens weg,’ antwoordden zij. 53 De vader besefte dat het precies het moment was waarop Jezus had gezegd: ‘Uw zoon blijft leven.’ Hij en al zijn huisgenoten kwamen tot het geloof dat Jezus inderdaad de Christus was. 54 Dit was het tweede wonder dat Jezus deed toen Hij uit Judea naar Galilea was gekomen.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
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