John 4
Expanded Bible
Jesus and a Samaritan Woman
4 The Pharisees [C a religious party which strictly observed OT laws and later customs] heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more ·followers [disciples] than John, 2 although Jesus himself did not baptize people, but his ·followers [disciples] did. 3 Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him, so he left Judea [C the southern region of Israel] and went back to Galilee [C the northern region of Israel; Mark 1:14]. 4 But on the way he had to go through the country of Samaria [C the central region occupied by a people disliked because they were only partly Jewish].
5 In Samaria Jesus came to the town called Sychar [C perhaps Shechem or a village near it; compare Gen. 33:18–19; 48:22], which is near the ·field [plot of ground] Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from ·his long trip [L the journey], so he sat down beside the well. It was about ·twelve o’clock noon [L the sixth hour; C hours were counted from dawn, about 6 AM]. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to the well to ·get some [draw] water, Jesus said to her, “·Please give [L Give] me a drink.” 8 (This happened while Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] were in town buying some food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said, “·I am surprised [L How is it…?] that you ask me for a drink, since you are a ·Jewish man [L a Jew] and I am a Samaritan woman.” (Jewish people ·are not friends [do not share things; have no dealings] with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus ·said [answered; replied], “If you only knew the ·free gift [L gift] of God and who it is that is asking you ·for water [L “Give me a drink”], you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” [C “Living water” in Greek can mean fresh running water, but Jesus means “water which gives eternal life”; the woman misunderstands this play on words.]
11 The woman said, “Sir, where will you get this living water? The well is very deep, and you have ·nothing to get water with [L no bucket]. 12 Are you greater than Jacob, our father [C a patriarch recognized by both Jews and Samaritans], who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and ·flocks [or livestock]?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again [C because physical water only temporarily satisfies thirst], 14 but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty [C because spiritual renewal/eternal life is forever]. [L But; Indeed] The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life [Is. 12:3; 49:10; 55:1–3; Rev. 7:16].”
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so I will never be thirsty again and will not have to come back here to ·get [draw] more water.” [C Her response indicates she does not understand.]
16 Jesus told her, “Go ·get [call] your husband and come back here.”
17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You are right to say you have no husband. 18 ·Really [For] you have had five husbands, and the man you ·live with [L have] now is not your husband. You told the truth.”
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ·ancestors [forefathers; L fathers] worshiped on this mountain [C the Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim near Shechem], but you [C plural, referring to the Jews] say that Jerusalem [C Mount Zion, the location of the temple] is the place where people must worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman [C a respectful form of address in that culture; 2:4]. The ·time [L hour; C the time of salvation established by the death and resurrection of Christ; see 2:4] is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you ·actually worship [L worship] the Father. 22 You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand. We [C Jews] understand what we worship, because salvation comes from the Jews [C because the Messiah who brings salvation comes through the Jews]. 23 [L But] The ·time [L hour; see 4:21] is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in ·spirit [or the Spirit] and truth, and that time ·is here already [has now come; is now here]. You see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is ·spirit [Spirit], and those who worship him must worship in ·spirit [Spirit] and truth.”
25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (Messiah is the One called Christ [C both Hebrew Mashiach and Greek Christos mean “Anointed One”; see 1:41].) “When ·the Messiah [L that one] comes, he will ·explain [report; announce] everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus said to her, “I am he—I, the one talking to you.”
27 Just then his ·followers [disciples] came back from town and were surprised to see him talking with a woman [C some Jews thought it a waste of time for rabbis to teach women]. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She said to the people, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Do you think he might be the ·Christ [Messiah]?” 30 So the people left the town and ·went to see Jesus [L were coming toward him].
31 Meanwhile, his ·followers [disciples] were ·begging [urging] him, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], eat something.”
32 But Jesus answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about [Deut. 8:3].”
33 So the ·followers [disciples] asked ·themselves [each other], “·Did somebody already bring him food [L No one brought him anything to eat, did they]?”
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do ·what the One who sent me wants me to do [L the will of the One who sent me] and to ·finish [complete] his work. 35 ·You have a saying [L Do you not say…?], ‘Four more months till harvest.’ ·But [Look; T Behold] I tell you, ·open your eyes and look at [L lift up your eyes and see] the fields ·ready [ripe; L white] for harvest now. 36 Already, the one who ·harvests [reaps] is ·being paid [L receiving wages] and is gathering ·crops [fruit] for eternal life. So the one who ·plants [sows] and the one who ·harvests [reaps] ·celebrate [rejoice] ·at the same time [together]. 37 [L For] ·Here [in this case] the saying is true, ‘One person ·plants [sows], and another ·harvests [reaps].’ 38 I sent you to ·harvest a crop that [reap what] you did not ·work [labor; toil] on. Others did the ·work [labor; toil], and you ·get to finish up [reap the benefits of; L have entered into] their work.”
39 Many of the Samaritans in that town believed in Jesus because of ·what the woman said [L the word of the woman who testified]: “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they ·begged [urged; asked] him to stay with them, so he stayed there two more days. 41 And many more believed because of ·the things he said [L his word].
42 They said to the woman, “·First we believed in Jesus [L It is no longer] because of what you said, but now we believe because we heard him ourselves. We know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Jesus Heals an Officer’s Son(A)
43 Two days later, Jesus left [L from there] and went to Galilee [C the northern region of Israel]. 44 (Jesus had ·said [testified; witnessed] before that a prophet ·is not respected [L has no honor] in his own ·country [or hometown; C probably a reference to Galilee, but some think Judea].) 45 When [L therefore] Jesus arrived in Galilee, the ·people there [L Galileans] ·welcomed [received] him. They had seen all the things he did at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, because they had been there, too.
46 Jesus went again to visit Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine [2:1–11]. One of the king’s important officers lived in the city of Capernaum, and his son was sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Jesus and ·begged [urged; asked] him to come to Capernaum and heal his son, because his son was almost dead. 48 Jesus said to him, “·You people must see signs and miracles before you will believe in me [L Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe; 2:23–25; 6:26].”
49 The [royal] officer said, “Sir, ·come [L come down] before my child dies.”
50 Jesus ·answered [said to him], “Go. Your son will live.”
The man believed what Jesus told him [C he did not need “signs” and miracles] and went home. 51 On the way the man’s ·servants [slaves; bond-servants] came and met him and told him, “Your son is alive.”
52 [L So/Then] The man asked, “What ·time [hour] did my son begin to get well?”
They answered, “Yesterday at ·one o’clock [L the seventh hour; C hours were counted from dawn, about 6 AM] the fever left him.”
53 [L So/Then] The father knew that ·one o’clock was the exact time that [L in that hour] Jesus had said, “Your son will live.” So the man and all ·the people who lived in his house [his household] believed in Jesus.
54 That was the second ·miracle [L sign; C the first sign was turning water into wine; 2:1–11] Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Juan 4
Reina Valera Contemporánea
Jesús y la mujer samaritana
4 Cuando el Señor supo que los fariseos habían oído decir: «Jesús hace y bautiza más discípulos que Juan» 2 (aunque en realidad Jesús no bautizaba, sino sus discípulos), 3 salió de Judea, y se fue otra vez a Galilea. 4 Le era necesario pasar por Samaria, 5 así que fue a una ciudad llamada Sicar, la cual está junto a la heredad que Jacob le dio a su hijo José.(A) 6 Allí estaba el pozo de Jacob, y como Jesús estaba cansado del camino, se sentó allí, junto al pozo. Eran casi las doce del día.
7 Una mujer de Samaria vino a sacar agua, y Jesús le dijo: «Dame de beber.» 8 Y es que sus discípulos habían ido a la ciudad para comprar de comer. 9 La samaritana le dijo: «¿Y cómo es que tú, que eres judío, me pides de beber a mí, que soy samaritana?» Y es que los judíos y los samaritanos no se tratan entre sí.(B) 10 Jesús le respondió: «Si conocieras el don de Dios, y quién es el que te dice: “Dame de beber”; tú le pedirías a él, y él te daría agua viva.» 11 La mujer le dijo: «Señor, no tienes con qué sacar agua, y el pozo es hondo. Así que, ¿de dónde tienes el agua viva? 12 ¿Acaso eres tú mayor que nuestro padre Jacob, que nos dio este pozo, del cual bebieron él, sus hijos y sus ganados?» 13 Jesús le respondió: «Todo el que beba de esta agua, volverá a tener sed; 14 pero el que beba del agua que yo le daré, no tendrá sed jamás. Más bien, el agua que yo le daré será en él una fuente de agua que fluya para vida eterna.» 15 La mujer le dijo: «Señor, dame de esa agua, para que yo no tenga sed ni venga aquí a sacarla.»
16 Jesús le dijo: «Ve a llamar a tu marido, y luego vuelve acá.» 17 La mujer le dijo: «No tengo marido.» Jesús le dijo: «Haces bien en decir que no tienes marido, 18 porque ya has tenido cinco maridos, y el que ahora tienes no es tu marido. Esto que has dicho es verdad.» 19 La mujer le dijo: «Señor, me parece que tú eres profeta. 20 Nuestros padres adoraron en este monte, y ustedes dicen que el lugar donde se debe adorar es Jerusalén.» 21 Jesús le dijo: «Créeme, mujer, que viene la hora cuando ni en este monte ni en Jerusalén adorarán ustedes al Padre. 22 Ustedes adoran lo que no saben; nosotros adoramos lo que sabemos; porque la salvación viene de los judíos. 23 Pero viene la hora, y ya llegó, cuando los verdaderos adoradores adorarán al Padre en espíritu y en verdad; porque también el Padre busca que lo adoren tales adoradores. 24 Dios es Espíritu; y es necesario que los que lo adoran, lo adoren en espíritu y en verdad.» 25 Le dijo la mujer: «Yo sé que el Mesías, llamado el Cristo, ha de venir; y que cuando él venga nos explicará todas las cosas.» 26 Jesús le dijo: «Yo soy, el que habla contigo.»
27 En esto vinieron sus discípulos, y se asombraron de que hablaba con una mujer; sin embargo, ninguno le dijo: «¿Qué pretendes? ¿O de qué hablas con ella?» 28 La mujer dejó entonces su cántaro y fue a la ciudad, y les dijo a los hombres: 29 «Vengan a ver a un hombre que me ha dicho todo cuanto he hecho. ¿No será éste el Cristo?» 30 Entonces ellos salieron de la ciudad, y fueron a donde estaba Jesús.
31 Mientras tanto, con ruegos los discípulos le decían: «Rabí, come.» 32 Pero él les dijo: «Para comer, yo tengo una comida que ustedes no conocen.» 33 Los discípulos se decían unos a otros: «¿Alguien le habrá traído algo para comer?» 34 Jesús les dijo: «Mi comida es hacer la voluntad del que me envió, y llevar a cabo su obra. 35 ¿Acaso no dicen ustedes: “Aún faltan cuatro meses para el tiempo de la siega”? Pues yo les digo: Alcen los ojos, y miren los campos, porque ya están blancos para la siega. 36 Y el que siega recibe su salario y recoge fruto para vida eterna, para que se alegren por igual el que siembra y el que siega. 37 Porque en este caso es verdad lo que dice el dicho: “Uno es el que siembra, y otro es el que siega.” 38 Yo los he enviado a segar lo que ustedes no cultivaron; otros cultivaron, y ustedes se han beneficiado de sus trabajos.»
39 Muchos de los samaritanos de aquella ciudad creyeron en él por la palabra de la mujer, que en su testimonio decía: «Él me dijo todo lo que he hecho.» 40 Entonces los samaritanos fueron adonde él estaba, y le rogaron que se quedara con ellos; y él se quedó allí dos días. 41 Y muchos más creyeron por la palabra de él, 42 y decían a la mujer: «Ya no creemos solamente por lo que has dicho, pues nosotros mismos hemos oído, y sabemos, que éste es verdaderamente el Salvador del mundo.»
Jesús sana al hijo de un noble
43 Dos días después, Jesús salió de allí y fue a Galilea; 44 y es que Jesús mismo hizo constar que el profeta no tiene honra en su propia tierra.(C) 45 Cuando llegó a Galilea, los galileos lo recibieron, pues habían visto todo lo que él había hecho durante la fiesta en Jerusalén;(D) pues también ellos habían ido a la fiesta.
46 Jesús fue otra vez a Caná de Galilea, donde había convertido el agua en vino.(E) En Cafarnaún había un oficial del rey, cuyo hijo estaba enfermo. 47 Cuando éste supo que Jesús había llegado de Judea a Galilea, fue a verlo y le rogó que bajara y sanara a su hijo, que estaba a punto de morir. 48 Jesús le dijo: «Si ustedes no ven señales y prodigios, no creen.» 49 El oficial del rey le dijo: «Señor, ven a mi casa antes de que mi hijo muera.» 50 Jesús le dijo: «Vuelve a tu casa, que tu hijo vive.» Y ese hombre creyó en lo que Jesús le dijo, y se fue. 51 Cuando volvía a su casa, sus siervos salieron a recibirlo y le dieron la noticia: «¡Tu hijo vive!» 52 Él les preguntó a qué hora había comenzado a estar mejor. Y le dijeron: «Ayer, a las siete, lo dejó la fiebre.» 53 El padre entendió entonces que aquélla era la hora en que Jesús le había dicho «Tu hijo vive», y creyó, lo mismo que toda su familia. 54 Esta segunda señal la hizo Jesús cuando fue de Judea a Galilea.
John 4
New American Standard Bible
Jesus Goes to Galilee
4 So then, when (A)the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that [a]He was making and (B)baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although (C)Jesus Himself was not baptizing; rather, His (D)disciples were), 3 He left (E)Judea and went away (F)again to Galilee. 4 And He had to pass through (G)Samaria. 5 So He *came to a city of (H)Samaria called Sychar, near (I)the parcel of land that (J)Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired from His journey, was just sitting by the well. It was about [b]the sixth hour.
The Woman of Samaria
7 A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His (K)disciples had gone away to (L)the city to buy food. 9 So the (M)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 (N)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 (O)living water.” 11 She *said to Him, “[c]Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this (P)living water? 12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who (Q)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 (R)shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to (S)eternal life.”
15 The woman *said to Him, “[d]Sir, (T)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, “[e]Sir, I perceive that You are (U)a prophet. 20 (V)Our fathers worshiped on (W)this mountain, and yet you Jews say that (X)in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that [f](Y)a time is coming when you will worship the Father (Z)neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 (AA)You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because (AB)salvation is from the Jews. 23 But [g](AC)a time is coming, and [h]even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father (AD)in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be [i]His worshipers. 24 God is [j]spirit, and those who worship Him must worship (AE)in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that (AF)Messiah is coming ((AG)He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus *said to her, “(AH)I am He, the One speaking to you.”
27 And at this point His (AI)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 (AJ)who told me all the things that I have done; (AK)this is not the [k]Christ, is He?” 30 They left the city and were coming to Him.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “(AL)Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the (AM)disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus *said to them, “My food is to (AN)do the will of Him who sent Me, and to (AO)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 (AP)for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving (AQ)wages and is gathering (AR)fruit for (AS)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: ‘(AT)One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have [l]come into their labor.”
The Samaritans
39 Now from (AU)that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “(AV)He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to [m]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 (AW)the Savior of the world.”
43 And after (AX)the two days, He departed from there for Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that (AY)a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, only because (AZ)they had seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.
Healing an Official’s Son
46 Therefore He came again to (BA)Cana of Galilee, (BB)where He had made the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at (BC)Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come (BD)from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and began asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see [n](BE)signs and (BF)wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49 The royal official *said to Him, “[o]Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus *said to him, “(BG)Go; your son [p]is alive.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went home. 51 And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his [q]son was [r]alive. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the [s]seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son is alive”; and he himself believed, and (BH)his entire household. 54 This is again a (BI)second [t]sign that Jesus performed when He had (BJ)come from Judea into Galilee.
Footnotes
- John 4:1 Lit Jesus
- John 4:6 I.e., noon
- John 4:11 Or Lord
- John 4:15 Or Lord
- John 4:19 Or Lord
- John 4:21 Lit an hour
- John 4:23 Lit an hour
- John 4:23 Lit now is, when
- John 4:23 Lit the ones worshiping Him
- John 4:24 Or Spirit
- John 4:29 I.e., Messiah
- John 4:38 I.e., enjoyed the fruit of their labor
- John 4:40 Lit Him
- John 4:48 I.e., confirming miracles
- John 4:49 Or Lord
- John 4:50 I.e., is well
- John 4:51 Or boy
- John 4:51 I.e., well
- John 4:52 I.e., 1 p.m.
- John 4:54 I.e., confirming miracle
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
