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John 4
The Message
John 4
The Message
The Woman at the Well
4 1-3 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee.
4-6 To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.
7-8 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”
11-12 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”
13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
15 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”
16 He said, “Go call your husband and then come back.”
17-18 “I have no husband,” she said.
“That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.”
19-20 “Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?”
21-23 “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
25 The woman said, “I don’t know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we’ll get the whole story.”
26 “I am he,” said Jesus. “You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further.”
27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.
28-30 The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?” And they went out to see for themselves.
It’s Harvest Time
31 In the meantime, the disciples pressed him, “Rabbi, eat. Aren’t you going to eat?”
32 He told them, “I have food to eat you know nothing about.”
33 The disciples were puzzled. “Who could have brought him food?”
34-35 Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!
36-38 “The Harvester isn’t waiting. He’s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that’s ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That’s the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.’ I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others.”
39-42 Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman’s witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. They said to the woman, “We’re no longer taking this on your say-so. We’ve heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He’s the Savior of the world!”
* * *
43-45 After the two days he left for Galilee. Now, Jesus knew well from experience that a prophet is not respected in the place where he grew up. So when he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, but only because they were impressed with what he had done in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, not that they really had a clue about who he was or what he was up to.
46-48 Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king’s court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: “Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe.”
49 But the court official wouldn’t be put off. “Come down! It’s life or death for my son.”
50-51 Jesus simply replied, “Go home. Your son lives.”
The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, “Your son lives!”
52-53 He asked them what time he began to get better. They said, “The fever broke yesterday afternoon at one o’clock.” The father knew that that was the very moment Jesus had said, “Your son lives.”
53-54 That settled it. Not only he but his entire household believed. This was now the second sign Jesus gave after having come from Judea into Galilee.
Juan 4
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Juan 4
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
La mujer samaritana
4 Por tanto, cuando el Señor(A) supo que los fariseos habían oído que Él hacía y bautizaba(B) más discípulos que Juan 2 (aunque Jesús mismo no bautizaba(C), sino Sus discípulos(D)), 3 salió de Judea(E) y se fue otra vez para Galilea(F). 4 Y Él tenía que pasar por Samaria(G).
5 Llegó*, pues, a una ciudad de Samaria(H) llamada Sicar, cerca de la parcela de tierra que Jacob dio a su hijo José(I); 6 y allí estaba el pozo de Jacob. Entonces Jesús, cansado del camino, se sentó[a] junto al pozo. Era cerca del mediodía. 7 Una mujer de Samaria vino* a sacar agua, y Jesús le dijo*: «Dame de beber».
8 Pues Sus discípulos(J) habían ido a la ciudad(K) a comprar alimentos. 9 Entonces la mujer samaritana(L) le dijo*: «¿Cómo es que Tú, siendo judío, me pides de beber a mí, que soy samaritana?». (Porque los judíos no tienen tratos con los samaritanos(M)).
10 Jesús le respondió: «Si tú conocieras el don de Dios, y quién es el que te dice: “Dame de beber”, tú le habrías pedido a Él, y Él te hubiera dado agua viva(N)».
11 Ella le dijo*: «Señor, no tienes con qué sacarla, y el pozo es hondo; ¿de dónde, pues, tienes esa agua viva(O)? 12 ¿Acaso eres Tú mayor que nuestro padre Jacob, que nos dio el pozo(P) del cual bebió él mismo, y 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(Q), sino que el agua que Yo le daré se convertirá en él en una fuente de agua que brota para vida eterna(R)».
15 «Señor», le dijo* la mujer, «dame esa agua, para que no tenga sed(S) ni venga hasta aquí a sacarla». 16 Jesús le dijo*: «Ve, llama a tu marido y ven acá». 17 «No tengo marido», respondió la mujer. Jesús le dijo*: «Bien has dicho: “No tengo marido”, 18 porque cinco maridos has tenido, y el que ahora tienes no es tu marido; en eso has dicho la verdad».
19 La mujer le dijo*: «Señor, me parece que Tú eres profeta(T). 20 Nuestros padres adoraron(U) en este monte(V), y ustedes dicen que en Jerusalén(W) está el lugar donde se debe adorar».
21 Jesús le dijo*: «Mujer, cree lo que te digo: la hora viene(X)cuando ni en este monte ni en Jerusalén adorarán ustedes al Padre(Y). 22 Ustedes adoran lo que no conocen(Z); nosotros adoramos lo que conocemos, porque la salvación viene[b]de los judíos(AA). 23 Pero la hora viene, y ahora es(AB), cuando los verdaderos adoradores adorarán al Padre en espíritu(AC)y en verdad; porque ciertamente a los tales el Padre busca que lo adoren. 24 Dios es espíritu[c], y los que lo adoran deben adorar en espíritu(AD)y en verdad».
25 La mujer le dijo*: «Sé que el Mesías(AE) viene (el que es llamado Cristo(AF)); cuando Él venga nos declarará todo». 26 Jesús le dijo*: «Yo soy(AG), el que habla contigo».
27 En esto llegaron Sus discípulos(AH) y se admiraron de que hablara con una mujer, pero ninguno le preguntó: «¿Qué tratas de averiguar?» o: «¿Por qué hablas con ella?». 28 Entonces la mujer dejó su cántaro, fue a la ciudad y dijo* a los hombres: 29 «Vengan, vean a un hombre que me ha dicho todo lo que yo he hecho(AI). ¿No será este el Cristo[d](AJ)?». 30 Y salieron de la ciudad y fueron adonde Él estaba.
31 Mientras tanto, los discípulos le rogaban: «Rabí[e](AK), come». 32 Pero Él les dijo: «Yo tengo para comer una comida que ustedes no saben». 33 Entonces los discípulos(AL) se decían entre sí: «¿Le habrá traído alguien de comer?».
34 Jesús les dijo*: «Mi comida es hacer la voluntad del que me envió(AM)y llevar a cabo Su obra(AN). 35 ¿No dicen ustedes: “Todavía faltan cuatro meses, y después viene la siega”? Pero Yo les digo: alcen sus ojos y vean los campos que ya están blancos para la siega(AO). 36 Ya el segador recibe salario(AP)y recoge fruto(AQ)para vida eterna(AR), para que el que siembra se regocije junto con el que siega. 37 Porque en este caso el dicho es verdadero: “Uno es el que siembra y otro el que siega(AS)”. 38 Yo los envié a ustedes a segar lo que no han trabajado; otros han trabajado y ustedes han entrado en su labor».
39 Y de aquella ciudad(AT), muchos de los samaritanos creyeron en Él por la palabra de la mujer que daba testimonio, diciendo: «Él me dijo todo lo que yo he hecho(AU)». 40 De modo que cuando los samaritanos vinieron, rogaban a Jesús que se quedara con ellos; y Él se quedó allí dos días. 41 Muchos más creyeron por Su palabra, 42 y decían a la mujer: «Ya no creemos por lo que tú has dicho, porque nosotros mismos le hemos oído, y sabemos que Este es en verdad el Salvador del mundo(AV)».
43 Después de los dos días(AW), Jesús salió de allí para Galilea. 44 Porque Jesús mismo dio testimonio de que a un profeta no se le honra en su propia tierra(AX). 45 Así que cuando llegó a Galilea, los galileos lo recibieron, pues habían visto todo lo que Él hizo en Jerusalén durante la fiesta(AY); porque ellos también habían ido a la fiesta.
Curación del hijo de un oficial del rey
46 Entonces vino otra vez Jesús a Caná de Galilea(AZ), donde había convertido el agua en vino(BA). Y había allí cierto oficial del rey cuyo hijo estaba enfermo en Capernaúm(BB). 47 Cuando él oyó que Jesús había venido de Judea a Galilea(BC), fue a Su encuentro y le suplicaba que bajara y sanara a su hijo, porque estaba al borde de la muerte. 48 Jesús entonces le dijo: «Si ustedes no ven señales y prodigios(BD), no creerán». 49 El oficial del rey le dijo*: «Señor, baja antes de que mi hijo muera». 50 «Puedes irte, tu hijo vive», le dijo* Jesús. Y el hombre creyó la palabra que Jesús le dijo, y se fue(BE). 51 Y mientras bajaba a su casa, sus siervos le salieron al encuentro y le dijeron que su hijo[f] vivía. 52 Entonces les preguntó a qué hora había empezado a mejorar. Y le respondieron: «Ayer a la una de la tarde[g] se le quitó[h] la fiebre».
53 El padre entonces se dio cuenta que fue a la hora en que Jesús le dijo: «Tu hijo vive». Y creyó él con toda su casa(BF). 54 Esta[i] fue la segunda señal[j](BG) que Jesús hizo cuando fue de Judea a Galilea(BH).
John 4
New International Version
John 4
New International Version
Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John(A)— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea(B) and went back once more to Galilee.
4 Now he had to go through Samaria.(C) 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.(D) 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”(E) 8 (His disciples had gone into the town(F) to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan(G) woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”(H)
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well(I) and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.(J) Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water(K) welling up to eternal life.”(L)
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty(M) and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.(N) 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,(O) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”(P)
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming(Q) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.(R) 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know;(S) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.(T) 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come(U) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit(V) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit,(W) and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)(X) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”(Y)
The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27 Just then his disciples returned(Z) 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.(AA) Could this be the Messiah?”(AB) 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi,(AC) eat something.”
32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat(AD) 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(AE) of him who sent me and to finish his work.(AF) 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.(AG) 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests(AH) a crop for eternal life,(AI) so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’(AJ) 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(AK) believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”(AL) 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”(AM)
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
43 After the two days(AN) he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)(AO) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,(AP) for they also had been there.
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine.(AQ) And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,(AR) he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,”(AS) Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household(AT) believed.
54 This was the second sign(AU) Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Footnotes
- John 4:9 Or do not use dishes Samaritans have used
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Nueva Biblia de las Américas (NBLA) 
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
New International Version (NIV) 
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