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The loving conversation of Christ with the woman from Samaria by the well’s side. How he heals the ruler’s son.

As soon as the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard how Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples), he left Judea and went back to Galilee. And it so was that he had to go through Samaria. Then he came to a village of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. And there was Jacob’s well.

Jesus, then wearied in his journey, sat on the well. And it was about the sixth hour, and there came a woman of Samaria to draw water. And Jesus said to her, Give me to drink. For his disciples had gone away to the town to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask drink of me, a Samaritan? (For the Jews will have nothing to do with the Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink, you would have asked of him, and he would have given you the water of life.

11 The woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do you have that water of life from? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and he himself drank from it, and his children and his animals?

13 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. 14 But whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never more thirst, but the water that I give him will be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman said to him, Sir, give me of that water so that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw. 16 Jesus said to her, Go and call your husband, and come here. 17 The woman answered and said to him, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no husband. 18 For you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.

19 The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, but you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.

21 Jesus said to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You Samaritans worship you know not what. We know what we worship, for salvation comes of the Jews. 23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For indeed, the Father seeks such to worship him. 24 God is a spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.

25 The woman said to him, I know well the Messiah will come, who is called Christ. When he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he.

27 And at that point his disciples came, and were surprised that he talked with the woman. Yet no one said to him, What are you asking? or, Why are you talking with her? 28 The woman then left her water-pot, and went her way into the village and said to the people, 29 Come see a man who told me all that I ever did. Is he not the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the village and came to him.

31 And in the meanwhile his disciples urged him, saying, Rabbi, eat! 32 He said to them, I have food to eat that you know not of. 33 Then the disciples said between themselves, Has anyone brought him food?

34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, There are yet four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you: lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are already white for harvest. 36 And he who reaps receives reward, and gathers fruit unto life eternal, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 And this saying is true, that one sows and another reaps. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labour. Other men laboured, and you have entered into their labours.

39 Many of the Samaritans of that village believed on him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I ever did. 40 Then when the Samaritans had come to him, they besought him to stay with them. And he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own words, 42 and said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, but because we have heard him ourselves and know that this is even indeed Christ, the Saviour of the world.

43 After two days he departed from there and went away into Galilee. 44 And Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honour in his own country. 45 Then, as soon as he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast. For they had also gone to the feast day.

46 And Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 As soon as he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him and besought him to come down and heal his son, for he was even ready to die. 48 Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders, you cannot believe. 49 The nobleman said to him, Sir, come away before my child dies! 50 Jesus said to him, Go your way, your son lives.

And the man believed the words that Jesus had spoken to him, and went his way. 51 And as he was going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Your child lives. 52 Then he enquired of them the hour when the child began to recover. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 And the father knew that it was the same hour in which Jesus had said to him, Your son lives. And he believed, and all his household. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did after he had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Jesus Goes to Galilee

Therefore when (A)Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and (B)baptizing more disciples than John (although (C)Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His (D)disciples were), He left (E)Judea and went away (F)again into Galilee. And He had to pass through (G)Samaria. So He *came to a city of (H)Samaria called Sychar, near (I)the field that (J)Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about [a]the sixth hour.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His (K)disciples had gone away into (L)the city to buy food. Therefore the (M)Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How do You, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?” (For (N)Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says 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, “[b]Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do You get that (P)living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who (Q)gave us this 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 thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him (R)will never thirst—ever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to (S)eternal life.”

15 The woman *said to Him, “[c]Sir, (T)give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come back here to draw.” 16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come back here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “[d]Sir, I see that You are (U)a prophet. 20 (V)Our fathers worshiped on (W)this mountain, and you people say that (X)in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, (Y)an hour is coming when (Z)neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 (AA)You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for (AB)salvation is from the Jews. 23 But (AC)an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father (AD)in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is [e]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 [f]Christ); when He comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus *said to her, (AH)I who speak to you am He.”

27 And at this point His (AI)disciples came, and they were marveling that He was speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar, and went into the city and *said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man (AJ)who told me all the things that I have done; (AK)is this not the [g]Christ?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “(AL)Rabbi, eat.” 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, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” 34 Jesus *said to them, “My food is to (AN)do the will of Him who sent Me and to (AO)finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white (AP)for harvest. 36 Even now he who reaps is receiving (AQ)wages and is gathering (AR)fruit for (AS)life eternal; so that he who sows and he 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 entered into their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

39 From (AU)that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who bore witness, “(AV)He told me all the things that I have done.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And 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 is truly (AW)the Savior of the world.”

43 And after (AX)the two days He went from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself bore witness that (AY)a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, (AZ)having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

Jesus Heals a Royal Official’s Son

46 Then He came again to (BA)Cana of Galilee (BB)where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at (BC)Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come (BD)out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was about to die. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see [h](BE)signs and (BF)wonders, you will never believe.” 49 The royal official *said to Him, “[i]Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus *said to him, (BG)Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 And while he was still going down, his slaves met him, saying that his [j]son was alive. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the [k]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 lives”; and he himself believed and (BH)his whole household. 54 This is again a (BI)second [l]sign that Jesus did when He had (BJ)come out of Judea into Galilee.

Footnotes

  1. John 4:6 Perhaps 6 p.m. Roman time or noon Jewish time
  2. John 4:11 Or Lord
  3. John 4:15 Or Lord
  4. John 4:19 Or Lord
  5. John 4:24 Or Spirit
  6. John 4:25 Gr Christos; lit Anointed One
  7. John 4:29 Messiah
  8. John 4:48 Or attesting miracles
  9. John 4:49 Or Lord
  10. John 4:51 Or boy
  11. John 4:52 Perhaps 7 p.m. Roman time or 1 p.m. Jewish time
  12. John 4:54 Or attesting miracle