John 4
The Voice
4 The picture was becoming clear to the Pharisees that Jesus had gained a following much larger than that of John the Baptist, the wandering prophet. Now He could see that the Pharisees were beginning to plot against Him. 2 This was because His disciples were busy ritually cleansing many new disciples through baptism,[a] 3 He chose to leave Judea where most Pharisees lived and return to a safer location in Galilee. 4 This was a trip that would take them through Samaria.
For Jews in Israel, Samaria is a place to be avoided. Before Solomon’s death 1,000 years earlier, the regions of Samaria and Judea were part of a united Israel. After the rebellion that divided the kingdom, Samaria became a hotbed of idol worship. The northern kings made alliances that corrupted the people by introducing foreign customs and strange gods. They even had the nerve to build a temple to the True God on Mt. Gerizim to rival the one in Jerusalem. By the time the twelve are traveling with Jesus, it has long been evident that the Samaritans have lost their way. By marrying outsiders, they have polluted the land. Israel’s Jews consider them to be half-breeds—mongrels—and the Jews know to watch out for them or else be bitten by temptation.
5-8 In a small Samaritan town known as Sychar, Jesus and His entourage stopped to rest at the historic well that Jacob gave his son Joseph. It was about noon when Jesus found a spot to sit close to the well while the disciples ventured off to find provisions. From His vantage, He watched as a Samaritan woman approached to draw some water. Unexpectedly He spoke to her.
Jesus: Would you draw water, and give Me a drink?
Woman: 9 I cannot believe that You, a Jew, would associate with me, a Samaritan woman; much less ask me to give You a drink.
Jews, you see, have no dealings with Samaritans.
Also, a man never approaches a woman like this in public. Jesus is breaking accepted social barriers with this confrontation.
Jesus: 10 You don’t know the gift of God or who is asking you for a drink of this water from Jacob’s well. Because if you did, you would have asked Him for something greater; and He would have given you the living water.
Woman: 11 Sir, You sit by this deep well a thirsty man without a bucket in sight. Where does this living water come from? 12 Are You claiming superiority to our father Jacob who labored long and hard to dig and maintain this well so that he could share clean water with his sons, grandchildren, and cattle?
Jesus: 13 Drink this water, and your thirst is quenched only for a moment. You must return to this well again and again. 14 I offer water that will become a wellspring within you that gives life throughout eternity. You will never be thirsty again.
Woman: 15 Please, Sir, give me some of this water, so I’ll never be thirsty and never again have to make the trip to this well.
Jesus: 16 Then bring your husband to Me.
Woman: 17-18 I do not have a husband.
Jesus: Technically you are telling the truth. But you have had five husbands and are currently living with a man you are not married to.
Woman: 19 Sir, it is obvious to me that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped here on this mountain, but Your people say that Jerusalem is the only place for all to worship. Which is it?
Jesus: 21-24 Woman, I tell you that neither is so. Believe this: a new day is coming—in fact, it’s already here—when the importance will not be placed on the time and place of worship but on the truthful hearts of worshipers. You worship what you don’t know while we worship what we do know, for God’s salvation is coming through the Jews. The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. Regardless of whether you are in Jerusalem or on this mountain, if you do not seek the Father, then you do not worship.
Woman: 25 These mysteries will be made clear by He who is promised, the Anointed One.
Jesus: 26 The Anointed is speaking to you. I am the One you have been looking for.
27 The disciples returned to Him and gathered around Him in amazement that He would openly break their customs by speaking to this woman, but none of them would ask Him what He was looking for or why He was speaking with her. 28 The woman went back to the town, leaving her water pot behind. She stopped men and women on the streets and told them about what had happened.
Woman: 29 I met a stranger who knew everything about me. Come and see for yourselves; can He be the Anointed One?
30 A crowd came out of the city and approached Jesus. 31 During all of this, the disciples were urging Jesus to eat the food they gathered.
Jesus: 32 I have food to eat that you know nothing about.
Disciples (to one another): 33 Is it possible someone else has brought Him food while we were away?
Jesus: 34 I receive My nourishment by serving the will of the Father who sent Me and completing His work. 35 You have heard others say, “Be patient; we have four more months to wait until the crops are ready for the harvest.” I say, take a closer look and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready for the harvest. 36 The harvester is collecting his pay, harvesting fruit ripe for eternal life. So even now, he and the sower are celebrating their fortune. 37 The saying may be old, but it is true: “One person sows, and another reaps.” 38 I sent you to harvest where you have not labored; someone else took the time to plant and cultivate, and you feast on the fruit of their labor.
39 Meanwhile, because one woman shared with her neighbors how Jesus exposed her past and present, the village of Sychar was transformed—many Samaritans heard and believed. 40 The Samaritans approached Jesus and repeatedly invited Him to stay with them, so He lingered there for two days on their account. 41 With the words that came from His mouth, there were many more believing Samaritans. 42 They began their faith journey because of the testimony of the woman beside the well; but when they heard for themselves, they were convinced the One they were hearing was and is God’s Anointed, the Liberating King, sent to rescue the entire world.
43-45 After two days of teaching and conversation, Jesus proceeded to Galilee where His countrymen received Him with familiar smiles. After all, they witnessed His miracle at the feast in Jerusalem; but Jesus understood and often quoted the maxim: “No one honors a hometown prophet.”
These old friends should be the first to believe, but it takes outsiders like the Samaritans to recognize Him.
46-47 As Jesus traveled to Cana (the village in Galilee where He transformed the water into fine wine), He was met by a government official. This man had heard a rumor that Jesus had left Judea and was heading to Galilee, and he came in desperation begging for Jesus’ help because his young son was near death. He was fearful that unless Jesus would go with him to Capernaum, his son would have no hope.
Jesus (to the official): 48 My word is not enough; you only believe when you see miraculous signs.
Official: 49 Sir, this is my son; please come with me before he dies.
Jesus (interrupting him): 50 Go home. Your son will live.
When he heard the voice of Jesus, faith took hold of him and he turned to go home. 51 Before he reached his village, his servants met him on the road celebrating his son’s miraculous recovery.
Official: 52 What time did this happen?
Servants: Yesterday about one o’clock in the afternoon.
53 At that moment, it dawned on the father the exact time that Jesus spoke the words, “He will live.” After that, he believed; and when he told his family about his amazing encounter with this Jesus, they believed too. 54 This was the second sign Jesus performed when He came back to Galilee from Judea.
Footnotes
- 4:2 Literally, immersing, to show repentance
约翰福音 4
Revised Chinese Union Version (Simplified Script) Shen Edition
耶稣和撒玛利亚妇人谈道
4 耶稣[a]知道法利赛人听见他收门徒和施洗比约翰还多，（ 2 其实不是耶稣亲自施洗，而是他的门徒施洗，） 3 他就离开犹太，又回加利利去。 4 他必须经过撒玛利亚， 5 于是到了撒玛利亚的一座城，名叫叙加，靠近雅各给他儿子约瑟的那块地。 6 雅各井就在那里；耶稣因旅途疲乏，坐在井旁。那时约是正午。
7 有一个撒玛利亚妇人来打水。耶稣对她说：“请给我水喝。” 8 因为那时门徒进城买食物去了。 9 撒玛利亚妇人对他说：“你是犹太人，怎么向我一个撒玛利亚女人要水喝呢？”因为犹太人和撒玛利亚人没有来往。 10 耶稣回答她说：“你若知道 神的恩赐，和对你说‘请给我水喝’的是谁，你早就会求他，他也早就会给了你活水。” 11 妇人对耶稣说：“先生，你没有打水的器具，井又深，哪里去取活水呢？ 12 我们的祖宗雅各把这井留给我们，他自己和儿女以及牲畜都喝这井里的水，难道你比他还大吗？” 13 耶稣回答，对她说：“凡喝这水的，还要再渴； 14 谁喝我所赐的水，就永远不渴。我所赐的水要在他里面成为泉源，直涌到永生。” 15 妇人对他说：“先生，请把这水赐给我，使我不渴，也不用到这里来打水。”
16 耶稣对她说：“你去，叫你的丈夫，再到这里来。” 17 妇人回答，对耶稣说：“我没有丈夫。”耶稣说：“你说没有丈夫是对的。 18 你已经有过五个丈夫，你现在有的并不是你的丈夫。你这话是真的。” 19 妇人对他说：“先生，我看你是一位先知。 20 我们的祖宗在这山上敬拜 神，你们倒说，应当敬拜的地方是在耶路撒冷。” 21 耶稣对她说：“妇人，你要信我。时候将到，你们敬拜父，既不在这山上，也不在耶路撒冷。 22 你们所敬拜的，你们不知道；我们所敬拜的，我们知道，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。 23 时候将到，现在就是了，那真正敬拜父的，要用心灵和诚实敬拜他，因为父要这样的人敬拜他。 24 神是灵，所以敬拜他的必须用心灵和诚实敬拜他。” 25 妇人对他说：“我知道弥赛亚—就是那称为基督的—要来；他来了，会把一切的事都告诉我们。” 26 耶稣对她说：“我就是，正在跟你说话呢！”
27 正在这时，门徒回来了。他们对耶稣正在和一个妇人说话感到惊讶，可是没有人说：“你要什么？”或说：“你为什么和她说话？” 28 那妇人留下水罐，往城里去，对众人说： 29 “你们来看！有一个人把我素来所做的一切事都说了出来，难道这个人就是基督吗？” 30 他们就出城，来到耶稣那里。
31 就在这个时候，门徒求耶稣说：“拉比，请吃吧。” 32 耶稣对他们说：“我有食物吃，是你们不知道的。” 33 门徒就彼此说：“难道有人拿什么给他吃了吗？” 34 耶稣对他们说：“我的食物就是要遵行差我来那位的旨意，完成他的工作。 35 你们不是说‘到收割的时候还有四个月’吗？我告诉你们，举目向田观看，庄稼熟了，可以收割了。 36 收割的人已经得工钱[b]，为永生储存五谷，使撒种的和收割的一同快乐。 37 ‘那人撒种，这人收割’，这话可见是真的。 38 我差你们去收你们所没有辛劳的；别人辛劳，你们享受他们辛劳的成果。”
39 那城里有好些撒玛利亚人信了耶稣，因为那妇人作见证，说：“他把我素来所做的一切事都说了出来。” 40 于是撒玛利亚人来见耶稣，求他在他们那里住下，他就在那里住了两天。 41 因为耶稣的话，信的人就更多了。 42 他们对那妇人说：“现在我们信，不再是因为你的话，而是我们亲自听见了，知道这人真是世界的救主。”
耶稣治好大臣的儿子
43 过了那两天，耶稣离开那地方，往加利利去。 44 因为耶稣自己作过见证说：“先知在自己的家乡是没有人尊敬的。” 45 到了加利利，加利利人都欢迎他，因为他们也上耶路撒冷去过节，曾经看过他在节期间所做的一切事。
46 耶稣又到了加利利的迦拿，就是他从前变水为酒的地方。有一个大臣，他的儿子在迦百农病了。 47 他听见耶稣从犹太到了加利利，就来见他，求他下去医治他的儿子，因为他儿子快要死了。 48 耶稣对他说：“若不看见神迹奇事，你们总是不信。” 49 那大臣对他说：“先生，求你趁着我的孩子还没有死就下去吧。” 50 耶稣对他说：“回去吧，你的儿子会活！”那人信耶稣所说的话，就回去了。 51 正下去的时候，他的仆人迎面而来，说他的儿子活了。 52 他就问什么时候见好的。他们对他说：“昨天下午一点钟热就退了。” 53 他就知道这正是耶稣对他说“你的儿子会活”的时候；他自己和全家就都信了。 54 这是耶稣从犹太回到加利利后所行的第二个神迹。
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
和合本修訂版經文 © 2006, 2010, 2017 香港聖經公會。蒙允許使用。 Scripture Text of Revised Chinese Union Version © 2006, 2010, 2017 Hong Kong Bible Society. www.hkbs.org.hk/en/ Used by permission.