John 7:1-13

New Testament for Everyone

Jesus and his brothers

7 After this, Jesus went about in Galilee. He didn’t want to go about in Judaea, because the Judaeans were after his blood.

² The time came for the Jewish festival of Tabernacles. ³ So Jesus’ brothers approached him.

“Leave this place,” they said, “and go to Judaea! Then your disciples will see the works you’re doing. ⁴ Nobody who wants to become well known does things in secret. If you’re doing these things, show yourself to the world!”

⁵ Even his brothers, you see, didn’t believe in him.

⁶ “My time isn’t here yet,” replied Jesus, “but your time is always here. ⁷ The world can’t hate you, but it hates me, because I am giving evidence against it, showing that its works are evil. ⁸ I tell you what: you go up to the feast. I’m not going up to this feast; my time is not yet complete.”

⁹ With these words, he stayed behind in Galilee.

Disputes about Jesus

¹⁰ But when Jesus’ brothers had gone up to the festival, then he himself went up, not openly, but, so to speak, in secret. ¹¹ The Judaeans were looking for him at the feast.

“Where is he?” they were saying.

¹² There was considerable dispute about him among the crowds.

“He’s a good man!” some were saying.

“No, he isn’t,” others would reply. “He’s deceiving the people!”

¹³ But nobody dared speak about him openly, for fear of the Judaeans.