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John 7
Worldwide English (New Testament)
John 7
Worldwide English (New Testament)
7 After this, Jesus travelled around in Galilee. He would not travel around in Judea because the leaders of the Jews wanted to kill him.
2 Every year the Jews had a feast to remember the time when their fathers lived in tents in the desert. The time was near for that feast.
3 Jesus' brothers said to him, `Go away from here to Judea. Let your disciples also see the work you are doing.
4 When a person wants people to know about him, he does not hide what he is doing. If you are doing these big things, let the world see you.'
5 Even his brothers did not believe in Jesus.
6 Jesus said to them, `It is not yet the time for me to go. But you may go any time you want to.
7 The people of the world cannot hate you. But they hate me because I say what they do is wrong.
8 Go to the feast yourselves. I am not going to the feast until it is the right time for me to go.'
9 He said this to them and stayed in Galilee.
10 After his brothers went to the feast, Jesus went also. He did not go with the other people, but he went by himself.
11 The leaders of the Jews at the feast tried to find him. They said, `Where is he?'
12 People were talking among themselves about Jesus. Some said, `He is a good man.' Others said, `No. He is leading people to do wrong things.'
13 But they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, so no one talked about him out in the open.
14 When the feast was half finished, Jesus went to the temple and taught the people.
15 The Jews were very much surprised. `How can this man know books? He never went to school.'
16 Jesus answered the people, `I am not teaching you my teaching. It is the teaching of the one who sent me.
17 If any man wants to do what God wants him to do, he will know the teaching. He will know if it is God's teaching or if I am speaking from my own mind.
18 The person who speaks from his own mind only wants to be great himself. But the person whom God has sent wants to show that God is great. That person is true. He is not a bad man.
19 Did not Moses give you the law? Not one of you is keeping the law. Why are you trying to kill me?'
20 The people answered Jesus, `A bad spirit is in you! Who is trying to kill you?'
21 Jesus answered them, `I have done one thing. You are all surprised about it.
22 Moses gave you the law of circumcision. You obey the law, not because it came from Moses, but because it came from the fathers long ago. You circumcise a baby boy on the Sabbath day.
23 You do it on the Sabbath day so that you will not break the law of Moses. If you do that, then why are you angry with me because I healed a man on the Sabbath day?
24 Do not judge by what you see, but judge in the right way.'
25 Some people from Jerusalem said, `Is not this the person they are trying to kill?
26 See, he does not fear to speak and yet they say nothing to him! Do the rulers really know that this man is the Christ?
27 But we know where this man comes from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.'
28 Jesus was teaching in the temple. He spoke loudly saying, `You know me and you know where I come from. I have not come in my own power. The one who sent me is true. He is the one you do not know.
29 I know him because I came from him. He sent me.'
30 Then the people wanted to catch him. But no one put a hand on him. It was not yet the time for that.
31 Many of the people believed in Jesus. They said, `When Christ comes, will he do greater works than this man has done?'
32 The Pharisees heard what the people said about him. The chief priests and the Pharisees sent soldiers to catch him.
33 Jesus said, `I will stay with you a short time longer. Then I will go back to him who sent me.
34 You will look for me, but you will not find me. You will not be able to go to the place where I will be.'
35 The Jews said to one another, `Where will he go that we cannot find him? Will he go to our people who are living in other countries? Will he teach them?
36 What does he mean by this: "You will look for me and will not find me. You will not be able to go to the place where I will be"?'
37 The last day of the feast was a big day. On that day Jesus stood up and shouted, `If anyone is thirsty, he may come to me and drink.
38 If anyone believes in me, the holy writings say, "Rivers of water that give life will flow out of his heart." '
39 This is what Jesus meant: those who believe in him would receive the Spirit. At that time no one had received the Holy Spirit because Jesus had not yet been lifted up to heaven
40 When some of the people heard this they said, `Truly, this is the Prophet.'
41 Other people said, `This is the Christ.' But some said, `The Christ will not come from Galilee. Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Do not the holy writings say that Christ will be of David's family? Will he not come from Bethlehem where David lived?'
43 The people did not all say the same thing about him.
44 Some of them wanted to catch Jesus, but no one put hands on him.
45 The soldiers came back to the chief priests and the Pharisees. They asked the soldiers, `Why did you not bring him?'
46 The soldiers replied, `No person has ever talked like he does!'
47 The Pharisees said, `Has he fooled you also?
48 None of the rulers and none of the Pharisees have believed on him, have they?
49 These poor people do not know the law. They will die!'
50 Nicodemus, the man who came to Jesus by night, was one of them.
51 He said, `Is it right to judge any man by our law before we hear him and learn what he has done?'
52 They answered him, `Are you from Galilee also? Study what is written. You will see that no prophet is to come from Galilee.'
53 Then every one of them went home.
John 7
EasyEnglish Bible
John 7
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus and his brothers
7 After this, Jesus visited many places in Galilee. He did not want to visit Judea because the Jewish leaders there wanted to kill him. 2 It was almost time for the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles.[a] 3 So Jesus' brothers said to him, ‘You should leave this place and you should go to Judea. Then your disciples will see the great things that you do. 4 Nobody does things secretly if he wants everyone to know him. You are doing these things, so you should show yourself to everybody.’ 5 Even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 So Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the right time for me yet. For you, any time is right. 7 People who belong to this world cannot hate you. But they hate me. The things that they do are very bad. And I tell them that those things are wrong. That is why they hate me. 8 You should go to the festival. I will not go to it now, because it is not the right time for me yet.’ 9 After Jesus said that, he stayed in Galilee.
Jesus goes to the Festival of Tabernacles
10 Some time after his brothers had gone, Jesus also went to the festival. But he did not let other people know that he was going. Instead, he went secretly. 11 The Jewish leaders were looking for him at the festival. They asked, ‘Where is that man?’ 12 People in the crowd were talking quietly to each other about Jesus. Some people said, ‘He is a good man.’ But other people said, ‘No, he is telling the people things that are not true.’ 13 But nobody spoke in public places about him, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.
14 In the middle of the time of the festival, Jesus went to the temple. He started to teach in the yard there. 15 The Jewish leaders were very surprised. They asked, ‘How does this man know so much? He has not learned in our schools.’ 16 Jesus answered, ‘What I teach does not come from me. No, it comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do what God wants will know about my teaching. They will know whether it comes from God, or whether it comes from my own thoughts. 18 A person who teaches his own ideas wants people to think that he himself is great. But I want to show that the one who sent me is great. A person like that is honest and there is nothing false in him. 19 Moses gave God's Law to you. But not one of you obeys that Law. Why are you trying to kill me?’
20 The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon in you! Nobody is trying to kill you!’
21 Jesus replied, ‘I did one miracle on the day of rest, and all of you were surprised. 22 Moses gave you a law that you must circumcise your sons. Your ancestors taught that, even before Moses was born. So you will agree to circumcise a boy, even on the day of rest.[b] 23 You will do that so that you obey Moses' law. So you should not be angry with me because I made a man completely well on the day of rest. 24 Do not quickly decide whether something is right or wrong just because of what you see. Instead, think about it carefully. Then you will judge in a right way.’
The people talk about whether Jesus is the Messiah
25 Some of the people in Jerusalem began to say, ‘This is the man that our leaders want to kill. 26 But look! He is speaking to the crowds, and the leaders are not saying anything against him! Perhaps they really think that he is the Messiah! 27 But we know where this man came from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know that. Nobody will know where he has come from.’
28 Jesus was still teaching in the yard of the temple. He shouted, ‘Yes, you say that you know me. And you know where I came from. But I have not come because I myself decided to come. He who sent me is true. You do not know him. 29 But I know him because I have come from him. He is the one who sent me.’ 30 When they heard this, they tried to take hold of him. But nobody could put their hands on him, because it was not yet the right time. 31 But many people in the crowd believed in Jesus. They said, ‘This man has done so many miracles. Surely he is the Messiah! Nobody could do more miracles than he has done.’
32 The Pharisees heard what these people were saying quietly about Jesus. Then the leaders of the priests and the Pharisees sent some of their officers to take him away.
33 Jesus said, ‘I will be with you for only a short time. Then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me. You cannot go to the place where I will be.’ 35 The Jewish leaders asked each other, ‘What is he trying to tell us? Where can he go so that we cannot find him? Perhaps he will go to our people who have gone away to live among the Greek people.[c] Perhaps he will go to teach the Greek people. 36 He said, “You will look for me, but you will not find me.” And he also said, “You cannot go to the place where I will be.” What does he mean?’
Streams of water that give life to people
37 The last day of the festival was the most important day. On that day, Jesus stood up and he spoke with a loud voice. He said, ‘If anyone is thirsty, he should come to me so that he may drink. 38 It says in the Bible, “God will cause streams of water to pour out from anyone who believes in me. Water that gives life will come out from inside that person.” ’ 39 Jesus was speaking about God's Spirit, who would come to people some time after that. Those people who believed in Jesus would receive God's Spirit at that later time. But God had not yet given his Spirit to people, because he had not yet raised Jesus back up to heaven.[d]
The people argue about who Jesus is
40 The people in the crowd heard Jesus say these words. Some of them said, ‘Surely this man must be the Prophet from God that we have been waiting for!’ 41 Other people said, ‘This man is the Messiah.’ But some other people said, ‘The Messiah will not come from Galilee! 42 The Bible says that the Messiah will come from King David's family.[e] He will come from Bethlehem, the town where David lived.’ 43 In this way the people had different thoughts about Jesus. 44 Some people wanted to take hold of him. But nobody could put their hands on him to take him away.
45 The officers returned to the leaders of the priests and the Pharisees. The leaders asked their officers, ‘Why did you not bring Jesus here?’ 46 The officers answered, ‘Nobody has ever spoken great things like this man speaks.’ 47 The Pharisees replied, ‘He seems to have made you believe his lies! 48 None of the Pharisees or our leaders believe in him. 49 But this crowd does not know what God's Law teaches. God will surely punish them.’
50 Nicodemus spoke to them. He himself was one of the Pharisees. He was the man who had gone to speak with Jesus before. He said, 51 ‘We must find out first what this man has done. Then we can decide if it is right to punish him. Our law says that we must listen to him first.’ 52 They answered Nicodemus, ‘Perhaps you come from Galilee, as well as him! Study what the Bible teaches. You will learn that no prophet of God ever comes from Galilee.’ 53 [Then everyone went to his own home.][f]
Footnotes
- 7:2 The Festival of Tabernacles continued for a week. See Leviticus 23:34, where it is called the Feast of Huts. The people built huts from branches and they lived in these small huts during the festival. This helped them to remember what God had done. A long time before this, their ancestors had left Egypt and they had lived in huts like this. God had brought them out of Egypt so that they did not have to be slaves there any longer. The festival happened each year, after Israel's people had brought in all the harvest from the fields. It was a time for the people to thank God because he was so good to them.
- 7:22 God had told Israel's people that they must circumcise every boy. To circumcise means to cut off the skin that covers the end of a boy's or a man's sex part. It was a mark to show that Israel's people had agreed to obey God. It showed that they belonged to God's people, Israel. They circumcised a boy eight days after he was born. Even if the eighth day was their day of rest, they circumcised the baby on that day.
- 7:35 Greek people come from the country called Greece. When Jesus lived on the earth, Greek people also lived in many other countries.
- 7:39 Many verses in the Old Testament speak about ‘water’ that gives us life. See Isaiah 44:3; 58:11 and Zechariah 13:1; 14:8. The Jews would read these verses aloud at the Festival of Tabernacles.
- 7:42 The Bible that the Jews read was the Old Testament.
- 7:53 Many old translations do not have this verse.
John 7
New International Version
John 7
New International Version
Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles
7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders(A) there were looking for a way to kill him.(B) 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles(C) was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers(D) said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.(E)
6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time(F) is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me(G) because I testify that its works are evil.(H) 8 You go to the festival. I am not[b] going up to this festival, because my time(I) has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus(J) and asking, “Where is he?”
12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”(K) 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.(L)
Jesus Teaches at the Festival
14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.(M) 15 The Jews(N) there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning(O) without having been taught?”(P)
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.(Q) 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out(R) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory,(S) but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law?(T) Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”(U)
20 “You are demon-possessed,”(V) the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle,(W) and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision(X) (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs),(Y) you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”(Z)
Division Over Who Jesus Is
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?(AA) 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities(AB) really concluded that he is the Messiah?(AC) 27 But we know where this man is from;(AD) when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,(AE) cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.(AF) I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.(AG) You do not know him, 29 but I know him(AH) because I am from him and he sent me.”(AI)
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,(AJ) because his hour had not yet come.(AK) 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him.(AL) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs(AM) than this man?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,(AN) and then I am going to the one who sent me.(AO) 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”(AP)
35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered(AQ) among the Greeks,(AR) and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”(AS)
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival,(AT) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.(AU) 38 Whoever believes(AV) in me, as Scripture has said,(AW) rivers of living water(AX) will flow from within them.”[c](AY) 39 By this he meant the Spirit,(AZ) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.(BA) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(BB)
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”(BC)
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?(BD) 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants(BE) and from Bethlehem,(BF) the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided(BG) because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.(BH)
Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders
45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,”(BI) the guards replied.
47 “You mean he has deceived you also?”(BJ) the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?(BK) 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
50 Nicodemus,(BL) who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”(BM)
[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]
53 Then they all went home,
John 7
New King James Version
John 7
New King James Version
Jesus’ Brothers Disbelieve
7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, (A)because the [a]Jews sought to kill Him. 2 (B)Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 (C)His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 For (D)even His (E)brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, (F)“My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 (G)The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me (H)because I testify of it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to this feast. I am not [b]yet going up to this feast, (I)for My time has not yet fully come.” 9 When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.
The Heavenly Scholar
10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. 11 Then (J)the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12 And (K)there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. (L)Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly of Him (M)for fear of the Jews.
14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and (N)taught. 15 (O)And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”
16 [c]Jesus answered them and said, (P)“My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 (Q)If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 (R)He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who (S)seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and (T)no unrighteousness is in Him. 19 (U)Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? (V)Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20 The people answered and said, (W)“You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 (X)Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, (Y)but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because (Z)I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 (AA)Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Could This Be the Christ?
25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to (AB)kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. (AC)Do the rulers know indeed that this is [d]truly the Christ? 27 (AD)However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”
28 Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, (AE)“You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and (AF)I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me (AG)is true, (AH)whom you do not know. 29 [e]But (AI)I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
30 Therefore (AJ)they sought to take Him; but (AK)no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. 31 And (AL)many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”
Jesus and the Religious Leaders
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. 33 Then Jesus said [f]to them, (AM)“I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I (AN)go to Him who sent Me. 34 You (AO)will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you (AP)cannot come.”
35 Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to (AQ)the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
37 (AR)On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, (AS)“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 (AT)He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, (AU)out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 (AV)But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [g]believing in Him would receive; for the [h]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet (AW)glorified.
Who Is He?
40 Therefore [i]many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is (AX)the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is (AY)the Christ.”
But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? 42 (AZ)Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, (BA)where David was?” 43 So (BB)there was a division among the people because of Him. 44 Now (BC)some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Rejected by the Authorities
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”
46 The officers answered, (BD)“No man ever spoke like this Man!”
47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
50 Nicodemus (BE)(he who came to [j]Jesus [k]by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 (BF)“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
52 They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for (BG)no prophet [l]has arisen out of Galilee.”
An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World
53 [m]And everyone went to his own house.
Footnotes
- John 7:1 The ruling authorities
- John 7:8 NU omits yet
- John 7:16 NU, M So Jesus
- John 7:26 NU omits truly
- John 7:29 NU, M omit But
- John 7:33 NU, M omit to them
- John 7:39 NU who believed
- John 7:39 NU omits Holy
- John 7:40 NU some
- John 7:50 Lit. Him
- John 7:50 NU before
- John 7:52 NU is to rise
- John 7:53 NU brackets 7:53 through 8:11 as not in the original text. They are present in over 900 mss. of John.
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