John 7
The Message
7 1-2 Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn’t want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.
3-5 His brothers said, “Why don’t you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you’re serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world.” His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn’t believe in him either.
6-8 Jesus came back at them, “Don’t pressure me. This isn’t my time. It’s your time—it’s always your time; you have nothing to lose. The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions. You go ahead, go up to the Feast. Don’t wait for me. I’m not ready. It’s not the right time for me.”
9-11 He said this and stayed on in Galilee. But later, after his family had gone up to the Feast, he also went. But he kept out of the way, careful not to draw attention to himself. The Jews were already out looking for him, asking around, “Where is that man?”
12-13 There was a lot of contentious talk about him circulating through the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” But others said, “Not so. He’s selling snake oil.” This kind of talk went on in guarded whispers because of the intimidating Jewish leaders.
Could It Be the Messiah?
14-15 With the Feast already half over, Jesus showed up in the Temple, teaching. The Jews were impressed, but puzzled: “How does he know so much without being schooled?”
16-19 Jesus said, “I didn’t make this up. What I teach comes from the One who sent me. Anyone who wants to do his will can test this teaching and know whether it’s from God or whether I’m making it up. A person making things up tries to make himself look good. But someone trying to honor the one who sent him sticks to the facts and doesn’t tamper with reality. It was Moses, wasn’t it, who gave you God’s Law? But none of you are living it. So why are you trying to kill me?”
20 The crowd said, “You’re crazy! Who’s trying to kill you? You’re demon-possessed.”
21-24 Jesus said, “I did one miraculous thing a few months ago, and you’re still standing around getting all upset, wondering what I’m up to. Moses prescribed circumcision—originally it came not from Moses but from his ancestors—and so you circumcise a man, dealing with one part of his body, even if it’s the Sabbath. You do this in order to preserve one item in the Law of Moses. So why are you upset with me because I made a man’s whole body well on the Sabbath? Don’t be hypercritical; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.”
25-27 That’s when some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the one they were out to kill? And here he is out in the open, saying whatever he pleases, and no one is stopping him. Could it be that the rulers know that he is, in fact, the Messiah? And yet we know where this man came from. The Messiah is going to come out of nowhere. Nobody is going to know where he comes from.”
28-29 That provoked Jesus, who was teaching in the Temple, to cry out, “Yes, you think you know me and where I’m from, but that’s not where I’m from. I didn’t set myself up in business. My true origin is in the One who sent me, and you don’t know him at all. I come from him—that’s how I know him. He sent me here.”
30-31 They were looking for a way to arrest him, but not a hand was laid on him because it wasn’t yet God’s time. Many from the crowd committed themselves in faith to him, saying, “Will the Messiah, when he comes, provide better or more convincing evidence than this?”
32-34 The Pharisees, alarmed at this seditious undertow going through the crowd, teamed up with the high priests and sent their police to arrest him. Jesus rebuffed them: “I am with you only a short time. Then I go on to the One who sent me. You will look for me, but you won’t find me. Where I am, you can’t come.”
35-36 The Jews put their heads together. “Where do you think he is going that we won’t be able to find him? Do you think he is about to travel to the Greek world to teach the Jews? What is he talking about, anyway: ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you can’t come’?”
37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
40-44 Those in the crowd who heard these words were saying, “This has to be the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah!” But others were saying, “The Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? Don’t the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David’s line and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So there was a split in the crowd over him. Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.
45 That’s when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him with you?”
46 The police answered, “Have you heard the way he talks? We’ve never heard anyone speak like this man.”
47-49 The Pharisees said, “Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don’t see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It’s only this crowd, ignorant of God’s Law, that is taken in by him—and damned.”
50-51 Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. “Does our Law decide about a man’s guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?”
52-53 But they cut him off. “Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee.”
[Then they all went home.
Juan 7
Reina-Valera Antigua
7 Y PASADAS estas cosas andaba Jesús en Galilea: que no quería andar en Judea, porque los Judíos procuraban matarle.
2 Y estaba cerca la fiesta de los Judíos, la de los tabernáculos.
3 Y dijéronle sus hermanos: Pásate de aquí, y vete á Judea, para que también tus discípulos vean las obras que haces.
4 Que ninguno que procura ser claro, hace algo en oculto. Si estas cosas haces, manifiéstate al mundo.
5 Porque ni aun sus hermanos creían en él.
6 Díceles entonces Jesús: Mi tiempo aun no ha venido; mas vuestro tiempo siempre está presto.
7 No puede el mundo aborreceros á vosotros; mas á mí me aborrece, porque yo doy testimonio de él, que sus obras son malas.
8 Vosotros subid á esta fiesta; yo no subo aún á esta fiesta, porque mi tiempo aun no es cumplido.
9 Y habiéndoles dicho esto, quedóse en Galilea.
10 Mas como sus hermanos hubieron subido, entonces él también subió á la fiesta, no manifiestamente, sino como en secreto.
11 Y buscábanle los Judíos en la fiesta, y decían: ¿Dónde está aquél?
12 Y había grande murmullo de él entre la gente: porque unos decían: Bueno es; y otros decían: No, antes engaña á las gentes.
13 Mas ninguno hablaba abiertamente de él, por miedo de los Judíos.
14 Y al medio de la fiesta subió Jesús al templo, y enseñaba.
15 y maravillábanse los Judíos, diciendo: ¿Cómo sabe éste letras, no habiendo aprendido?
16 Respondióles Jesús, y dijo: Mi doctrina no es mía, sino de aquél que me envió.
17 El que quisiere hacer su voluntad, conocerá de la doctrina si viene de Dios, ó si yo hablo de mí mismo.
18 El que habla de sí mismo, su propia gloria busca; mas el que busca la gloria del que le envió, éste es verdadero, y no hay en él injusticia.
19 ¿No os dió Moisés la ley, y ninguno de vosotros hace la ley? ¿Por qué me procuráis matar?
20 Respondió la gente, y dijo: Demonio tienes: ¿quién te procura matar?
21 Jesús respondió, y díjoles: Una obra hice, y todos os maravilláis.
22 Cierto, Moisés os dió la circuncisión (no porque sea de Moisés, mas de los padres); y en sábado circuncidáis al hombre.
23 Si recibe el hombre la circuncisión en sábado, para que la ley de Moisés no sea quebrantada, ¿os enojáis conmigo porque en sábado hice sano todo un hombre?
24 No juzguéis según lo que parece, mas juzgad justo juicio.
25 Decían entonces unos de los de Jerusalem: ¿No es éste al que buscan para matarlo?
26 Y he aquí, habla públicamente, y no le dicen nada; ¿si habrán entendido verdaderamente los príncipes, que éste es el Cristo?
27 Mas éste, sabemos de dónde es: y cuando viniere el Cristo, nadie sabrá de dónde sea.
28 Entonces clamaba Jesús en el templo, enseñando y diciendo: Y á mí me conocéis, y sabéis de dónde soy: y no he venido de mí mismo; mas el que me envió es verdadero, al cual vosotros no conocéis.
29 Yo le conozco, porque de él soy, y él me envió.
30 Entonces procuraban prenderle; mas ninguno puso en él mano, porque aun no había venido su hora.
31 Y muchos del pueblo creyeron en él, y decían: El Cristo, cuando viniere, ¿hará más señales que las que éste hace?
32 Los Fariseos oyeron á la gente que murmuraba de él estas cosas; y los príncipes de los sacerdotes y los Fariseos enviaron servidores que le prendiesen.
33 Y Jesús dijo: Aun un poco de tiempo estaré con vosotros, é iré al que me envió.
34 Me buscaréis, y no me hallaréis; y donde yo estaré, vosotros no podréis venir.
35 Entonces los Judíos dijeron entre sí: ¿A dónde se ha de ir éste que no le hallemos? ¿Se ha de ir á los esparcidos entre los Griegos, y á enseñar á los Griegos?
36 ¿Qué dicho es éste que dijo: Me buscaréis, y no me hallaréis; y donde yo estaré, vosotros no podréis venir?
37 Mas en el postrer día grande de la fiesta, Jesús se ponía en pie y clamaba, diciendo: Si alguno tiene sed, venga á mí y beba.
38 El que cree en mí, como dice la Escritura, ríos de agua viva correrán de su vientre.
39 (Y esto dijo del Espíritu que habían de recibir los que creyesen en él: pues aun no había venido el Espíritu Santo; porque Jesús no estaba aún glorificado.)
40 Entonces algunos de la multitud, oyendo este dicho, decían: Verdaderamente éste es el profeta.
41 Otros decían: Este es el Cristo. Algunos empero decían: ¿De Galilea ha de venir el Cristo?
42 ¿No dice la Escritura, que de la simiente de David, y de la aldea de Bethlehem, de donde era David, vendrá el Cristo?
43 Así que había disensión entre la gente acerca de él.
44 Y algunos de ellos querían prenderle; mas ninguno echó sobre él manos.
45 Y los ministriles vinieron á los principales sacerdotes y á los Fariseos; y ellos les dijeron: ¿Por qué no le trajisteis?
46 Los ministriles respondieron: Nunca ha hablado hombre así como este hombre.
47 Entonces los Fariseos les respondieron: ¿Estáis también vosotros engañados?
48 ¿Ha creído en él alguno de los príncipes, ó de los Fariseos?
49 Mas estos comunales que no saben la ley, malditos son.
50 Díceles Nicodemo (el que vino á él de noche, el cual era uno de ellos):
51 ¿Juzga nuestra ley á hombre, si primero no oyere de él, y entendiere lo que ha hecho?
52 Respondieron y dijéronle: ¿Eres tú también Galileo? Escudriña y ve que de Galilea nunca se levantó profeta.
53 Y fuése cada uno á su casa.
John 7
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus and His Brothers
7 After this, Jesus traveled around the country of Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea, because the Jewish leaders there wanted to kill him. 2 It was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters. 3 So his brothers said to him, “You should leave here and go to the festival in Judea. Then your followers there can see the miracles you do. 4 If you want to be well known, you must not hide what you do. So, if you can do such amazing things, let the whole world see you do them.” 5 Jesus’ brothers said this because even they did not believe in him.
6 Jesus said to them, “The right time for me has not yet come, but any time is right for you to go. 7 The world cannot hate you. But the world hates me, because I tell the people in the world that they do evil things. 8 So you go to the festival. I will not go now, because the right time for me has not yet come.” 9 After Jesus said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 So his brothers left to go to the festival. After they left, Jesus went too, but he did not let people see him. 11 At the festival the Jewish leaders were looking for him. They said, “Where is that man?”
12 There was a large group of people there. Many of them were talking secretly to each other about Jesus. Some people said, “He is a good man.” But others said, “No, he fools the people.” 13 But no one was brave enough to talk about him openly. They were afraid of the Jewish leaders.
Jesus Teaches in Jerusalem
14 When the festival was about half finished, Jesus went to the Temple area and began to teach. 15 The Jewish leaders were amazed and said, “How did this man learn so much? He never had the kind of teaching we had!”
16 Jesus answered, “What I teach is not my own. My teaching comes from the one who sent me. 17 People who really want to do what God wants will know that my teaching comes from God. They will know that this teaching is not my own. 18 If I taught my own ideas, I would just be trying to get honor for myself. But if I am trying to bring honor to the one who sent me, I can be trusted. Anyone doing that is not going to lie. 19 Moses gave you the law, right? But you don’t obey that law. If you do, then why are you trying to kill me?”
20 The people answered, “A demon is making you crazy! We are not trying to kill you.”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle on a Sabbath day, and you were all surprised. 22 But you obey the law Moses gave you about circumcision—and sometimes you do it on a Sabbath day. (Really, Moses is not the one who gave you circumcision. It came from our ancestors who lived before Moses.) Yes, you often circumcise baby boys on a Sabbath day. 23 This shows that someone can be circumcised on a Sabbath day to obey the Law of Moses. So why are you angry with me for healing a person’s whole body on the Sabbath day? 24 Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right.”
People Wonder if Jesus Is the Messiah
25 Then some of the people who lived in Jerusalem said, “This is the man they are trying to kill. 26 But he is teaching where everyone can see and hear him. And no one is trying to stop him from teaching. Maybe the leaders have decided that he really is the Messiah. 27 But when the real Messiah comes, no one will know where he comes from. And we know where this man’s home is.”
28 Jesus was still teaching in the Temple area when he said loudly, “Do you really know me and where I am from? I am here, but not by my own decision. I was sent by one who is very real. But you don’t know him. 29 I know him because I am from him. He is the one who sent me.”
30 When Jesus said this, the people tried to grab him. But no one was able even to touch him, because the right time for him had not yet come. 31 But many of the people believed in Jesus. They said, “We are waiting for the Messiah to come. When he comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”
The Jewish Leaders Try to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard what the people were saying about Jesus. So the leading priests and the Pharisees sent some Temple police to arrest him. 33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer. Then I will go back to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me. And you cannot come where I am.”
35 These Jews said to each other, “Where will this man go that we cannot find him? Will he go to the Greek cities where our people live? Will he teach the Greek people there? 36 He says, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me.’ He also says, ‘You cannot come where I am.’ What does this mean?”
Jesus Talks About the Holy Spirit
37 The last day of the festival came. It was the most important day. On that day Jesus stood up and said loudly, “Whoever is thirsty may come to me and drink. 38 If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from their heart. That is what the Scriptures say.” 39 Jesus was talking about the Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given to people, because Jesus had not yet been raised to glory. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit.
The People Argue About Jesus
40 When the people heard the things that Jesus said, some of them said, “This man really is the Prophet.[a]”
41 Other people said, “He is the Messiah.”
And others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee. 42 The Scriptures say that the Messiah will come from the family of David. And they say that he will come from Bethlehem, the town where David lived.” 43 So the people did not agree with each other about Jesus. 44 Some of the people wanted to arrest him. But no one tried to do it.
The Jewish Leaders Refuse to Believe
45 The Temple police went back to the leading priests and the Pharisees. The priests and the Pharisees asked, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus?”
46 The Temple police answered, “We have never heard anyone say such amazing things!”
47 The Pharisees answered, “So he has fooled you too! 48 You don’t see any of the leaders or any of us Pharisees believing in him, do you? 49 But those people out there know nothing about the law. They are under God’s curse!”
50 But Nicodemus was there in that group. He was the one who had gone to see Jesus before.[b] He said, 51 “Our law will not let us judge anyone without first hearing them and finding out what they have done.”
52 The Jewish leaders answered, “You must be from Galilee too! Study the Scriptures. You will find nothing about a prophet[c] coming from Galilee.”
A Woman Caught in Adultery
53 Then they all left and went home.
Footnotes
- John 7:40 Prophet They probably meant the prophet that God told Moses he would send. See Deut. 18:15-19.
- John 7:50 He was the one … before The story about Nicodemus going and talking to Jesus is in Jn. 3:1-21.
- John 7:52 a prophet Two early Greek copies have “the Prophet,” which would mean the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut. 18:15. In Acts 3:22 and 7:37 this is understood to be the Messiah, as in verse 40 above.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International