John 7
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
7 After this, Jesus went from place to place in Galilee, for He would not travel in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
2 Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was drawing near.
3 So His brothers said to Him, Leave here and go into Judea, so that [a]Your disciples [there] may also see the works that You do. [This is no place for You.]
4 For no one does anything in secret when he wishes to be conspicuous and secure publicity. If You [must] do these things [if You must act like this], show Yourself openly and make Yourself known to the world!
5 For [even] His brothers did not believe in or adhere to or trust in or rely on Him either.
6 Whereupon Jesus said to them, My time (opportunity) has not come yet; but any time is suitable for you and your opportunity is ready any time [is always here].
7 The world cannot [be expected to] hate you, but it does hate Me because I denounce it for its wicked works and reveal that its doings are evil.
8 Go to the Feast yourselves. I am not [yet] going up to the Festival, because My time is not ripe. [My term is not yet completed; it is not time for Me to go.]
9 Having said these things to them, He stayed behind in Galilee.
10 But afterward, when His brothers had gone up to the Feast, He went up also, not publicly [not with a caravan], but by Himself quietly and as if He did not wish to be observed.
11 Therefore the Jews kept looking for Him at the Feast and asking, Where can He be? [Where is that Fellow?]
12 And there was among the mass of the people much whispered discussion and hot disputing about Him. Some were saying, He is good! [He is a good Man!] Others said, No, He misleads and deceives the people [gives them false ideas]!
13 But no one dared speak out boldly about Him for fear of [the leaders of] the Jews.
14 When the Feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [[b]court] and began to teach.
15 The Jews were astonished. They said, How is it that this Man has learning [is so versed in the sacred Scriptures and in theology] when He has never studied?
16 Jesus answered them by saying, My teaching is not My own, but His Who sent Me.
17 If any man desires to do His will (God’s pleasure), he will know (have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself) whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from Myself and of My own accord and on My own authority.
18 He who speaks on his own authority seeks to win honor for himself. [He whose teaching originates with himself seeks his own glory.] But He Who seeks the glory and is eager for the honor of Him Who sent Him, He is true; and there is no unrighteousness or falsehood or deception in Him.
19 Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not one of you keeps the Law. [If that is the truth] why do you seek to kill Me [for not keeping it]?
20 The crowd answered Him, You are possessed by a demon! [You are raving!] Who seeks to kill You?
21 Jesus answered them, I did one work, and you all are astounded.(A)
22 Now Moses established circumcision among you—though it did not originate with Moses but with the previous patriarchs—and you circumcise a person [even] on the Sabbath day.
23 If, to avoid breaking the Law of Moses, a person undergoes circumcision on the Sabbath day, have you any cause to be angry with (indignant with, bitter against) Me for making a man’s whole body well on the Sabbath?
24 Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously.
25 Then some of the Jerusalem people said, Is not this the Man they seek to kill?
26 And here He is speaking openly, and they say nothing to Him! Can it be possible that the rulers have discovered and know that this is truly the Christ?
27 No, we know where this Man comes from; when the Christ arrives, no one is to know from what place He comes.
28 Whereupon Jesus called out as He taught in the temple [[c]porches], Do you know Me, and do you know where I am from? I have not come on My own authority and of My own accord and as self-appointed, but the One Who sent Me is true (real, genuine, steadfast); and Him you do not know!
29 I know Him [Myself] because I come from His [very] presence, and it was He [personally] Who sent Me.
30 Therefore they were eager to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, for His hour (time) had not yet come.
31 And besides, many of the multitude believed in Him [adhered to Him, trusted in Him, relied on Him]. And they kept saying, When the Christ comes, will He do [can He be expected to do] more miracles and produce more proofs and signs than what this Man has done?
32 The Pharisees learned how the people were saying these things about Him under their breath; and the chief priests and Pharisees sent attendants (guards) to arrest Him.
33 Therefore Jesus said, For a little while I am [still] with you, and then I go back to Him Who sent Me.
34 You will look for Me, but you will not [be able to] find Me; where I am, you cannot come.
35 Then the Jews said among themselves, Where does this Man intend to go that we shall not find Him? Will He go to the Jews who are scattered in the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
36 What does this statement of His mean, You will look for Me and not be able to find Me, and, Where I am, you cannot come?
37 Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!
38 He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.
39 But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).
40 Listening to those words, some of the multitude said, This is certainly and beyond doubt the Prophet!(B)
41 Others said, This is the Christ (the Messiah, Anointed One)! But some said, What? Does the Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Does not the Scripture tell us that the Christ will come from the offspring of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?(C)
43 So there arose a division and dissension among the people concerning Him.
44 Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one [ventured and] laid hands on Him.
45 Meanwhile the attendants (guards) had gone back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, Why have you not brought Him here with you?
46 The attendants replied, Never has a man talked as this Man talks! [No mere man has ever spoken as He speaks!]
47 The Pharisees said to them, Are you also deluded and led astray? [Are you also swept off your feet?]
48 Has any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in Him?
49 As for this multitude (rabble) that does not know the Law, they are contemptible and doomed and accursed!
50 Then Nicodemus, who came to Jesus before at night and was one of them, asked,
51 Does our Law convict a man without giving him a hearing and finding out what he has done?
52 They answered him, Are you too from Galilee? Search [the Scriptures yourself], and you will see that no prophet comes (will rise to prominence) from Galilee.
53 [d]And they went [back], each to his own house.
Footnotes
- John 7:3 Capitalized because of what He is, the spotless Son of God, not what the speaker may have thought He was.
- John 7:14 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
- John 7:28 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
- John 7:53 John 7:53 to 8:11 is absent from most of the older manuscripts, and those that have it sometimes place it elsewhere. The story may well be authentic. Indeed, Christ’s response of compassion and mercy is so much in keeping with His character that we accept it as authentic, and feel that to omit it would be most unfortunate.
John 7
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers
7 After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee,(A) since He did not want to travel in Judea(B) because the Jews(C) were trying to kill Him.(D) 2 The Jewish Festival of Tabernacles[a][b](E) was near, 3 so His brothers(F) said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea so Your disciples can see Your works(G) that You are doing. 4 For no one does anything in secret while he’s seeking public recognition. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even His brothers believed in Him.)
6 Jesus told them, “My time(H) has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand. 7 The world cannot hate(I) you, but it does hate Me because I testify about it—that its deeds are evil. 8 Go up to the festival yourselves. I’m not going up to the festival yet,[c] because My time has not yet fully come.” 9 After He had said these things, He stayed in Galilee.
Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles
10 After His brothers had gone up to the festival, then He also went up, not openly but secretly. 11 The Jews were looking for Him at the festival and saying, “Where is He?” 12 And there was a lot of discussion about Him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good(J) man.” Others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He’s deceiving(K) the people.” 13 Still, nobody was talking publicly about Him because they feared the Jews.
14 When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple complex(L) and began to teach. 15 Then the Jews were amazed and said, “How does He know the Scriptures,(M) since He hasn’t been trained?”
16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t Mine but is from the One who sent Me.(N) 17 If anyone wants to do His will,(O) he will understand whether the teaching is from God or if I am speaking on My own. 18 The one who speaks for himself seeks his own glory.(P) But He who seeks the glory(Q) of the One who sent Him is true,(R) and there is no unrighteousness in Him.(S) 19 Didn’t Moses(T) give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law!(U) Why do you want to kill Me?”
20 “You have a demon!” the crowd responded. “Who wants to kill You?”
21 “I did one work,(V) and you are all amazed,” Jesus answered. 22 “Consider this: Moses has given you circumcision(W)—not that it comes from Moses but from the fathers(X)—and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.(Y) 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath(Z) so that the law of Moses(AA) won’t be broken, are you angry at Me because I made a man entirely well on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging(AB) according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.”
The Identity of the Messiah
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem(AC) were saying, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? 26 Yet, look! He’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to Him. Can it be true that the authorities(AD) know He is the Messiah?(AE) 27 But we know where this man is from.(AF) When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where He is from.”
28 As He was teaching in the temple complex,(AG) Jesus cried out, “You know Me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me(AH) is true. You don’t know Him;(AI) 29 I know Him because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”(AJ)
30 Then they tried to seize Him. Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour[d] had not yet come. 31 However, many from the crowd believed in Him and said, “When the Messiah comes, He won’t perform more signs than this man has done,(AK) will He?”
32 The Pharisees(AL) heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, so the chief priests(AM) and the Pharisees sent temple police to arrest Him.
33 Then Jesus said, “I am only with you for a short time.(AN) Then I’m 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 Then the Jews(AQ) said to one another, “Where does He intend to go so we won’t find Him? He doesn’t intend to go to the Dispersion[e](AR) among the Greeks(AS) and teach the Greeks, does He? 36 What is this remark He made: ‘You will look for Me, and you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’(AT)?”
The Promise of the Spirit
37 On the last and most important day of the festival,(AU) Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me[f](AV) and drink!(AW) 38 The one who believes in Me,(AX) as the Scripture(AY) has said,[g] will have streams of living water(AZ) flow(BA) from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit.(BB) Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit,(BC) for the Spirit[h] had not yet been received[i][j] because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The People Are Divided over Jesus
40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This really is the Prophet!”[k](BD) 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah!” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does He? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture(BE) say that the Messiah comes from David’s(BF) offspring[l] and from the town of Bethlehem,(BG) where David once lived?” 43 So a division(BH) occurred among the crowd because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him,(BI) but no one laid hands on Him.
Debate over Jesus’ Claims
45 Then the temple police(BJ) came to the chief priests(BK) and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why haven’t you brought Him?”
46 The police answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”[m](BL)
47 Then the Pharisees responded to them: “Are you fooled(BM) too? 48 Have any of the rulers(BN) or Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed!”
50 Nicodemus(BO)—the one who came to Him previously, being one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”(BP)
52 “You aren’t from Galilee(BQ) too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”[n](BR)
[53 So each one went to his house.
Footnotes
- John 7:2 Or Booths
- John 7:2 One of 3 great Jewish religious festivals, along with Passover and Pentecost; Ex 23:14; Dt 16:16
- John 7:8 Other mss omit yet
- John 7:30 The time of His sacrificial death and exaltation; Jn 2:4; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1
- John 7:35 Jewish people scattered throughout Gentile lands who spoke Gk and were influenced by Gk culture
- John 7:37 Other mss omit to Me
- John 7:38 Jesus may have had several OT passages in mind; Is 58:11; Ezk 47:1-12; Zch 14:8
- John 7:39 Other mss read Holy Spirit
- John 7:39 Other mss read had not yet been given
- John 7:39 Lit the Spirit was not yet; the word received is implied from the previous clause.
- John 7:40 Probably the Prophet in Dt 18:15
- John 7:42 Lit seed
- John 7:46 Other mss read like this man
- John 7:52 Jonah and probably other prophets did come from Galilee; 2Kg 14:25
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