约翰福音 4
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
井边谈道
4 1-3 耶稣得知法利赛人听见祂收门徒、为人施洗比约翰还多，便离开犹太回加利利。其实不是耶稣亲自施洗，而是祂的门徒施洗。 4 祂回加利利的路上必须经过撒玛利亚。 5 于是，祂来到撒玛利亚的一座城，名叫叙加，靠近雅各留给他儿子约瑟的那块地。 6 雅各井就在那个地方。耶稣走路疲乏，坐在井旁休息。那时是中午时分， 7-8 门徒都进城买食物去了。有一个撒玛利亚的妇人来打水，耶稣说：“请你给我一点水吧。”
9 撒玛利亚妇人说：“你是个犹太人，怎么向我这撒玛利亚妇人要水喝？”原来犹太人和撒玛利亚人互不往来。
10 耶稣回答说：“要是你知道上帝的恩赐，又知道向你要水喝的是谁，你早就求祂了，祂也早就把活水给你了。”
11 妇人说：“先生，你没有打水的器具，井又深，你从哪里得到活水呢？ 12 我们的祖先雅各把这口井留给我们，他自己和他的儿女、牲畜都喝这井里的水，难道你比他更伟大吗？”
13 耶稣说：“人喝了这井里的水，还会再渴， 14 但是喝了我所赐的活水，永远不会再渴。我所赐的水要在他里面成为生命的泉源，涌流不息，直到永生。”
15 妇人说：“先生，请你把这种水赐给我，我就不会再渴了，也用不着来打水了。”
16 耶稣说：“去叫你的丈夫来。”
17 妇人说：“我没有丈夫。”耶稣说：“你说的对，你没有丈夫， 18 因为你已经有过五个丈夫了，现在和你同居的也不是你的丈夫。你说的是实话。”
19 妇人说：“先生，你一定是先知。 20 我们的祖先一向都是在这山上敬拜上帝，你们却说耶路撒冷才是敬拜的地方。”
21 耶稣回答说：“妇人，你当信我。时候快到了，你们将不在这山上，也不在耶路撒冷敬拜父。 22 你们不知道你们敬拜的是谁，我们知道我们敬拜的是谁，因为救恩是从犹太人出来的。 23 时候快到了，其实就是现在，真正敬拜父的，要用心灵按真理敬拜祂，因为父寻找的正是这样敬拜祂的人。 24 上帝是灵，所以必须用心灵按真理敬拜祂。”
25 妇人说：“据我所知，那被称为基督的弥赛亚要来。祂来了，会把一切都告诉我们。”
26 耶稣说：“我这跟你说话的人就是祂。”
27 这时，门徒回来了，看见耶稣和一个妇人谈话，感到惊奇，可是没有人问：“你想要什么？”或问：“你为什么和她说话？”
28 那妇人撇下水罐，回到城里，对人们说： 29 “你们快来看啊！有一个人把我过去的事全部说了出来。莫非祂就是基督？” 30 众人听了就到城外去看耶稣。
撒种与收割
31 其间，门徒对耶稣说：“老师，请吃点东西吧。”
32 耶稣说：“我有食物吃，是你们不知道的。”
33 门徒彼此议论说：“难道有人给祂吃的了？”
34 耶稣说：“我的食物就是遵行差我来者的旨意，完成祂的工作。 35 你们不是说还有四个月才到收割的时候吗？举目向田观看吧，庄稼已经熟了，可以收割了。 36 收割的人不但可以得到报酬，而且可以为永生收获果实，叫撒种的和收割的一同快乐。 37 俗语说得好，‘那人撒种，这人收割。’ 38 我派你们去收割那些你们没有劳作的庄稼，别人劳苦，你们享受他们劳苦的成果。”
39 那城里有许多撒玛利亚人信了耶稣，因为那妇人做见证说：“祂将我以前做的一切事情都说了出来。” 40 撒玛利亚人来见耶稣，恳求祂留下来，祂就在那里住了两天。 41 因为耶稣传的道，信的人更多了。 42 他们对那妇人说：“现在我们信，不再是因为你的话，而是我们亲耳听见了，知道祂真的是救世主。”
耶稣治好大臣的儿子
43 两天后，耶稣动身前往加利利。 44 祂以前说过：“先知在他本乡不受人尊敬。” 45 然而，祂回到加利利却受到当地的人欢迎，因为他们上耶路撒冷过节时，看见了祂所做的一切。
46 祂又到了加利利的迦拿，就是祂从前把水变成酒的地方。有一个大臣的儿子在迦百农患了病。 47 大臣听说耶稣从犹太来到加利利，立刻赶来见祂，求祂去医治他病危的儿子。
48 耶稣对他说：“你们不看见神迹奇事，总不相信。”
49 大臣说：“先生，趁我的孩子还没死，求你赶快去！”
50 耶稣说：“回去吧，你的儿子好了。”他相信耶稣的话，就回去了。
51 他途中遇见奴仆来报信说他儿子好了， 52 就问什么时候好的。仆人说：“昨天下午一点钟，烧就退了。”
53 他想起正是那时候耶稣对他说：“你的儿子好了！”他和全家都信了。
54 这是耶稣从犹太回到加利利后所行的第二个神迹。
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
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.