Rivers of Living Water

³⁷ On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,^{(A) 38} and let the one who believes in me drink. As^[a] the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart^[b] shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”^{(B) 39} Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit^[c] because Jesus was not yet glorified.^(C)

Division among the People

⁴⁰ When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Messiah.”^[d] But some asked, “Surely the Messiah^[e] does not come from Galilee, does he?^{(D) 42} Has not the scripture said that the Messiah^[f] is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”^{(E) 43} So there was a division in the crowd because of him. ⁴⁴ Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Unbelief of Those in Authority

⁴⁵ Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” ⁴⁶ The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” ⁴⁷ Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived, too, have you? ⁴⁸ Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?^{(F) 49} But this crowd, which does not know the law, they are accursed.” ⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus^[g] before and who was one of them, asked, ⁵¹ “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”^{(G) 52} They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”