[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,(A) out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.(B)

12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.(C) 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.(D)

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.(E) 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.(F) 17 And these signs(G) will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;(H) they will speak in new tongues;(I) 18 they will pick up snakes(J) with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on(K) sick people, and they will get well.”

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven(L) and he sat at the right hand of God.(M) 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs(N) that accompanied it.

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Suddenly Jesus met them.(A) “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers(B) to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards(C) went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away(D) while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor,(E) we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.(F) 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.(G) 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,(H) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,(I) 20 and teaching(J) them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you(K) always, to the very end of the age.”(L)

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When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them(A) who told this to the apostles.(B) 11 But they did not believe(C) the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves,(D) and he went away,(E) wondering to himself what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem.(F) 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;(G) 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.(H)

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas,(I) asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,”(J) they replied. “He was a prophet,(K) powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers(L) handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.(M) And what is more, it is the third day(N) since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us.(O) They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”(P)

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”(Q) 27 And beginning with Moses(R) and all the Prophets,(S) he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.(T)

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it(U) and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him,(V) and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us(W) while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures(X) to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord(Y) has risen and has appeared to Simon.”(Z) 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.(AA)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”(AB)

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.(AC) 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see;(AD) a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.(AE)

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you:(AF) Everything must be fulfilled(AG) that is written about me in the Law of Moses,(AH) the Prophets(AI) and the Psalms.”(AJ)

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer(AK) and rise from the dead on the third day,(AL) 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name(AM) to all nations,(AN) beginning at Jerusalem.(AO) 48 You are witnesses(AP) of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised;(AQ) but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension of Jesus

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,(AR) he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.(AS) 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple,(AT) praising God.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 24:13 Or about 11 kilometers

14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,(A) but she did not realize that it was Jesus.(B)

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?(C) Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,(D) “Rabboni!”(E) (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers(F) and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father(G) and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene(H) went to the disciples(I) with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,(J) Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace(K) be with you!”(L) 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.(M) The disciples were overjoyed(N) when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!(O) As the Father has sent me,(P) I am sending you.”(Q) 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.(R) 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”(S)

Jesus Appears to Thomas

24 Now Thomas(T) (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side,(U) I will not believe.”(V)

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace(W) be with you!”(X) 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”(Y)

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;(Z) blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”(AA)

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

30 Jesus performed many other signs(AB) in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.(AC) 31 But these are written that you may believe[b](AD) that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,(AE) and that by believing you may have life in his name.(AF)

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Footnotes

  1. John 20:24 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.
  2. John 20:31 Or may continue to believe

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