John 2:13-22

International Children’s Bible

¹³ But it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. So Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the Temple he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging money. ¹⁵ Jesus made a whip out of cords. Then he forced all these men, with the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of the men who were exchanging it. ¹⁶ Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”

¹⁷ When this happened the followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures: “My strong love for your Temple completely controls me.”^[a]

¹⁸ The Jews said to Jesus, “Show us a miracle for a sign. Prove that you have the right to do these things.”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days.”

²⁰ The Jews answered, “Men worked 46 years to build this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three days?”

²¹ (But the temple Jesus meant was his own body. ²² After Jesus was raised from death, his followers remembered that Jesus had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus said.)