Book of Common Prayer

¹³ God made a promise to Abraham. God did not have anyone greater than himself to hear his promise.

¹⁴ So he promised to himself when he said, `I will surely bless you and you will have many children.'

¹⁵ Abraham kept on believing God. And so he got what God had promised him.

¹⁶ When men make a promise, they ask someone to hear it who is greater than they are. When someone great has heard a promise, it stops any quarrel about it.

¹⁷ God made a promise to people. He wanted to show them that he would surely do as he said. So he promised to himself to keep the promise.

¹⁸ These two things cannot be changed and God cannot lie about them. So we can trust him. We have run to him to get what he has promised us.

¹⁹ This promise gives our hearts something to hold on to. It keeps our hearts strong and steady. It will take us into the Holy Place right inside God's house.

²⁰ Jesus has gone there ahead of us. He has been made high priest for ever like Melchizedek.

4 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was getting people to follow him and was baptizing them. (Jesus' disciples baptized them, not he himself.) He now had more followers than John.

² The Lord knew that they had heard about it. So he left Judea and went back to Galilee again.

³ He had to pass through the country of Samaria.

⁴ He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar. It was near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁵ Jacob's well was there. Jesus was very tired from walking on the road. So he sat down by the well. It was about midday.

⁶ A woman from Samaria came to the well to draw water. Jesus said, `Please give me a drink of water.'

⁷ His disciples had gone into the town to buy some food.

⁸ The woman said to Jesus, `Why do you ask me for a drink of water? You are a Jew and I am from Samaria.' (The Jews are not friends with the people of Samaria.)

⁹ Jesus answered her, `You do not know what God gives people. And you do not know who is asking you for a drink. If you knew him, then it is you who would have asked for a drink of water. He would give you living water.'

¹⁰ The woman said, `Sir, you have nothing to draw with. The well is deep. Where do you get that living water?

¹¹ Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well? He drank water from this well, also his children and cattle.'

¹² Jesus answered her, `Anyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.

¹³ But anyone who drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty. The water I give him will become a well inside of him that will never be dry. It will give him life for ever.'

¹⁴ The woman said, `Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty again. I will not need to come here to draw water.'

¹⁵ Jesus said, `Go, call your husband, then come here.'