The Message-NKJV Parallel Bible

8/12/2019 The Message-NKJV Parallel Bible

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THEMESSAGENKJVPARALLELBIBLE


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The MessageNKJV Parallel BibleCopyright 2007 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

New King James Version

Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) may be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission withthe following qualifications: (1) up to and including 1,000 verses may be quoted in printed form as long as the versesquoted amount to less than 50% of a complete book of the Bible and make up less than 50% of the total work in whichthey are quoted; (2) all NKJV quotations must conform accurately to the NKJV text.

Any use of the NKJV text must include a proper acknowledgement as follows:

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.Used by permission. All rights reserved.

However, when quotations from the NKJV text are used in church bulletins, orders of service, Sunday school lessons,church newsletters, and similar works in the course of religious instruction or services at a place of worship or otherreligious assembly, the following notice may be used at the end of each quotation: NKJV.

For quotation requests not covered by the above guidelines, write to Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attention: Bible Rights andPermissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

The Message

THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary LanguageCopyright 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.

This edition issued by contractual arrangement with NavPress, a division of The Navigators, U.S.A. Originally publishedby NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.

THE MESSAGE text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, or audio), up to and inclusive of five hun-dred (500) verses, without express written permission of the publisher, NavPress Publishing Group, providing theverses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible and do not account for 25 percent or more of the totaltext of the work in which they are quoted.

Notice of copyright must appear as follows on either the title page or the copyright page of the work in which THE

MESSAGE is quoted: Scripture take from THE MESSAGE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used bypermission of NavPress Publishing Group.

When quotations form THE MESSAGE text are used in nonsaleable media, such as church bulletins, orders of service,posters, transparencies, or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but The Message must appearat the end of each quotation.

Permission requests for commercial and noncommercial use that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to andapproved in writing by NavPress Publishing Group, Permissions, P.O. Box 35001, Colorado Springs, Co 80935.www.messagebible.com.

All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07


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v

N E W T E S T A M E N T

O L D T E S T A M E N T

BOOK PAGE

Genesis ......................................................................1Exodus ........................................................................76Leviticus ....................................................................137

Numbers ....................................................................180Deuteronomy............................................................244

Joshua..........................................................................299Judges..........................................................................336Ruth ............................................................................3731 Samuel......................................................................3792 Samuel ....................................................................4281 Kings ........................................................................4702 Kings........................................................................5181 Chronicles ..............................................................5652 Chronicles ..............................................................608Ezra..............................................................................661Nehemiah ..................................................................677Esther..........................................................................701

Job ................................................................................712Psalms..........................................................................763Proverbs......................................................................897

BOOK PAGE

Ecclesiastes................................................................946Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) ....................961Isaiah ..........................................................................970

Jeremiah ....................................................................1073Lamentations............................................................1175Ezekiel ........................................................................1186Daniel..........................................................................1263Hosea ..........................................................................1287

Joel................................................................................1303Amos............................................................................1309Obadiah ......................................................................1322

Jonah............................................................................1324Micah ..........................................................................1327Nahum ........................................................................1337Habakkuk ..................................................................1341Zephaniah..................................................................1346Haggai ........................................................................1351Zechariah ..................................................................1354Malachi ......................................................................1370

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Matthew ....................................................................1379Mark ............................................................................1432Luke ............................................................................1464

John..............................................................................1520Acts ..............................................................................1563Romans ......................................................................16171 Corinthians ............................................................16452 Corinthians............................................................1670Galatians ....................................................................1686

Ephesians ..................................................................1696Philippians ................................................................1704Colossians ..................................................................17101 Thessalonians........................................................17162 Thessalonians........................................................1721

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1 Timothy ..................................................................17242 Timothy ..................................................................1730Titus ............................................................................1734Philemon ....................................................................1737Hebrews......................................................................1738

James ..........................................................................17551 Peter..........................................................................17612 Peter ........................................................................17671 John ..........................................................................1771

2 John ..........................................................................17773 John ..........................................................................1778

Jude ..............................................................................1779Revelation ..................................................................1781

Welcome to The MessageNKJV Parallel Bible ........................................................................................................................vii

Preface to the New King James Version ................................................................................................................................ixPreface to The Message ................................................................................................................................................................xv

.CONTENTS,


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vi C O N T E N T S

B O O K S O F T H E B I B L E I N A L P H A B E T I C A L O R D E R

Acts ..............................................................................1563Amos............................................................................13091 Chronicles ..............................................................5652 Chronicles ..............................................................608Colossians ..................................................................17101 Corinthians ............................................................16452 Corinthians............................................................1670Daniel..........................................................................1263Deuteronomy............................................................244Ecclesiastes................................................................946Ephesians ..................................................................1696Esther..........................................................................701Exodus ........................................................................76Ezekiel ........................................................................1186Ezra..............................................................................661Galatians ....................................................................1686Genesis ......................................................................1Habakkuk ..................................................................1341Haggai ........................................................................1351Hebrews......................................................................1738

Hosea ..........................................................................1287Isaiah ..........................................................................970

James ..........................................................................1755Jeremiah ....................................................................1073Job ................................................................................712Joel................................................................................1303John..............................................................................15201 John ..........................................................................17712 John ..........................................................................17773 John ..........................................................................1778

Jonah............................................................................1324Joshua..........................................................................299Jude ..............................................................................1779

Judges..........................................................................3361 Kings ........................................................................4702 Kings ........................................................................518Lamentations............................................................1175Leviticus ....................................................................137Luke ............................................................................1464Malachi ......................................................................1370Mark ............................................................................1432Matthew ....................................................................1379Micah ..........................................................................1327Nahum ........................................................................1337Nehemiah ..................................................................677Numbers ....................................................................180Obadiah ......................................................................13221 Peter..........................................................................17612 Peter ........................................................................1767Philemon ....................................................................1737Philippians ................................................................1704Proverbs......................................................................897Psalms..........................................................................763

Revelation ..................................................................1781Romans ......................................................................1617Ruth ............................................................................3731 Samuel......................................................................3792 Samuel ....................................................................428Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) ....................9611 Thessalonians ........................................................17162 Thessalonians........................................................17211 Timothy ..................................................................17242 Timothy ..................................................................1730

Titus ............................................................................1734Zechariah ..................................................................1354Zephaniah..................................................................1346

Harmony of the Gospels ........................................................................................................................................................1809

Concordance (NKJV) ................................................................................................................................................................1815


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WELCOME TO.

THEMESSAGENKJV PARALLELBIBLE,

This parallel Bible gives you the best contrast available in a parallel Bible. It features two very dif-ferent translations that are outstanding examples in their respective categories.

The New King James Version is the most popular example of a formal or word-for-word Bibletranslation, where every wordfrom the original languages is carefully transmitted in modernEnglish as precisely as clarity, taste, and grammar will allow. This makes it an excellent transla-tion for study. The NKJV is current and clear, yet it is accurate and reliable, and it is majestic

enough for those who want a Bible that sounds like a Bible. The NKJV New Testament is trans-lated from the traditional text of the Greek New Testament, on which its predecessor the KingJames Version was also based. Heres how the NKJV renders a beloved passage, John 3:1621:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believesin Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son intothe world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is con-demned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of

God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and menloved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicingevil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. Buthe who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that theyhave been done in God.

The Messagetakes a very different approach. Its translator, the innovative Christian author Eu-gene Peterson, calls it a translation into American, a supplement to other translations, whosetone stabs us awake to a beauty and hope that connects us with our real lives. The Messageis

by far the most imaginative, lively, and compelling interpretation of the scriptures available, andThomas Nelson appreciates the opportunity to partner with the primary publisher of The Mes-sage, NavPress, in presenting it here. The MessageNew Testament is translated from a recentlyedited critical text of the Greek New Testament. Here is The Messagerendering of John 3:1621:

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And thisis why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a wholeand lasting life. God didnt go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point anaccusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right

again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has longsince been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that per-sons failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.


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viii W E L C O M E T O TH E ME S S A G E N K J V P A R A L L E L BI B L E

This is the crisis were in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and womeneverywhere ran for darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not reallyinterested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to de-nial and illusion, hates God-light and wont come near it, fearing a painful exposure. Butanyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can beseen for the God-work it is.

Thats quite a difference! This parallel edition of the Bible allows you to compare two radicallydistinct Bible translations. It provides amazing depth perception for your study of Gods Word,as you consider the startling dissimilarities of these two approaches to Bible translation whenyou view them side by side.

We have also included a harmony of the gospels and a concordance (geared to the familiar word-ing of the NKJV). We pray that God will use this parallel Bible to instruct, encourage, and bless

you in your study of His message to you.

The Publishers


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THE ETERNAL WORD

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God. 2He

was in the beginning with God. 3All things weremade through Him, and without Him nothingwas made that was made. 4In Him was life, andthe life was the light of men. 5And the lightshines in the darkness, and the darkness did notcomprehenda it.

JOHNS WITNESS: THE TRUE LIGHT6There was a man sent from God, whose

name was John. 7This man came for a witness,to bear witness of the Light, that all through himmight believe. 8He was not that Light, but wassentto bear witness of that Light. 9That was the

true Light which gives light to every man com-ing into the world.a10He was in the world, and the world was

made through Him, and the world did not knowHim. 11He came to His own,a and His ownb didnot receive Him. 12But as many as received Him,to them He gave the right to become children ofGod, to those who believe in His name: 13whowere born, not of blood, nor of the will of theflesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

THE WORD BECOMES FLESH14And the Word became flesh and dwelt

among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as

of the only begotten of the Father, full of graceand truth.

15John bore witness of Him and cried out,saying, This was He of whom I said, He whocomes after me is preferred before me, for Hewas before me.

16Anda of His fullness we have all received,and grace for grace. 17For the law was giventhrough Moses, but grace and truth camethrough Jesus Christ.

THE LIFE-LIGHT1-2

1The Word was first,the Word present to God,God present to the Word.The Word was God,

in readiness for God from day one.

3-5 Everything was created through him;nothingnot one thing!came into being without him.

What came into existence was Life,and the Life was Light to live by.

The Life-Light blazed out of thedarkness;

the darkness couldnt put it out.

6-8

There once was a man, his name John,sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where tolook, who to believe in. John was not him-self the Light; he was there to show the wayto the Light.

9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:Every person entering Lifehe brings into Light.

He was in the world,the world was there through him,and yet the world didnt even notice.

He came to his own people,but they didnt want him.

But whoever did want him,who believed he was who he claimedand would do what he said,

He made to be their true selves,their child-of-God selves.

These are the God-begotten,not blood-begotten,not flesh-begotten,not sex-begotten.

14 The Word became flesh and blood,and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes,the one-of-a-kind glory,like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,true from start to finish.

15 John pointed him out and called, This isthe One! The One I told you was coming af-ter me but in fact was ahead of me. He hasalways been ahead of me, has always hadthe first word.

16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,

gift after gift after gift.We got the basics from Moses,and then this exuberant giving and

receiving,This endless knowing and

understandingall this came through Jesus, the

Messiah.

1:5 aOr overcome 1:9 aOr That was the true Light which, com-ing into the world, gives light to every man. 1:11 aThat is, Hisown things or domain bThat is, His own people 1:16 aNU-Textreads For.

. John,NEW K I N G JA M E S VE R S I O N TH E MESSAGE


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NEW K I N G JA M E S VE R S I O N TH E MESSAGE

J O H N 1 : 3 8 1521

18No one has seen God at any time. The only be-gotten Son,a who is in the bosom of the Father,He has declared Him.

A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS19Now this is the testimony of John, when the

Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to

ask him, Who are you?20He confessed, and did not deny, but con-

fessed, I am not the Christ.21And they asked him, What then? Are you

Elijah?He said, I am not.Are you the Prophet?And he answered, No.22Then they said to him, Who are you, that

we may give an answer to those who sent us?What do you say about yourself?

23He said: I am

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:Make straight the way of the Lord, a

as the prophet Isaiah said.24Now those who were sent were from the

Pharisees. 25And they asked him, saying, Whythen do you baptize if you are not the Christ, norElijah, nor the Prophet?

26John answered them, saying, I baptizewith water, but there stands One among youwhom you do not know. 27It is He who, comingafter me, is preferred before me, whose sandalstrap I am not worthy to loose.

28These things were done in Bethabaraa be-

yond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

THE LAMB OF GOD29The next day John saw Jesus coming to-

ward him, and said, Behold! The Lamb of Godwho takes away the sin of the world! 30This is Heof whom I said, After me comes a Man who ispreferred before me, for He was before me. 31Idid not know Him; but that He should be re-vealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing withwater.

32And John bore witness, saying, I saw theSpirit descending from heaven like a dove, and

He remained upon Him.33

I did not know Him,but He who sent me to baptize with water saidto me, Upon whom you see the Spirit descend-ing, and remaining on Him, this is He who bap-tizes with the Holy Spirit. 34And I have seen andtestified that this is the Son of God.

THE FIRST DISCIPLES35Again, the next day, John stood with two of

his disciples. 36And looking at Jesus as Hewalked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God!

37The two disciples heard him speak, andthey followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, andseeing them following, said to them, What do

you seek?

No one has ever seen God,not so much as a glimpse.

This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,who exists at the very heart of the

Father,has made him plain as day.

THUNDER IN THE DESERT19-20 When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of

priests and officials to ask John who he was,he was completely honest. He didnt evadethe question. He told the plain truth: I amnot the Messiah.

21 They pressed him, Who, then? Elijah?I am not.The Prophet?No.

22 Exasperated, they said, Who, then? Weneed an answer for those who sent us. Tellus somethinganything!about yourself.

23

Im thunder in the desert: Make theroad straight for God! Im doing what theprophet Isaiah preached.

24-25 Those sent to question him were from thePharisee party. Now they had a question oftheir own: If youre neither the Messiah,nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you bap-tize?

26-27 John answered, I only baptize using wa-ter. A person you dont recognize has takenhis stand in your midst. He comes after me,but he is not in second place to me. Im noteven worthy to hold his coat for him.

28 These conversations took place in

Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,where John was baptizing at the time.

THE GOD-REVEALER29-31 The very next day John saw Jesus coming

toward him and yelled out, Here he is,Gods Passover Lamb! He forgives the sinsof the world! This is the man Ive been talk-ing about, the One who comes after me butis really ahead of me. I knew nothing aboutwho he wasonly this: that my task hasbeen to get Israel ready to recognize him asthe God-Revealer. That is why I came here

baptizing with water, giving you a good bathand scrubbing sins from your life so you canget a fresh start with God.

32-34 John clinched his witness with this: Iwatched the Spirit, like a dove flying downout of the sky, making himself at home inhim. I repeat, I know nothing about him ex-cept this: The One who authorized me tobaptize with water told me, The One onwhom you see the Spirit come down andstay, this One will baptize with the HolySpirit. Thats exactly what I saw happen,and Im telling you, theres no questionabout it: This is the Son of God.

COME, SEE FOR YOURSELF35-36 The next day John was back at his post with

two disciples, who were watching. Helooked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, andsaid, Here he is, Gods Passover Lamb.

37-38 The two disciples heard him and went af-ter Jesus. Jesus looked over his shoulderand said to them, What are you after?

1:18 aNU-Text reads only begotten God. 1:23 aIsaiah 40:31:28 aNU-Text and M-Text read Bethany.


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They said to Him, Rabbi (which is to say,when translated, Teacher), where are You stay-ing?

39He said to them, Come and see. Theycame and saw where He was staying, and re-mained with Him that day (now it was about thetenth hour).

40One of the two who heard John speak, andfollowed Him, was Andrew, Simon Petersbrother. 41He first found his own brother Simon,and said to him, We have found the Messiah(which is translated, the Christ). 42And hebrought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said,You are Simon the son of Jonah.a You shall becalled Cephas (which is translated, A Stone).

PHILIP AND NATHANAEL43The following day Jesus wanted to go to

Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him,

Follow Me.44

Now Philip was from Bethsaida,the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip foundNathanael and said to him, We have found Himof whom Moses in the law, and also theprophets, wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son ofJoseph.

46And Nathanael said to him, Can anythinggood come out of Nazareth?

Philip said to him, Come and see.47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him,

and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, inwhom is no deceit!

48Nathanael said to Him, How do You knowme?

Jesus answered and said to him, BeforePhilip called you, when you were under the figtree, I saw you.

49Nathanael answered and said to Him,Rabbi,You are the Son of God! You are the Kingof Israel!

50Jesus answered and said to him, Because Isaid to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do youbelieve? You will see greater things than these.51And He said to him, Most assuredly, I say toyou, hereaftera you shall see heaven open, andthe angels of God ascending and descendingupon the Son of Man.

WATER TURNED TO WINE

2On the third day there was a wedding in Canaof Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.2Now both Jesus and His disciples were invitedto the wedding. 3And when they ran out of wine,the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have nowine.

4Jesus said to her, Woman, what does yourconcern have to do with Me? My hour has notyet come.

5His mother said to the servants, WhateverHe says to you, do it.

6Now there were set there six waterpots of

stone, according to the manner of purification ofthe Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallonsapiece. 7Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpotswith water. And they filled them up to the brim.8And He said to them, Draw some out now, andtake itto the master of the feast. And they took it.

They said, Rabbi (which meansTeacher), where are you staying?

39 He replied, Come along and see foryourself.

They came, saw where he was living, andended up staying with him for the day. Itwas late afternoon when this happened.

40-42 Andrew, Simon Peters brother, was oneof the two who heard Johns witness andfollowed Jesus. The first thing he did afterfinding where Jesus lived was find his ownbrother, Simon, telling him, Weve foundthe Messiah (that is, Christ). He immedi-ately led him to Jesus.

Jesus took one look up and said, YoureJohns son, Simon? From now on your nameis Cephas (or Peter, which means Rock).

43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go toGalilee. When he got there, he ran acrossPhilip and said, Come, follow me. (Philips

hometown was Bethsaida, the same as An-drew and Peter.)45-46 Philip went and found Nathanael and

told him, Weve found the One Moses wroteof in the Law, the One preached by theprophets. Its Jesus, Josephs son, the onefrom Nazareth! Nathanael said, Nazareth?Youve got to be kidding.

But Philip said, Come, see for yourself.47 When Jesus saw him coming he said,

Theres a real Israelite, not a false bone inhis body.

48 Nathanael said, Where did you get thatidea? You dont know me.

Jesus answered, One day, long beforePhilip called you here, I saw you under thefig tree.

49 Nathanael exclaimed, Rabbi! You are theSon of God, the King of Israel!

50-51 Jesus said, Youve become a believersimply because I say I saw you one day sit-ting under the fig tree? You havent seenanything yet! Before this is over youre go-ing to see heaven open and Gods angels de-scending to the Son of Man and ascendingagain.

FROM WATER TO WINE1-3

2Three days later there was a wedding inthe village of Cana in Galilee. Jesusmother was there. Jesus and his discipleswere guests also.When they started runninglow on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesusmother told him, Theyre just about out ofwine.

4 Jesus said, Is that any of our business,Motheryours or mine? This isnt my time.Dont push me.

5 She went ahead anyway, telling the ser-vants, Whatever he tells you, do it.

6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there,used by the Jews for ritual washings. Eachheld twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus orderedthe servants, Fill the pots with water. Andthey filled them to the brim.

8 Now fill your pitchers and take them tothe host, Jesus said, and they did.

1:42 aNU-Text readsJohn. 1:51 aNU-Text omits hereafter.


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J O H N 3 : 3 1523

9When the master of the feast had tasted the wa-ter that was made wine, and did not knowwhere it came from (but the servants who haddrawn the water knew), the master of the feastcalled the bridegroom. 10And he said to him,Every man at the beginning sets out the goodwine, and when the guests have well drunk,

then the inferior. You have kept the good wineuntil now!

11This beginning of signs Jesus did in Canaof Galilee, and manifested His glory; and Hisdisciples believed in Him.

12After this He went down to Capernaum,He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples;and they did not stay there many days.

JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE13Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand,

and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14And He foundin the temple those who sold oxen and sheepand doves, and the money changers doing busi-ness. 15When He had made a whip of cords, Hedrove them all out of the temple, with the sheepand the oxen, and poured out the changersmoney and overturned the tables. 16And He saidto those who sold doves, Take these thingsaway! Do not make My Fathers house a houseof merchandise! 17Then His disciples remem-bered that it was written, Zeal for Your househas eatenaMe up.b

18So the Jews answered and said to Him,What sign do You show to us, since You do thesethings?

19Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy

this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.20Then the Jews said, It has taken forty-six

years to build this temple, and will You raise itup in three days?

21But He was speaking of the temple of Hisbody. 22Therefore, when He had risen from thedead, His disciples remembered that He hadsaid this to them;a and they believed the Scrip-ture and the word which Jesus had said.

THE DISCERNER OF HEARTS23Now when He was in Jerusalem at the

Passover, during the feast, many believed in Hisname when they saw the signs which He did.24But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, be-cause He knew all men, 25and had no need thatanyone should testify of man, for He knew whatwas in man.

THE NEW BIRTH

3There was a man of the Pharisees namedNicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man

came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi,we know that You are a teacher come from God;

for no one can do these signs that You do unlessGod is with him.

3Jesus answered and said to him, Most as-suredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God.

9-10 When the host tasted the water that hadbecome wine (he didnt know what had justhappened but the servants, of course,knew), he called out to the bridegroom,Everybody I know begins with their finestwines and after the guests have had their fillbrings in the cheap stuff. But youve saved

the best till now!11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first

sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of hisglory. And his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaumalong with his mother, brothers, and disci-ples, and stayed several days.

TEAR DOWN THIS TEMPLE . . .13-14 When the Passover Feast, celebrated each

spring by the Jews, was about to take place,Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He foundthe Temple teeming with people selling cat-

tle and sheep and doves. The loan sharkswere also there in full strength.15-17 Jesus put together a whip out of strips of

leather and chased them out of the Temple,stampeding the sheep and cattle, upendingthe tables of the loan sharks, spilling coinsleft and right. He told the dove merchants,Get your things out of here! Stop turningmy Fathers house into a shopping mall!Thats when his disciples remembered theScripture, Zeal for your house consumesme.

18-19 But the Jews were upset. They asked,What credentials can you present to justify

this? Jesus answered, Tear down this Tem-ple and in three days Ill put it back to-gether.

20-22 They were indignant: It took forty-sixyears to build this Temple, and youre goingto rebuild it in three days? But Jesus wastalking about his body as the Temple. Later,after he was raised from the dead, his disci-ples remembered he had said this. Theythen put two and two together and believedboth what was written in Scripture andwhat Jesus had said.

23-25 During the time he was in Jerusalem,

those days of the Passover Feast, many peo-ple noticed the signs he was displaying and,seeing they pointed straight to God, en-trusted their lives to him. But Jesus didntentrust his life to them. He knew them in-side and out, knew how untrustworthy theywere. He didnt need any help in seeingright through them.

BORN FROM ABOVE1-2

3There was a man of the Pharisee sect,Nicodemus, a prominent leader among theJews. Late one night he visited Jesus andsaid, Rabbi, we all know youre a teacher

straight from God. No one could do all theGod-pointing, God-revealing acts you do ifGod werent in on it.

3 Jesus said, Youre absolutely right. Takeit from me: Unless a person is born fromabove, its not possible to see what Impointing toto Gods kingdom.

2:17 aNU-Text and M-Text read will eat. bPsalm 69:9 2:22 aNU-Text and M-Text omit to them.


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1524 J O H N 3 : 4


4Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man beborn when he is old? Can he enter a second timeinto his mothers womb and be born?

5Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say toyou, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6Thatwhich is born of the flesh is flesh, and that

which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not mar-vel that I said to you, You must be born again.8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hearthe sound of it, but cannot tell where it comesfrom and where it goes. So is everyone who isborn of the Spirit.

9Nicodemus answered and said to Him,How can these things be?

10Jesus answered and said to him, Are youthe teacher of Israel, and do not know thesethings? 11Most assuredly, I say to you, We speakwhat We know and testify what We have seen,and you do not receive Our witness. 12If I have

told you earthly things and you do not believe,how will you believe if I tell you heavenlythings? 13No one has ascended to heaven but Hewho came down from heaven, that is,the Son ofMan who is in heaven.a 14And as Moses lifted upthe serpent in the wilderness, even so must theSon of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believesin Him should not perish buta have eternal life.16For God so loved the world that He gave Hisonly begotten Son, that whoever believes in Himshould not perish but have everlasting life. 17ForGod did not send His Son into the world to con-demn the world, but that the world through Himmight be saved.

18He who believes in Him is not condemned;but he who does not believe is condemned al-ready, because he has not believed in the nameof the only begotten Son of God. 19And this isthe condemnation, that the light has come intothe world, and men loved darkness rather thanlight, because their deeds were evil. 20For every-

4 How can anyone, said Nicodemus, beborn who has already been born and grownup? You cant re-enter your mothers womband be born again. What are you sayingwith this born-from-above talk?

5-6 Jesus said, Youre not listening. Let mesay it again. Unless a person submits to this

original creationthe wind-hovering-over-the-water creation, the invisible moving thevisible, a baptism into a new lifeits notpossible to enter Gods kingdom. When youlook at a baby, its just that: a body you canlook at and touch. But the person who takesshape within is formed by something youcant see and touchthe Spiritand be-comes a living spirit.

7-8 So dont be so surprised when I tell youthat you have to be born from aboveoutof this world, so to speak. You know wellenough how the wind blows this way and

that. You hear it rustling through the trees,but you have no idea where it comes from orwhere its headed next. Thats the way it iswith everyone born from above by thewind of God, the Spirit of God.

9 Nicodemus asked, What do you mean bythis? How does this happen?

10-12 Jesus said, Youre a respected teacher ofIsrael and you dont know these basics? Lis-ten carefully. Im speaking sober truth toyou. I speak only of what I know by experi-ence; I give witness only to what I have seenwith my own eyes. There is nothing second-hand here, no hearsay.Yet instead of facing

the evidence and accepting it, you procrasti-nate with questions. If I tell you things thatare plain as the hand before your face andyou dont believe me, what use is there intelling you of things you cant see, the thingsof God?

13-15 No one has ever gone up into the pres-ence of God except the One who came downfrom that Presence, the Son of Man. In thesame way that Moses lifted the serpent inthe desert so people could have somethingto see and then believe, it is necessary forthe Son of Man to be lifted upand every-

one who looks up to him, trusting and ex-pectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.16-18 This is how much God loved the world:

He gave his Son, his one and only Son. Andthis is why: so that no one need be de-stroyed; by believing in him, anyone canhave a whole and lasting life. God didnt goto all the trouble of sending his Son merelyto point an accusing finger, telling the worldhow bad it was. He came to help, to put theworld right again.Anyone who trusts in himis acquitted; anyone who refuses to trusthim has long since been under the deathsentence without knowing it. And why? Be-

cause of that persons failure to believe inthe one-of-a-kind Son of God when intro-duced to him.

19-21 This is the crisis were in: God-lightstreamed into the world, but men andwomen everywhere ran for the darkness.They went for the darkness because theywere not really interested in pleasing God.3:13 aNU-Text omits who is in heaven. 3:15 aNU-Text omits

not perish but.


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one practicing evil hates the light and does notcome to the light, lest his deeds should be ex-posed. 21But he who does the truth comes to thelight, that his deeds may be clearly seen, thatthey have been done in God.

JOHN THE BAPTIST EXALTS CHRIST

22After these things Jesus and His disciplescame into the land of Judea, and there He re-mained with them and baptized. 23Now Johnalso was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, be-cause there was much water there. And theycame and were baptized. 24For John had not yetbeen thrown into prison.

25Then there arose a dispute between someof Johns disciples and the Jews about purifica-tion. 26And they came to John and said to him,Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jor-dan, to whom you have testifiedbehold, He isbaptizing, and all are coming to Him!

27

John answered and said, A man can re-ceive nothing unless it has been given to himfrom heaven. 28You yourselves bear me witness,that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have beensent before Him. 29He who has the bride is thebridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom,who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly be-cause of the bridegrooms voice. Therefore thisjoy of mine is fulfilled. 30He must increase, but Imust decrease. 31He who comes from above isabove all; he who is of the earth is earthly andspeaks of the earth. He who comes from heavenis above all. 32And what He has seen and heard,that He testifies; and no one receives His testi-

mony. 33He who has received His testimony hascertified that God is true. 34For He whom Godhas sent speaks the words of God, for God doesnot give the Spirit by measure. 35The Fatherloves the Son, and has given all things into Hishand. 36He who believes in the Son has everlast-ing life; and he who does not believe the Sonshall not see life, but the wrath of God abides onhim.

A SAMARITAN WOMAN MEETS HER MESSIAH

4Therefore, when the Lord knew that thePharisees had heard that Jesus made andbaptized more disciples than John 2(though Je-sus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),

Everyone who makes a practice of doingevil, addicted to denial and illusion, hatesGod-light and wont come near it, fearing apainful exposure. But anyone working andliving in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.

THE BRIDEGROOMS FRIEND22-26 After this conversation, Jesus went on with

his disciples into the Judean countrysideand relaxed with them there. He was alsobaptizing. At the same time, John was bap-tizing over at Aenon near Salim, where wa-ter was abundant. This was before John wasthrown into jail. Johns disciples got into anargument with the establishment Jews overthe nature of baptism. They came to Johnand said, Rabbi, you know the one whowas with you on the other side of the Jor-

dan? The one you authorized with your wit-ness? Well, hes now competing with us.Hes baptizing, too, and everyones going tohim instead of us.

27-29 John answered, Its not possible for aperson to succeedIm talking about eter-nal successwithout heavens help. Youyourselves were there when I made it publicthat I was not the Messiah but simply theone sent ahead of him to get things ready.The one who gets the bride is, by definition,the bridegroom. And the bridegroomsfriend, his best manthats mein placeat his side where he can hear every word, is

genuinely happy. How could he be jealouswhen he knows that the wedding is finishedand the marriage is off to a good start?

29-30 Thats why my cup is running over. Thisis the assigned moment for him to move intothe center, while I slip off to the sidelines.

31-33 The One who comes from above is headand shoulders over other messengers fromGod. The earthborn is earthbound andspeaks earth language; the heavenborn is ina league of his own. He sets out the evidenceof what he saw and heard in heaven. No onewants to deal with these facts. But anyone

who examines this evidence will come tostake his life on this: that God himself is thetruth.

34-36 The One that God sent speaks Godswords. And dont think he rations out theSpirit in bits and pieces. The Father lovesthe Son extravagantly. He turned everythingover to him so he could give it awaya lav-ish distribution of gifts. That is why who-ever accepts and trusts the Son gets in oneverything, life complete and forever! Andthat is also why the person who avoids anddistrusts the Son is in the dark and doesntsee life. All he experiences of God is dark-

ness, and an angry darkness at that.

THE WOMAN AT THE WELL1-3

4Jesus realized that the Pharisees werekeeping count of the baptisms that he andJohn performed (although his disciples, notJesus, did the actual baptizing). They hadposted the score that Jesus was ahead, turn-ing him and John into rivals in the eyes of


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3He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.4But He needed to go through Samaria.

5So He came to a city of Samaria which iscalled Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacobgave to his son Joseph. 6Now Jacobs well wasthere. Jesus therefore, being wearied from Hisjourney, sat thus by the well. It was about the

sixth hour.7A woman of Samaria came to draw water.

Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. 8For Hisdisciples had gone away into the city to buyfood.

9Then the woman of Samaria said to Him,How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drinkfrom me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews haveno dealings with Samaritans.

10Jesus answered and said to her, If youknew the gift of God, and who it is who says toyou, Give Me a drink, you would have askedHim, and He would have given you living wa-

ter.11The woman said to Him, Sir, You havenothing to draw with, and the well is deep.Where then do You get that living water? 12AreYou greater than our father Jacob, who gave usthe well, and drank from it himself, as well ashis sons and his livestock?

13Jesus answered and said to her, Whoeverdrinks of this water will thirst again, 14but who-ever drinks of the water that I shall give him willnever thirst. But the water that I shall give himwill become in him a fountain of water spring-ing up into everlasting life.

15The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this

water, that I may not thirst, nor come here todraw.

16Jesus said to her, Go, call your husband,and come here.

17The woman answered and said, I have nohusband.

Jesus said to her, You have well said, I haveno husband, 18for you have had five husbands,and the one whom you now have is not yourhusband; in that you spoke truly.

19The woman said to Him, Sir, I perceivethat You are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipedon this mountain, and you Jews say that in

Jerusalem is the place where one ought to wor-ship.21Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the

hour is coming when you will neither on thismountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.22You worship what you do not know; we knowwhat we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.23But the hour is coming, and now is, when thetrue worshipers will worship the Father in spiritand truth; for the Father is seeking such to wor-ship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who wor-ship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

the people. So Jesus left the Judean country-side and went back to Galilee.

4-6 To get there, he had to pass throughSamaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritanvillage that bordered the field Jacob hadgiven his son Joseph. Jacobs well was stillthere. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down

at the well. It was noon.7-8 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw wa-

ter. Jesus said, Would you give me a drinkof water? (His disciples had gone to the vil-lage to buy food for lunch.)

9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback,asked, How come you, a Jew, are askingme, a Samaritan woman, for a drink? (Jewsin those days wouldnt be caught dead talk-ing to Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered, If you knew the gen-erosity of God and who I am, you would beasking me for a drink, and I would give you

fresh, living water.11-12 The woman said, Sir, you dont evenhave a bucket to draw with, and this well isdeep. So how are you going to get this liv-ing water? Are you a better man than ourancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drankfrom it, he and his sons and livestock, andpassed it down to us?

13-14 Jesus said, Everyone who drinks thiswater will get thirsty again and again. Any-one who drinks the water I give will neverthirstnot ever. The water I give will be anartesian spring within, gushing fountains ofendless life.

15 The woman said, Sir, give me this waterso I wont ever get thirsty, wont ever have tocome back to this well again!

16 He said, Go call your husband and thencome back.

17-18 I have no husband, she said.Thats nicely put: I have no husband.

Youve had five husbands, and the manyoure living with now isnt even your hus-band. You spoke the truth there, sureenough.

19-20 Oh, so youre a prophet! Well, tell methis: Our ancestors worshiped God at this

mountain, but you Jews insist thatJerusalem is the only place for worship,right?

21-23 Believe me, woman, the time is comingwhen you Samaritans will worship the Fa-ther neither here at this mountain nor therein Jerusalem. You worship guessing in thedark; we Jews worship in the clear light ofday. Gods way of salvation is made avail-able through the Jews. But the time is com-ingit has, in fact, comewhen whatyoure called will not matter and where yougo to worship will not matter.

23-24 Its who you are and the way you live that

count before God.Your worship must engageyour spirit in the pursuit of truth. Thats thekind of people the Father is out looking for:those who are simply and honestly them-selves before him in their worship. God issheer being itselfSpirit. Those who wor-ship him must do it out of their very being,their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.


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25The woman said to Him, I know that Mes-siah is coming (who is called Christ). When Hecomes, He will tell us all things.

26Jesus said to her, I who speak to you amHe.

THE WHITENED HARVEST

27And at this point His disciples came, andthey marveled that He talked with a woman; yetno one said, What do You seek? or, Why areYou talking with her?

28The woman then left her waterpot, wenther way into the city, and said to the men,29Come, see a Man who told me all things thatI ever did. Could this be the Christ? 30Then theywent out of the city and came to Him.

31In the meantime His disciples urged Him,saying, Rabbi, eat.

32But He said to them, I have food to eat ofwhich you do not know.

33

Therefore the disciples said to one another,Has anyone brought Him anythingto eat?34Jesus said to them, My food is to do the

will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.35Do you not say, There are still four monthsand then comes the harvest? Behold, I say toyou, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, forthey are already white for harvest! 36And hewho reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit foreternal life, that both he who sows and he whoreaps may rejoice together. 37For in this the say-ing is true: One sows and another reaps. 38Isent you to reap that for which you have not la-bored; others have labored, and you have en-

tered into their labors.

THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD39And many of the Samaritans of that city

believed in Him because of the word of thewoman who testified, He told me all that I everdid. 40So when the Samaritans had come toHim, they urged Him to stay with them; and Hestayed there two days. 41And many more be-lieved because of His own word.

42Then they said to the woman, Now we be-lieve, not because of what you said, for we our-selves have heard Him and we know that this is

indeed the Christ,a

the Savior of the world.

WELCOME AT GALILEE43Now after the two days He departed from

there and went to Galilee. 44For Jesus Himselftestified that a prophet has no honor in his owncountry. 45So when He came to Galilee, theGalileans received Him, having seen all thethings He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for theyalso had gone to the feast.

A NOBLEMANS SON HEALED46So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee

where He had made the water wine. And there

was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at

25 The woman said, I dont know aboutthat. I do know that the Messiah is coming.When he arrives, well get the whole story.

26 I am he, said Jesus. You dont have towait any longer or look any further.

27 Just then his disciples came back. Theywere shocked. They couldnt believe he was

talking with that kind of a woman. No onesaid what they were all thinking, but theirfaces showed it.

28-30 The woman took the hint and left. In herconfusion she left her water pot. Back in thevillage she told the people, Come see a manwho knew all about the things I did, whoknows me inside and out. Do you think thiscould be the Messiah? And they went out tosee for themselves.

ITS HARVEST TIME31 In the meantime, the disciples pressed him,

Rabbi, eat. Arent you going to eat?32 He told them, I have food to eat youknow nothing about.

33 The disciples were puzzled. Who couldhave brought him food?

34-35 Jesus said, The food that keeps me goingis that I do the will of the One who sent me,finishing the work he started. As you lookaround right now, wouldnt you say that inabout four months it will be time to harvest?Well, Im telling you to open your eyes andtake a good look at whats right in front ofyou. These Samaritan fields are ripe. Itsharvest time!

36-38 The Harvester isnt waiting. Hes takinghis pay, gathering in this grain thats ripe foreternal life. Now the Sower is arm in armwith the Harvester, triumphant. Thats thetruth of the saying, This one sows, that oneharvests. I sent you to harvest a field younever worked. Without lifting a finger, youhave walked in on a field worked long andhard by others.

39-42 Many of the Samaritans from that villagecommitted themselves to him because of thewomans witness: He knew all about thethings I did. He knows me inside and out!

They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayedtwo days. A lot more people entrusted theirlives to him when they heard what he had tosay. They said to the woman, Were nolonger taking this on your say-so. Weveheard it for ourselves and know it for sure.Hes the Savior of the world!

y43-45 After the two days he left for Galilee. Now,

Jesus knew well from experience that aprophet is not respected in the place wherehe grew up. So when he arrived in Galilee,the Galileans welcomed him, but only be-

cause they were impressed with what hehad done in Jerusalem during the PassoverFeast, not that they really had a clue aboutwho he was or what he was up to.

46-48 Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, theplace where he made the water into wine.Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a cer-tain official from the kings court whose son

4:42 aNU-Text omits the Christ.


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Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus hadcome out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Himand implored Him to come down and heal hisson, for he was at the point of death. 48Then Je-sus said to him, Unless you people see signsand wonders, you will by no means believe.

49The nobleman said to Him, Sir, come

down before my child dies!50Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son

lives. So the man believed the word that Jesusspoke to him, and he went his way. 51And as hewas now going down, his servants met him andtold him, saying, Your son lives!

52Then he inquired of them the hour when hegot better. And they said to him, Yesterday atthe seventh hour the fever left him. 53So the fa-ther knew that it was at the same hour in whichJesus said to him, Your son lives. And he him-self believed, and his whole household.

54This again is the second sign Jesus did

when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

A MAN HEALED AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA

5After this there was a feast of the Jews, andJesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now there is inJerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which iscalled in Hebrew, Bethesda,a having fiveporches. 3In these lay a great multitude of sickpeople, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for themoving of the water. 4For an angel went down ata certain time into the pool and stirred up thewater; then whoever stepped in first, after the

stirring of the water, was made well of whateverdisease he had.a 5Now a certain man was therewho had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6WhenJesus saw him lying there, and knew that he al-ready had been in that condition a long time, Hesaid to him, Do you want to be made well?

7The sick man answered Him, Sir, I have noman to put me into the pool when the water isstirred up; but while I am coming, another stepsdown before me.

8Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bedand walk. 9And immediately the man wasmade well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath.10

The Jewstherefore said to him who was cured, It is theSabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.

11He answered them, He who made me wellsaid to me, Take up your bed and walk.

12Then they asked him, Who is the Man whosaid to you, Take up your bed and walk? 13Butthe one who was healed did not know who itwas, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude beingin that place. 14Afterward Jesus found him inthe temple, and said to him, See, you have beenmade well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing comeupon you.

15The man departed and told the Jews that it

was Jesus who had made him well.

HONOR THE FATHER AND THE SON16For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus,

and sought to kill Him,a because He had donethese things on the Sabbath.

was sick. When he heard that Jesus hadcome from Judea to Galilee, he went andasked that he come down and heal his son,who was on the brink of death. Jesus puthim off: Unless you people are dazzled bya miracle, you refuse to believe.

49 But the court official wouldnt be put off.

Come down! Its life or death for my son.50-51 Jesus simply replied, Go home.Your son

lives.The man believed the bare word Jesus

spoke and headed home. On his way back,his servants intercepted him and an-nounced, Your son lives!

52-53 He asked them what time he began to getbetter. They said, The fever broke yester-day afternoon at one oclock. The fatherknew that that was the very moment Jesushad said, Your son lives.

53-54 That clinched it. Not only he but his en-

tire household believed. This was now thesecond sign Jesus gave after having comefrom Judea into Galilee.

EVEN ON THE SABBATH1-6

5Soon another Feast came around and Je-sus was back in Jerusalem. Near the SheepGate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in He-brew called Bethesda, with five alcoves.Hundreds of sick peopleblind, crippled,paralyzedwere in these alcoves. One manhad been an invalid there for thirty-eightyears. When Jesus saw him stretched out bythe pool and knew how long he had been

there, he said, Do you want to get well?7 The sick man said, Sir, when the water is

stirred, I dont have anybody to put me inthe pool. By the time I get there, somebodyelse is already in.

8-9 Jesus said, Get up, take your bedroll,start walking. The man was healed on thespot. He picked up his bedroll and walkedoff.

9-10 That day happened to be the Sabbath.The Jews stopped the healed man and said,Its the Sabbath. You cant carry yourbedroll around. Its against the rules.

11

But he told them, The man who mademe well told me to. He said, Take yourbedroll and start walking.

12-13 They asked, Who gave you the order totake it up and start walking? But the healedman didnt know, for Jesus had slippedaway into the crowd.

14 A little later Jesus found him in the Tem-ple and said, You look wonderful! Yourewell! Dont return to a sinning life or some-thing worse might happen.

15-16 The man went back and told the Jewsthat it was Jesus who had made him well.That is why the Jews were out to get Jesus

because he did this kind of thing on the Sab-bath.

5:2 aNU-Text reads Bethzatha. 5:4 aNU-Text omits waitingfor the moving of the water at the end of verse 3, and all ofverse 4. 5:16 aNU-Text omits and sought to kill Him.


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17But Jesus answered them, My Father hasbeen working until now, and I have been work-ing.

18Therefore the Jews sought all the more tokill Him, because He not only broke the Sab-bath, but also said that God was His Father,making Himself equal with God. 19Then Jesus

answered and said to them, Most assuredly, Isay to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,but what He sees the Father do; for whatever Hedoes, the Son also does in like manner. 20For theFather loves the Son, and shows Him all thingsthat He Himself does; and He will show Himgreater works than these, that you may marvel.21For as the Father raises the dead and gives lifeto them, even so the Son gives life to whom Hewill. 22For the Father judges no one, but hascommitted all judgment to the Son, 23that allshould honor the Son just as they honor the Fa-ther. He who does not honor the Son does not

honor the Father who sent Him.

LIFE AND JUDGMENT ARE THROUGH THE SON24Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears

My word and believes in Him who sent Me haseverlasting life, and shall not come into judg-ment, but has passed from death into life. 25Mostassuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, andnow is, when the dead will hear the voice of theSon of God; and those who hear will live. 26Foras the Father has life in Himself, so He hasgranted the Son to have life in Himself, 27andhas given Him authority to execute judgmentalso, because He is the Son of Man. 28Do not

marvel at this; for the hour is coming in whichall who are in the graves will hear His voice29and come forththose who have done good, tothe resurrection of life, and those who havedone evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.30I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge;and My judgment is righteous, because I do notseek My own will but the will of the Father whosent Me.

THE FOURFOLD WITNESS31If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is

not true. 32There is another who bears witness

of Me, and I know that the witness which Hewitnesses of Me is true. 33You have sent to John,and he has borne witness to the truth. 34Yet I donot receive testimony from man, but I say thesethings that you may be saved. 35He was theburning and shining lamp, and you were willingfor a time to rejoice in his light. 36But I have agreater witness than Johns; for the workswhich the Father has given Me to finishthe

17 But Jesus defended himself. My Father isworking straight through, even on the Sab-bath. So am I.

18 That really set them off. The Jews werenow not only out to expose him; they wereout to kill him. Not only was he breaking theSabbath, but he was calling God his own Fa-

ther, putting himself on a level with God.

WHAT THE FATHER DOES, THE SON DOES19-20 So Jesus explained himself at length. Im

telling you this straight. The Son cant inde-pendently do a thing, only what he sees theFather doing. What the Father does, the Sondoes. The Father loves the Son and includeshim in everything he is doing.

20-23 But you havent seen the half of it yet,for in the same way that the Father raisesthe dead and creates life, so does the Son.The Son gives life to anyone he chooses.

Neither he nor the Father shuts anyone out.The Father handed all authority to judgeover to the Son so that the Son will be hon-ored equally with the Father. Anyone whodishonors the Son, dishonors the Father, forit was the Fathers decision to put the Son inthe place of honor.

24 Its urgent that you listen carefully tothis: Anyone here who believes what I amsaying right now and aligns himself withthe Father, who has in fact put me in charge,has at this very moment the real, lasting lifeand is no longer condemned to be an out-sider. This person has taken a giant step

from the world of the dead to the world ofthe living.

25-27 Its urgent that you get this right: Thetime has arrivedI mean right now!whendead men and women will hear the voice ofthe Son of God and, hearing, will comealive. Just as the Father has life in himself,he has conferred on the Son life in himself.And he has given him the authority, simplybecause he is the Son of Man, to decide andcarry out matters of Judgment.

28-29 Dont act so surprised at all this. Thetime is coming when everyone dead and

buried will hear his voice. Those who havelived the right way will walk out into a res-urrection Life; those who have lived thewrong way, into a resurrection Judgment.

30-33 I cant do a solitary thing on my own: Ilisten, then I decide.You can trust my deci-sion because Im not out to get my own waybut only to carry out orders. If I were simplyspeaking on my own account, it would be anempty, self-serving witness. But an inde-pendent witness confirms me, the most reli-able Witness of all. Furthermore, you all sawand heard John, and he gave expert and re-liable testimony about me, didnt he?

34-38 But my purpose is not to get your vote,and not to appeal to mere human testimony.Im speaking to you this way so that you willbe saved. John was a torch, blazing andbright, and you were glad enough to dancefor an hour or so in his bright light. But thewitness that really confirms me far exceedsJohns witness. Its the work the Father gave


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very works that I dobear witness of Me, thatthe Father has sent Me. 37And the Father Him-self, who sent Me, has testified of Me.You haveneither heard His voice at any time, nor seen Hisform. 38But you do not have His word abiding inyou, because whom He sent, Him you do not be-lieve. 39You search the Scriptures, for in them

you think you have eternal life; and these arethey which testify of Me. 40But you are not will-ing to come to Me that you may have life.

41I do not receive honor from men. 42But Iknow you, that you do not have the love of Godin you. 43I have come in My Fathers name, andyou do not receive Me; if another comes in hisown name, him you will receive. 44How can youbelieve, who receive honor from one another,and do not seek the honor that comes from theonly God? 45Do not think that I shall accuse youto the Father; there is one who accuses youMoses, in whom you trust. 46For if you believed

Moses, you would believe Me; for he wroteabout Me. 47But if you do not believe his writ-ings, how will you believe My words?

FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND

6After these things Jesus went over the Sea ofGalilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2Then a

great multitude followed Him, because they sawHis signs which He performed on those whowere diseased. 3And Jesus went up on themountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

4Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, wasnear. 5Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeinga great multitude coming toward Him, He said

to Philip, Where shall we buy bread, that thesemay eat? 6But this He said to test him, for HeHimself knew what He would do.

7Philip answered Him, Two hundred denariiworth of bread is not sufficient for them, thatevery one of them may have a little.

8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Petersbrother, said to Him, 9There is a lad here whohas five barley loaves and two small fish, butwhat are they among so many?

10Then Jesus said, Make the people sitdown. Now there was much grass in the place.So the men sat down, in number about fivethousand. 11And Jesus took the loaves, and

when He had given thanks He distributed themto the disciples, and the disciplesa to those sit-ting down; and likewise of the fish, as much asthey wanted. 12So when they were filled, He saidto His disciples, Gather up the fragments thatremain, so that nothing is lost. 13Therefore they

me to complete. These very tasks, as I goabout completing them, confirm that the Fa-ther, in fact, sent me. The Father who sentme, confirmed me. And you missed it. Younever heard his voice, you never saw his ap-pearance. There is nothing left in your mem-ory of his Message because you do not take

his Messenger seriously.

y39-40 You have your heads in your Bibles con-

stantly because you think youll find eternallife there. But you miss the forest for thetrees. These Scriptures are all about me!And here I am, standing right before you,and you arent willing to receive from methe life you say you want.

41-44 Im not interested in crowd approval.And do you know why? Because I know youand your crowds. I know that love, espe-

cially Gods love, is not on your workingagenda. I came with the authority of my Fa-ther, and you either dismiss me or avoid me.If another came, acting self-important, youwould welcome him with open arms. Howdo you expect to get anywhere with Godwhen you spend all your time jockeying forposition with each other, ranking your rivalsand ignoring God?

45-47 But dont think Im going to accuse youbefore my Father. Moses, in whom you putso much stock, is your accuser. If you be-lieved, really believed, what Moses said, youwould believe me. He wrote of me. If you

wont take seriously what he wrote, how canI expect you to take seriously what Ispeak?

BREAD AND FISH FOR ALL1-4

6After this, Jesus went across the Sea ofGalilee (some call it Tiberias). A hugecrowd followed him, attracted by the mira-cles they had seen him do among the sick.When he got to the other side, he climbed ahill and sat down, surrounded by his disci-ples. It was nearly time for the Feast ofPassover, kept annually by the Jews.

5-6 When Jesus looked out and saw that a

large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip,Where can we buy bread to feed these peo-ple? He said this to stretch Philips faith. Healready knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered, Two hundred silverpieces wouldnt be enough to buy bread foreach person to get a piece.

8-9 One of the disciplesit was Andrew,brother to Simon Petersaid, Theres a lit-tle boy here who has five barley loaves andtwo fish. But thats a drop in the bucket fora crowd like this.

10-11 Jesus said, Make the people sit down.There was a nice carpet of green grass in

this place. They sat down, about five thou-sand of them. Then Jesus took the breadand, having given thanks, gave it to thosewho were seated. He did the same with thefish. All ate as much as they wanted.

12-13 When the people had eaten their fill, hesaid to his disciples, Gather the leftovers sonothing is wasted. They went to work and

6:11 aNU-Text omits to the disciples, and the disciples.


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gathered them up, and filled twelve basketswith the fragments of the five barley loaveswhich were left over by those who had eaten.14Then those men, when they had seen the signthat Jesus did, said, This is truly the Prophetwho is to come into the world.

JESUS WALKS ON THE SEA15Therefore when Jesus perceived that they

were about to come and take Him by force tomake Him king, He departed again to the moun-tain by Himself alone.

16Now when evening came, His discipleswent down to the sea, 17got into the boat, andwent over the sea toward Capernaum. And itwas already dark, and Jesus had not come tothem. 18Then the sea arose because a great windwas blowing. 19So when they had rowed aboutthree or four miles,athey saw Jesus walking onthe sea and drawing near the boat; and they

were afraid.20

But He said to them, It is I; do notbe afraid. 21Then they willingly received Himinto the boat, and immediately the boat was atthe land where they were going.

THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN22On the following day, when the people who

were standing on the other side of the sea sawthat there was no other boat there, except thatone which His disciples had entered,a and thatJesus had not entered the boat with His disci-ples, but His disciples had gone away alone23however, other boats came from Tiberias, nearthe place where they ate bread after the Lord

had given thanks 24when the people thereforesaw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples,they also got into boats and came to Caper-naum, seeking Jesus. 25And when they foundHim on the other side of the sea, they said toHim, Rabbi, when did You come here?

26Jesus answered them and said, Most as-suredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not becauseyou saw the signs, but because you ate of theloaves and were filled. 27Do not labor for thefood which perishes, but for the food which en-dures to everlasting life, which the Son of Manwill give you, because God the Father has set

His seal on Him.28Then they said to Him, What shall we do,that we may work the works of God?

29Jesus answered and said to them, This isthe work of God, that you believe in Him whomHe sent.

30Therefore they said to Him, What sign willYou perform then, that we may see it and be-lieve You? What work will You do? 31Our fathersate the manna in the desert; as it is written, Hegave them bread from heaven to eat. a

32Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, Isay to you, Moses did not give you the breadfrom heaven, but My Father gives you the true

bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is Hewho comes down from heaven and gives life tothe world.

34Then they said to Him, Lord, give us thisbread always.

filled twelve large baskets with leftoversfrom the five barley loaves.

14-15 The people realized that God was at workamong them in what Jesus had just done.They said, This is the Prophet for sure,Gods Prophet right here in Galilee! Jesussaw that in their enthusiasm, they were

about to grab him and make him king, so heslipped off and went back up the mountainto be by himself.

16-21 In the evening his disciples went down tothe sea, got in the boat, and headed backacross the water to Capernaum. It hadgrown quite dark and Jesus had not yet re-turned. A huge wind blew up, churning thesea. They were maybe three or four milesout when they saw Jesus walking on the sea,quite near the boat. They were scared sense-less, but he reassured them, Its me. Its allright. Dont be afraid. So they took him on

board. In no time they reached landthe ex-act spot they were headed to.22-24 The next day the crowd that was left be-

hind realized that there had been only oneboat, and that Jesus had not gotten into itwith his disciples. They had seen them gooff without him. By now boats from Tiberiashad pulled up near where they had eaten thebread blessed by the Master. So when thecrowd realized he was gone and wasntcoming back, they piled into the Tiberiasboats and headed for Capernaum, lookingfor Jesus.

25 When they found him back across the

sea, they said, Rabbi, when did you gethere?

26 Jesus answered, Youve come lookingfor me not because you saw God in my ac-tions but because I fed you, filled your stom-achsand for free.

THE BREAD OF LIFE27 Dont waste your energy striving for per-

ishable food like that. Work for the food thatsticks with you, food that nourishes yourlasting life, food the Son of Man provides.He and what he does are guaranteed by God

the Father to last.28 To that they said, Well, what do we dothen to get in on Gods works?

29 Jesus said, Throw your lot in with theOne that God has sent. That kind of a com-mitment gets you in on Gods works.

30-31 They waffled: Why dont you give us aclue about who you are, just a hint of whatsgoing on? When we see whats up, wellcommit ourselves. Show us what you cando. Moses fed our ancestors with bread inthe desert. It says so in the Scriptures: Hegave them bread from heaven to eat.

32-33 Jesus responded, The real significance

of that Scripture is not that Moses gave youbread from heaven but that my Father isright now offering you bread from heaven,the real bread. The Bread of God camedown out of heaven and is giving life to theworld.

34 They jumped at that: Master, give us thisbread, now and forever!

6:19 aLiterally twenty-five or thirty stadia 6:22 aNU-Textomits that and which His disciples had entered. 6:31 aExodus16:4; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:24


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35And Jesus said to them, I am the bread oflife. He who comes to Me shall never hunger,and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.36But I said to you that you have seen Me and yetdo not believe. 37All that the Father gives Me willcome to Me, and the one who comes to Me I willby no means cast out. 38For I have come down

from heaven, not to do My own will, but the willof Him who sent Me. 39This is the will of the Fa-ther who sent Me, that of all He has given Me Ishould lose nothing, but should raise it up at thelast day. 40And this is the will of Him who sentMe, that everyone who sees the Son and be-lieves in Him may have everlasting life; and Iwill raise him up at the last day.

REJECTED BY HIS OWN41The Jews then complained about Him, be-

cause He said, I am the bread which camedown from heaven. 42And they said, Is not this

Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father andmother we know? How is it then that He says, Ihave come down from heaven?

43Jesus therefore answered and said to them,Do not murmur among yourselves. 44No onecan come to Me unless the Father who sent Medraws him; and I will raise him up at the lastday. 45It is written in the prophets, And theyshall all be taught by God. a Therefore everyonewho has heard and learnedb from the Fathercomes to Me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Fa-ther, except He who is from God; He has seenthe Father. 47Most assuredly, I say to you, he whobelieves in Mea has everlasting life. 48I am the

bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in thewilderness, and are dead. 50This is the breadwhich comes down from heaven, that one mayeat of it and not die. 51I am the living breadwhich came down from heaven. If anyone eatsof this bread, he will live forever; and the breadthat I shall give is My flesh, which I shall givefor the life of the world.

52The Jews therefore quarreled among them-selves, saying, How can this Man give us Hisflesh to eat?

53Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, Isay to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of

Man and drink His blood, you have no life inyou. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks Myblood has eternal life, and I will raise him up atthe last day. 55For My flesh is food indeed,a andMy blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats Myflesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in

35-38 Jesus said, I am the Bread of Life. Theperson who aligns with me hungers nomore and thirsts no more, ever. I have toldyou this explicitly because even though youhave seen me in action, you dont really be-lieve me. Every person the Father gives meeventually comes running to me. And once

that person is with me, I hold on and dontlet go. I came down from heaven not to fol-low my own whim but to accomplish thewill of the One who sent me.

39-40 This, in a nutshell, is that will: thateverything handed over to me by the Fatherbe completednot a single detail missedand at the wrap-up of time I have everythingand everyone put together, upright andwhole. This is what my Father wants: thatanyone who sees the Son and trusts who heis and what he does and then aligns withhim will enter real life, eternal life. My part

is to put them on their feet alive and wholeat the completion of time.41-42 At this, because he said, I am the Bread

that came down from heaven, the Jewsstarted arguing over him: Isnt this the sonof Joseph? Dont we know his father? Dontwe know his mother? How can he now say,I came down out of heaven and expect any-one to believe him?

43-46 Jesus said, Dont bicker among your-selves over me. Youre not in charge here.The Father who sent me is in charge. Hedraws people to methats the only wayyoull ever come. Only then do I do my

work, putting people together, setting themon their feet, ready for the End. This is whatthe prophets meant when they wrote, Andthen they will all be personally taught byGod. Anyone who has spent any time at alllistening to the Father, really listening andtherefore learning, comes to me to be taughtpersonallyto see it with his own eyes, hearit with his own ears, from me, since I have itfirsthand from the Father. No one has seenthe Father except the One who has his Beingalongside the Fatherand you can see me.

47-51 Im telling you the most solemn and

sober truth now: Whoever believes in mehas real life, eternal life. I am the Bread ofLife.Your ancestors ate the manna bread inthe desert and died. But now here is Breadthat truly comes down out of heaven. Any-one eating this Bread will not die, ever. I amthe Breadliving Bread!who came downout of heaven. Anyone who eats this Breadwill liveand forever! The Bread that Ipresent to the world so that it can eat andlive is myself, this flesh-and-blood self.

52 At this, the Jews started fighting amongthemselves: How can this man serve up hisflesh for a meal?

53-58 But Jesus didnt give an inch. Only inso-far as you eat and drink flesh and blood, theflesh and blood of the Son of Man, do youhave life within you. The one who brings ahearty appetite to this eating and drinkinghas eternal life and will be fit and ready forthe Final Day. My flesh is real food and myblood is real drink. By eating my flesh anddrinking my blood you enter into me and I

6:45 aIsaiah 54:13 bM-Text reads hears and has learned.6:47 aNU-Text omits in Me. 6:55 aNU-Text reads true food andtrue drink.


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him. 57As the living Father sent Me, and I live be-cause of the Father, so he who feeds on Me willlive because of Me. 58This is the bread whichcame down from heavennot as your fathersate the manna, and are dead. He who eats thisbread will live forever.

59These things He said in the synagogue as

He taught in Capernaum.

MANY DISCIPLES TURN AWAY60Therefore many of His disciples, when they

heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who canunderstand it?

61When Jesus knew in Himself that His disci-ples complained about this, He said to them,Does this offend you? 62What then if youshould see the Son of Man ascend where Hewas before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; theflesh profits nothing. The words that I speak toyou are spirit, and they are life. 64But there are

some of you who do not believe. For Jesusknew from the beginning who they were whodid not believe, and who would betray Him.65And He said, Therefore I have said to you thatno one can come to Me unless it has beengranted to him by My Father.

66From that time many of His disciples wentback and walked with Him no more. 67Then Je-sus said to the twelve, Do you also want to goaway?

68But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, towhom shall we go? You have the words of eter-nal life. 69Also we have come to believe andknow that You are the Christ, the Son of the liv-

ing God.a70Jesus answered them, Did I not choose

you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71Hespoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for itwas he who would betray Him, being one of thetwelve.

JESUS BROTHERS DISBELIEVE

7After these things Jesus walked in Galilee;for He did not want to walk in Judea, becausethe Jewsa sought to kill Him. 2Now the JewsFeast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3His brothers

therefore said to Him, Depart from here and gointo Judea, that Your disciples also may see theworks that You are doing. 4For no one does any-thing in secret while he himself seeks to beknown openly. If You do these things, show Your-self to the world. 5For even His brothers did notbelieve in Him.

6Then Jesus said to them, My time has notyet come, but your time is always ready. 7Theworld cannot hate you, but it hates Me becauseI testify of it that its works are evil. 8You go upto this feast. I am not yeta going up to this feast,for My time has not yet fully come. 9When Hehad said these things to them, He remained in

Galilee.

into you. In the same way that the fully aliveFather sent me here and I live because of him,so the one who makes a meal of me lives be-cause of me. This is the Bread from heaven.Your ancestors ate bread and later died.Who-ever eats this Bread will live always.

59 He

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