John 1:1-11:21

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (^[a]Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ^[b]Himself.^(A)

² He was present originally with God.

³ All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.

⁴ In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.

⁵ And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

⁶ There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.^(B)

⁷ This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it [adhere to it, trust it, and rely upon it] through him.

⁸ He was not the Light himself, but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light.

⁹ There it was—the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person.^(C)

¹⁰ He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].

¹¹ He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own—His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.

¹² But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—^(D)

¹³ Who owe their birth neither to ^[c]bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]

¹⁴ And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.^(E)

¹⁵ John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]

¹⁶ For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.

¹⁷ For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (^[d]unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.^(F)

¹⁸ No man has ever seen God at any time; the only ^[e]unique Son, or ^[f]the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].^(G)

¹⁹ And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?

²⁰ He confessed (admitted the truth) and did not try to conceal it, but acknowledged, I am not the Christ!

²¹ They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not! Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No!^(H)

²² Then they said to him, Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?

²³ He said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord], as the prophet Isaiah said.^(I)

²⁴ The messengers had been sent from the Pharisees.

²⁵ And they asked him, Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?

²⁶ John answered them, I [only] baptize ^[g]in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing.^(J)

²⁷ It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose.

²⁸ These things occurred in Bethany (Bethabara) across the Jordan [^[h]at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing.

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!^(K)

³⁰ This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did.

³¹ And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing ^[i]in (with) water.

³² John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart].

³³ And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize ^[j]in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

³⁴ And I have seen [that happen—I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!

³⁵ Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,

³⁶ And he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God!

³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him.

³⁸ But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them, What are you looking for? [And what is it you wish?] And they answered Him, Rabbi—which translated is Teacher—where are You staying?

³⁹ He said to them, Come and see. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him ^[k] that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o’clock in the afternoon).

⁴⁰ One of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

⁴¹ He first sought out and found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found (discovered) the Messiah!—which translated is the Christ (the Anointed One).

⁴² Andrew then led (brought) Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas—which translated is Peter [Stone].

⁴³ The next day Jesus desired and decided to go into Galilee; and He found Philip and said to him, Join Me as My attendant and follow Me.

⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the same city as Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip sought and found Nathanael and told him, We have found (discovered) the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about—Jesus from Nazareth, the [legal] son of Joseph!

⁴⁶ Nathanael answered him, [Nazareth!] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see!

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity!

⁴⁸ Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered, Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, Because I said to you, I saw you beneath the fig tree, do you believe in and rely on and trust in Me? You shall see greater things than this!

⁵¹ Then He said to him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you all, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man!^(L)

2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

² Jesus also was invited with His disciples to the wedding.

³ And when the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, They have no more wine!

⁴ Jesus said to her, [^[l]Dear] woman, what is that to you and to Me? [What do we have in common? Leave it to Me.] My time (hour to act) has not yet come.^(M)

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

⁶ Now there were six waterpots of stone standing there, as the Jewish custom of purification (ceremonial washing) demanded, holding twenty to thirty gallons apiece.

⁷ Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water. So they filled them up to the brim.

⁸ Then He said to them, Draw some out now and take it to the manager of the feast [to the one presiding, the superintendent of the banquet]. So they took him some.

⁹ And when the manager tasted the water just now turned into wine, not knowing where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew—he called the bridegroom

¹⁰ And said to him, Everyone else serves his best wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then he serves that which is not so good; but you have kept back the good wine until now!

¹¹ This, the first of His signs (miracles, wonderworks), Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory [by it He displayed His greatness and His power openly], and His disciples believed in Him [adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him].^(N)

¹² After that He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.

¹³ Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ There He found in the temple [^[m]enclosure] those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there [also at their stands].

¹⁵ And having made a lash (a whip) of cords, He drove them all out of the temple [^[n]enclosure]—both the sheep and the oxen—spilling and scattering the brokers’ money and upsetting and tossing around their trays (their stands).

¹⁶ Then to those who sold the doves He said, Take these things away (out of here)! Make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise (a marketplace, a sales shop)!^(O)

¹⁷ And His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Holy Scriptures], Zeal (the fervor of love) for Your house will eat Me up. [I will be consumed with jealousy for the honor of Your house.]^(P)

¹⁸ Then the Jews retorted, What sign can ^[o]You show us, seeing You do these things? [What sign, miracle, token, indication can You give us as evidence that You have authority and are commissioned to act in this way?]

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, Destroy (undo) this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.

²⁰ Then the Jews replied, It took forty-six years to build this temple (sanctuary), and will You raise it up in three days?

²¹ But He had spoken of the temple which was His body.

²² When therefore He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this. And so they believed and trusted and relied on the Scripture and the word (message) Jesus had spoken.^(Q)

²³ But when He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing.

²⁴ But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men];

²⁵ And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men’s hearts.]^(R)

3 Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews,

² Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles—and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.

³ Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb again and be born?

⁵ Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [^[p]even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.^(S)

⁶ What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).

⁸ The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

⁹ Nicodemus answered by asking, How can all this be possible?

¹⁰ Jesus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things? [Are they strange to you?]

¹¹ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, We speak only of what we know [we know absolutely what we are talking about]; we have actually seen what we are testifying to [we were eyewitnesses of it]. And still you do not receive our testimony [you reject and refuse our evidence—that of Myself and of all those who are born of the Spirit].

¹² If I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on Me) if I tell you of heavenly things?

¹³ And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven—the Son of Man [Himself], ^[q]Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven.

¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross],^(T)

¹⁵ In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may ^[r]not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever!

¹⁶ For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (^[s]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

¹⁸ He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation—he incurs no damnation]; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already [he has already been convicted and has already received his sentence] because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ’s name.]

¹⁹ The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.^(U)

²⁰ For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.

²¹ But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence upon Him].

²² After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the land (the countryside) of Judea, where He remained with them, and baptized.

²³ But John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, for there was an abundance of water there, and the people kept coming and being baptized.

²⁴ For John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵ Therefore there arose a controversy between some of John’s disciples and a Jew in regard to purification.

²⁶ So they came to John and reported to him, Rabbi, the Man Who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [^[t]at the Jordan crossing]—and to Whom you yourself have borne testimony—notice, here He is baptizing too, and everybody is flocking to Him!

²⁷ John answered, A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing, he can ^[u]take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven. [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.]

²⁸ You yourselves are my witnesses [you personally bear me out] that I stated, I am not the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), but I have [only] been sent before Him [in advance of Him, to be His appointed forerunner, His messenger, His announcer].^(V)

²⁹ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the groomsman who stands by and listens to him rejoices greatly and heartily on account of the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my pleasure and joy, and it is now complete.^(W)

³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]^(X)

³¹ He Who comes from above (heaven) is [far] above all [others]; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth, and talks the language of earth [his words are from an earthly standpoint]. He Who comes from heaven is [far] above all others [far superior to all others in prominence and in excellence].

³² It is to what He has [actually] seen and heard that He bears testimony, and yet no one accepts His testimony [no one receives His evidence as true].

³³ Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true. [That man has definitely certified, acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured that it is divine truth that God cannot lie].

³⁴ For since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God [proclaims God’s own message], God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!^(Y)

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has given (entrusted, committed) everything into His hand.^(Z)

³⁶ And he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son has (now possesses) eternal life. But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son will never see (experience) life, but [instead] the wrath of God abides on him. [God’s displeasure remains on him; His indignation hangs over him continually.]^(AA)

4 Now when the Lord knew (learned, became aware) that the Pharisees had been told that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John—

² Though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples—

³ He left Judea and returned to Galilee.

⁴ It was necessary for Him to go through Samaria.

⁵ And in doing so, He arrived at a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the tract of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁶ And Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down [to rest] by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (about noon).

⁷ Presently, when a woman of Samaria came along to draw water, Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink—

⁸ For His disciples had gone off into the town to buy food—

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that ^[v]You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan [and a] woman, for a drink?—For the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans—

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, If you had only known and had recognized God’s gift and Who this is that is saying to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him [instead] and He would have given you living water.

¹¹ She said to Him, Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no drawing bucket] and the well is deep; how then can You provide living water? [Where do You get Your living water?]

¹² Are You greater than and superior to our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?

¹³ Jesus answered her, All who drink of this water will be thirsty again.

¹⁴ But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.

¹⁵ The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, so that I may never get thirsty nor have to come [continually all the way] here to draw.

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

¹⁷ The woman answered, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have spoken truly in saying, I have no husband.

¹⁸ For you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. In this you have spoken truly.

¹⁹ The woman said to Him, Sir, I see and understand that You are a prophet.

²⁰ Our forefathers worshiped on this mountain, but you [Jews] say that Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary and proper to worship.

²¹ Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither [merely] in this mountain nor [merely] in Jerusalem.

²² You [Samaritans] do not know what you are worshiping [you worship what you do not comprehend]. We do know what we are worshiping [we worship what we have knowledge of and understand], for [after all] salvation comes from [among] the Jews.

²³ A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers.

²⁴ God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).

²⁵ The woman said to Him, I know that Messiah is coming, He Who is called the Christ (the Anointed One); and when He arrives, He will tell us everything we need to know and make it clear to us.

²⁶ Jesus said to her, I Who now speak with you am He.

²⁷ Just then His disciples came and they wondered (were surprised, astonished) to find Him talking with a woman [a married woman]. However, not one of them asked Him, What are You inquiring about? or What do You want? or, Why do You speak with her?

²⁸ Then the woman left her water jar and went away to the town. And she began telling the people,

²⁹ Come, see a Man Who has told me everything that I ever did! Can this be [is not this] the Christ? [Must not this be the Messiah, the Anointed One?]

³⁰ So the people left the town and set out to go to Him.

³¹ Meanwhile, the disciples urged Him saying, Rabbi, eat something.

³² But He assured them, I have food (nourishment) to eat of which you know nothing and have no idea.

³³ So the disciples said one to another, Has someone brought Him something to eat?

³⁴ Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work.

³⁵ Do you not say, It is still four months until harvest time comes? Look! I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields and see how they are already white for harvesting.

³⁶ Already the reaper is getting his wages [he who does the cutting now has his reward], for he is gathering fruit (crop) unto life eternal, so that he who does the planting and he who does the reaping may rejoice together.

³⁷ For in this the saying holds true, One sows and another reaps.

³⁸ I sent you to reap a crop for which you have not toiled. Other men have labored and you have stepped in to reap the results of their work.

³⁹ Now numerous Samaritans from that town believed in and trusted in Him because of what the woman said when she declared and testified, He told me everything that I ever did.

⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans arrived, they asked Him to remain with them, and He did stay there two days.

⁴¹ Then many more believed in and adhered to and relied on Him because of His personal message [what He Himself said].

⁴² And they told the woman, Now we no longer believe (trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him ourselves [personally], and we know that He truly is the Savior of the world, the Christ.

⁴³ But after these two days Jesus went on from there into Galilee—

⁴⁴ Although He Himself declared that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

⁴⁵ However, when He came into Galilee, the Galileans also welcomed Him and took Him to their hearts eagerly, for they had seen everything that He did in Jerusalem during the Feast; for they too had attended the Feast.

⁴⁶ So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son was lying ill in Capernaum.

⁴⁷ Having heard that Jesus had come back from Judea into Galilee, he went away to meet Him and began to beg Him to come down and cure his son, for he was lying at the point of death.

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and miracles happen, you [people] never will believe (trust, have faith) at all.

⁴⁹ The king’s officer pleaded with Him, Sir, do come down at once before my little child is dead!

⁵⁰ Jesus answered him, Go in peace; your son will live! And the man put his trust in what Jesus said and started home.

⁵¹ But even as he was on the road going down, his servants met him and reported, saying, Your son lives!

⁵² So he asked them at what time he had begun to get better. They said, Yesterday during the seventh hour (about one o’clock in the afternoon) the fever left him.

⁵³ Then the father knew that it was at that very hour when Jesus had said to him, Your son will live. And he and his entire household believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Jesus).

⁵⁴ This is the second sign (wonderwork, miracle) that Jesus performed after He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

5 Later on there was a Jewish festival (feast) for which Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

² Now there is in Jerusalem a pool near the Sheep Gate. This pool in the Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porches (alcoves, colonnades, doorways).

³ In these lay a great number of sick folk—some blind, some crippled, and some paralyzed (shriveled up)—^[w]waiting for the bubbling up of the water.

⁴ For an angel of the Lord went down at appointed seasons into the pool and moved and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was cured of whatever disease with which he was afflicted.

⁵ There was a certain man there who had suffered with a deep-seated and lingering disorder for thirty-eight years.

⁶ When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, Do you want to become well? [Are you really in earnest about getting well?]

⁷ The invalid answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to come [into it] myself, somebody else steps down ahead of me.

⁸ Jesus said to him, Get up! Pick up your bed (sleeping pad) and walk!

⁹ Instantly the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked. But that happened on the Sabbath.

¹⁰ So the Jews kept saying to the man who had been healed, It is the Sabbath, and you have no right to pick up your bed [it is not lawful].

¹¹ He answered them, The ^[x]Man Who healed me and gave me back my strength, He Himself said to me, Pick up your bed and walk!

¹² They asked him, Who is the Man Who told you, Pick up your bed and walk?

¹³ Now the invalid who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had quietly gone away [had passed on unnoticed], since there was a crowd in the place.

¹⁴ Afterward, when Jesus found him in the temple, He said to him, See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.

¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had made him well.

¹⁶ For this reason the Jews began to persecute (annoy, torment) Jesus ^[y]and sought to kill Him, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, My Father has worked [even] until now, [He has never ceased working; He is still working] and I, too, must be at [divine] work.

¹⁸ This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him [to do away with Him]; because He not only was breaking (weakening, violating) the Sabbath, but He actually was speaking of God as being [in a special sense] His own Father, making Himself equal [putting Himself on a level] with God.

¹⁹ So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn].

²⁰ The Father dearly loves the Son and discloses to (shows) Him everything that He Himself does. And He will disclose to Him (let Him see) greater things yet than these, so that you may marvel and be full of wonder and astonishment.

²¹ Just as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life [makes them live on], even so the Son also gives life to whomever He wills and is pleased to give it.

²² Even the Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son,

²³ So that all men may give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, Who has sent Him.

²⁴ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life.

²⁵ Believe Me when I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the time is coming and is here now when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear it shall live.

²⁶ For even as the Father has life in Himself and is self-existent, so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself and be self-existent.

²⁷ And He has given Him authority and granted Him power to execute (exercise, practice) judgment because He is ^[z]a Son of man [very man].

²⁸ Do not be surprised and wonder at this, for the time is coming when all those who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,

²⁹ And they shall come out—those who have practiced doing good [will come out] to the resurrection of [new] life, and those who have done evil will be raised for judgment [raised to meet their sentence].^(AB)

³⁰ I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord—but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.

³¹ If I alone testify in My behalf, My testimony is not valid and cannot be worth anything.

³² There is Another Who testifies concerning Me, and I know and am certain that His evidence on My behalf is true and valid.

³³ You yourselves have sent [an inquiry] to John and he has been a witness to the truth.

³⁴ But I do not receive [a mere] human witness [the evidence which I accept on My behalf is not from man]; but I simply mention all these things in order that you may be saved (made and kept safe and sound).

³⁵ John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining [to show you the way], and you were willing for a while to delight (sun) yourselves in his light.

³⁶ But I have as My witness something greater (weightier, higher, better) than that of John; for the works that the Father has appointed Me to accomplish and finish, the very same works that I am now doing, are a witness and proof that the Father has sent Me.

³⁷ And the Father Who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me. Not one of you has ever given ear to His voice or seen His form (His face—what He is like). [You have always been deaf to His voice and blind to the vision of Him.]

³⁸ And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him Whom He has sent. [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the Messenger Whom He has sent.]

³⁹ You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!

⁴⁰ And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life.

⁴¹ I receive not glory from men [I crave no human honor, I look for no mortal fame],

⁴² But I know you and recognize and understand that you have not the love of God in you.

⁴³ I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [your hearts are not open to Me, you give Me no welcome]; but if another comes in his own name and his own power and with no other authority but himself, you will receive him and give him your approval.

⁴⁴ How is it possible for you to believe [how can you learn to believe], you who [are content to seek and] receive praise and honor and glory from one another, and yet do not seek the praise and honor and glory which come from Him Who alone is God?

⁴⁵ Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you—it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust].

⁴⁶ For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe and rely on Me, for he wrote about Me [personally].

⁴⁷ But if you do not believe and trust his writings, how then will you believe and trust My teachings? [How shall you cleave to and rely on My words?]

6 After this, Jesus went to the farther side of the Sea of Galilee—that is, the Sea of Tiberias.

² And a great crowd was following Him because they had seen the signs (miracles) which He [continually] performed upon those who were sick.

³ And Jesus walked up the mountainside and sat down there with His disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was approaching.

⁵ Jesus looked up then, and seeing that a vast multitude was coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that all these people may eat?

⁶ But He said this to prove (test) him, for He well knew what He was about to do.

⁷ Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennies’ (forty dollars) worth of bread is not enough that everyone may receive even a little.

⁸ Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

⁹ There is a little boy here, who has [with him] five barley loaves, and two small fish; but what are they among so many people?

¹⁰ Jesus said, Make all the people recline (sit down). Now the ground (a pasture) was covered with thick grass at the spot, so the men threw themselves down, about 5,000 in number.

¹¹ Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed ^[aa]to the disciples and the disciples to the reclining people; so also [He did] with the fish, as much as they wanted.

¹² When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost and wasted.

¹³ So accordingly they gathered them up, and they filled twelve [^[ab]small hand] baskets with fragments left over by those who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign (miracle) that Jesus had performed, they began saying, Surely and beyond a doubt this is the Prophet Who is to come into the world!^(AC)

¹⁵ Then Jesus, knowing that they meant to come and seize Him that they might make Him king, withdrew again to the hillside by Himself alone.

¹⁶ When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

¹⁷ And they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them.

¹⁸ Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing.

¹⁹ [However] when they had rowed three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. And they were afraid (terrified).

²⁰ But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I Am; stop being frightened!]^(AD)

²¹ Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]

²² The next day the crowd [that still remained] standing on the other side of the sea realized that there had been only one small boat there, and that Jesus had not gone into it with His disciples, but that His disciples had gone away by themselves.

²³ But now some other boats from Tiberias had come in near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks.

²⁴ So the people, finding that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, themselves got into the small boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

²⁵ And when they found Him on the other side of the lake, they said to Him, Rabbi! When did You come here?

²⁶ Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you have been searching for Me, not because you saw the miracles and signs but because you were fed with the loaves and were filled and satisfied.

²⁷ Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes [in the using], but strive and work and produce rather for the [lasting] food which endures [continually] unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give (furnish) you that, for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him.

²⁸ They then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?]

²⁹ Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger].

³⁰ Therefore they said to Him, What sign (miracle, wonderwork) will ^[ac]You perform then, so that we may see it and believe and rely on and adhere to You? What [supernatural] work have You [to show what You can do]?

³¹ Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.^(AE)

³² Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.

³³ For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.

³⁴ Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)!

³⁵ Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).

³⁶ But [as] I told you, although you have seen Me, still you do not believe and trust and have faith.

³⁷ All whom My Father gives (entrusts) to Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, no never, reject one of them who comes to Me].

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me.

³⁹ And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day.

⁴⁰ For this is My Father’s will and His purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

⁴¹ Now the Jews murmured and found fault with and grumbled about Jesus because He said, I am [Myself] the Bread that came down from heaven.

⁴² They kept asking, Is not this Jesus, the ^[ad]Son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know? How then can He say, I have come down from heaven?

⁴³ So Jesus answered them, Stop grumbling and saying things against Me to one another.

⁴⁴ No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

⁴⁵ It is written in [the book of] the Prophets, And they shall all be taught of God [have Him in person for their Teacher]. Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father comes to Me—^(AF)

⁴⁶ Which does not imply that anyone has seen the Father [not that anyone has ever seen Him] except He [Who was with the Father] Who comes from God; He [alone] has seen the Father.

⁴⁷ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.

⁴⁸ I am the Bread of Life [that gives life—the Living Bread].

⁴⁹ Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died.

⁵⁰ [But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die.

⁵¹ I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body).

⁵² Then the Jews angrily contended with one another, saying, How is He able to give us His flesh to eat?

⁵³ And Jesus said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, you cannot have any life in you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood [unless you appropriate His life and the saving merit of His blood].

⁵⁴ He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has (possesses now) eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.

⁵⁵ For My flesh is true and genuine food, and My blood is true and genuine drink.

⁵⁶ He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood dwells continually in Me, and I [in like manner dwell continually] in him.

⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.

⁵⁸ This is the Bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna which our forefathers ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever.

⁵⁹ He said these things in a synagogue while He was teaching at Capernaum.

⁶⁰ When His disciples heard this, many of them said, This is a hard and difficult and strange saying (an offensive and unbearable message). Who can stand to hear it? [Who can be expected to listen to such teaching?]

⁶¹ But Jesus, knowing within Himself that His disciples were complaining and protesting and grumbling about it, said to them: Is this a stumbling block and an offense to you? [Does this upset and displease and shock and scandalize you?]

⁶² What then [will be your reaction] if you should see the Son of Man ascending to [the place] where He was before?

⁶³ It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.

⁶⁴ But [still] some of you fail to believe and trust and have faith. For Jesus knew from the first who did not believe and had no faith and who would betray Him and be false to Him.

⁶⁵ And He said, This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him [unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.

⁶⁶ After this, many of His disciples drew back (returned to their old associations) and no longer accompanied Him.

⁶⁷ Jesus said to the Twelve, Will you also go away? [And do you too desire to leave Me?]

⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words (the message) of eternal life.

⁶⁹ And we have learned to believe and trust, and [more] we have come to know [surely] that You are the Holy One of God, the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of the living God.

⁷⁰ Jesus answered them, Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And [yet] one of you is a devil (of the evil one and a false accuser).

⁷¹ He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he was about to betray Him, [although] he was one of the Twelve.

7 After this, Jesus went from place to place in Galilee, for He would not travel in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

² Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was drawing near.

³ So His brothers said to Him, Leave here and go into Judea, so that ^[ae]Your disciples [there] may also see the works that You do. [This is no place for You.]

⁴ For no one does anything in secret when he wishes to be conspicuous and secure publicity. If You [must] do these things [if You must act like this], show Yourself openly and make Yourself known to the world!

⁵ For [even] His brothers did not believe in or adhere to or trust in or rely on Him either.

⁶ Whereupon Jesus said to them, My time (opportunity) has not come yet; but any time is suitable for you and your opportunity is ready any time [is always here].

⁷ The world cannot [be expected to] hate you, but it does hate Me because I denounce it for its wicked works and reveal that its doings are evil.

⁸ Go to the Feast yourselves. I am not [yet] going up to the Festival, because My time is not ripe. [My term is not yet completed; it is not time for Me to go.]

⁹ Having said these things to them, He stayed behind in Galilee.

¹⁰ But afterward, when His brothers had gone up to the Feast, He went up also, not publicly [not with a caravan], but by Himself quietly and as if He did not wish to be observed.

¹¹ Therefore the Jews kept looking for Him at the Feast and asking, Where can He be? [Where is that Fellow?]

¹² And there was among the mass of the people much whispered discussion and hot disputing about Him. Some were saying, He is good! [He is a good Man!] Others said, No, He misleads and deceives the people [gives them false ideas]!

¹³ But no one dared speak out boldly about Him for fear of [the leaders of] the Jews.

¹⁴ When the Feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [^[af]court] and began to teach.

¹⁵ The Jews were astonished. They said, How is it that this Man has learning [is so versed in the sacred Scriptures and in theology] when He has never studied?

¹⁶ Jesus answered them by saying, My teaching is not My own, but His Who sent Me.

¹⁷ If any man desires to do His will (God’s pleasure), he will know (have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself) whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from Myself and of My own accord and on My own authority.

¹⁸ He who speaks on his own authority seeks to win honor for himself. [He whose teaching originates with himself seeks his own glory.] But He Who seeks the glory and is eager for the honor of Him Who sent Him, He is true; and there is no unrighteousness or falsehood or deception in Him.

¹⁹ Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not one of you keeps the Law. [If that is the truth] why do you seek to kill Me [for not keeping it]?

²⁰ The crowd answered Him, You are possessed by a demon! [You are raving!] Who seeks to kill You?

²¹ Jesus answered them, I did one work, and you all are astounded.^(AG)

²² Now Moses established circumcision among you—though it did not originate with Moses but with the previous patriarchs—and you circumcise a person [even] on the Sabbath day.

²³ If, to avoid breaking the Law of Moses, a person undergoes circumcision on the Sabbath day, have you any cause to be angry with (indignant with, bitter against) Me for making a man’s whole body well on the Sabbath?

²⁴ Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously.

²⁵ Then some of the Jerusalem people said, Is not this the Man they seek to kill?

²⁶ And here He is speaking openly, and they say nothing to Him! Can it be possible that the rulers have discovered and know that this is truly the Christ?

²⁷ No, we know where this Man comes from; when the Christ arrives, no one is to know from what place He comes.

²⁸ Whereupon Jesus called out as He taught in the temple [^[ag]porches], Do you know Me, and do you know where I am from? I have not come on My own authority and of My own accord and as self-appointed, but the One Who sent Me is true (real, genuine, steadfast); and Him you do not know!

²⁹ I know Him [Myself] because I come from His [very] presence, and it was He [personally] Who sent Me.

³⁰ Therefore they were eager to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, for His hour (time) had not yet come.

³¹ And besides, many of the multitude believed in Him [adhered to Him, trusted in Him, relied on Him]. And they kept saying, When the Christ comes, will He do [can He be expected to do] more miracles and produce more proofs and signs than what this Man has done?

³² The Pharisees learned how the people were saying these things about Him under their breath; and the chief priests and Pharisees sent attendants (guards) to arrest Him.

³³ Therefore Jesus said, For a little while I am [still] with you, and then I go back to Him Who sent Me.

³⁴ You will look for Me, but you will not [be able to] find Me; where I am, you cannot come.

³⁵ Then the Jews said among themselves, Where does this Man intend to go that we shall not find Him? Will He go to the Jews who are scattered in the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

³⁶ What does this statement of His mean, You will look for Me and not be able to find Me, and, Where I am, you cannot come?

³⁷ Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!

³⁸ He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

³⁹ But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).

⁴⁰ Listening to those words, some of the multitude said, This is certainly and beyond doubt the Prophet!^(AH)

⁴¹ Others said, This is the Christ (the Messiah, Anointed One)! But some said, What? Does the Christ come out of Galilee?

⁴² Does not the Scripture tell us that the Christ will come from the offspring of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?^(AI)

⁴³ So there arose a division and dissension among the people concerning Him.

⁴⁴ Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one [ventured and] laid hands on Him.

⁴⁵ Meanwhile the attendants (guards) had gone back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, Why have you not brought Him here with you?

⁴⁶ The attendants replied, Never has a man talked as this Man talks! [No mere man has ever spoken as He speaks!]

⁴⁷ The Pharisees said to them, Are you also deluded and led astray? [Are you also swept off your feet?]

⁴⁸ Has any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in Him?

⁴⁹ As for this multitude (rabble) that does not know the Law, they are contemptible and doomed and accursed!

⁵⁰ Then Nicodemus, who came to Jesus before at night and was one of them, asked,

⁵¹ Does our Law convict a man without giving him a hearing and finding out what he has done?

⁵² They answered him, Are you too from Galilee? Search [the Scriptures yourself], and you will see that no prophet comes (will rise to prominence) from Galilee.

^53 [ah]And they went [back], each to his own house.

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple [^[ai]court], and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them,

³ When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him.

⁴ Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery.

⁵ Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women—offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?^(AJ)

⁶ This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.

⁷ However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.

⁸ Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger.

⁹ They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court.

¹⁰ When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?

¹¹ She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.

¹² Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life.

¹³ Whereupon the Pharisees told Him, You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid and is worthless.

¹⁴ Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

¹⁵ You [set yourselves up to] judge according to the flesh (by what you see). [You condemn by external, human standards.] I do not [set Myself up to] judge or condemn or sentence anyone.

¹⁶ Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true [My decision is right]; for I am not alone [in making it], but [there are two of Us] I and the Father, Who sent Me.

¹⁷ In your [own] Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid.^(AK)

¹⁸ I am One [of the Two] bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me.

¹⁹ Then they said to Him, Where is this ^[aj]Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.

²⁰ Jesus said these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple [^[ak]court]; but no one ventured to arrest Him, because His hour had not yet come.

²¹ Therefore He said again to them, I am going away, and you will be looking for Me, and you will die in (under the curse of) your sin. Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come.

²² At this the Jews began to ask among themselves, Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come?

²³ He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world (of this earthly order); I am not of this world.

²⁴ That is why I told you that you will die in (under the curse of) your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He [Whom I claim to be—if you do not adhere to, trust in, and rely on Me], you will die in your sins.

²⁵ Then they said to Him, Who are You anyway? Jesus replied, [Why do I even speak to you!] I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first.

²⁶ I have much to say about you and to judge and condemn. But He Who sent Me is true (reliable), and I tell the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him.

²⁷ They did not perceive (know, understand) that He was speaking to them about the Father.

²⁸ So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will realize (know, understand) that I am He [for Whom you look] and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say [exactly] what My Father has taught Me.

²⁹ And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.

³⁰ As He said these things, many believed in Him [trusted, relied on, and adhered to Him].

³¹ So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.

³² And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

³³ They answered Him, We are Abraham’s offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free?

³⁴ Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin.

³⁵ Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever.

³⁶ So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.

³⁷ [Yes] I know that you are Abraham’s offspring; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no entrance (makes no progress, does not find any place) in you.

³⁸ I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father’s side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father.

³⁹ They retorted, Abraham is our father. Jesus said, If you were [truly] Abraham’s children, then you would do the works of Abraham [follow his example, do as Abraham did].

⁴⁰ But now [instead] you are wanting and seeking to kill Me, a Man Who has told you the truth which I have heard from God. This is not the way Abraham acted.

⁴¹ You are doing the works of your [own] father. They said to Him, We are not illegitimate children and born out of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

⁴² Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect Me and welcome Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God [out of His very presence]. I did not even come on My own authority or of My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me.

⁴³ Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.]

⁴⁴ You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.

⁴⁵ But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [do not trust Me, do not rely on Me, or adhere to Me].

⁴⁶ Who of you convicts Me of wrongdoing or finds Me guilty of sin? Then if I speak truth, why do you not believe Me [trust Me, rely on, and adhere to Me]?

⁴⁷ Whoever is of God listens to God. [Those who belong to God hear the words of God.] This is the reason that you do not listen [to those words, to Me]: because you do not belong to God and are not of God or in harmony with Him.

⁴⁸ The Jews answered Him, Are we not right when we say You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon [that You are under the power of an evil spirit]?

⁴⁹ Jesus answered, I am not possessed by a demon. On the contrary, I honor and reverence My Father and you dishonor (despise, vilify, and scorn) Me.

⁵⁰ However, I am not in search of honor for Myself. [I do not seek and am not aiming for My own glory.] There is One Who [looks after that; He] seeks [My glory], and He is the Judge.

⁵¹ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My word], he will by no means ever see and experience death.

⁵² The Jews said to Him, Now we know that You are under the power of a demon (^[al]insane). Abraham died, and also the prophets, yet You say, If a man keeps My word, he will never taste of death into all eternity.

⁵³ Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and all the prophets died! Who do You make Yourself out to be?

⁵⁴ Jesus answered, If I were to glorify Myself (magnify, praise, and honor Myself), I would have no real glory, for My glory would be nothing and worthless. [My honor must come to Me from My Father.] It is My Father Who glorifies Me [Who extols Me, magnifies, and praises Me], of Whom you say that He is your God.

⁵⁵ Yet you do not know Him or recognize Him and are not acquainted with Him, but I know Him. If I should say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word [obey His teachings, am faithful to His message].

⁵⁶ Your forefather Abraham was extremely happy at the hope and prospect of seeing My day (My incarnation); and he did see it and was delighted.^(AL)

⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am.^(AM)

⁵⁹ So they took up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus, by mixing with the crowd, concealed Himself and went out of the temple [^[am]enclosure].

9 As He passed along, He noticed a man blind from his birth.

² His disciples asked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?

³ Jesus answered, It was not that this man or his parents sinned, but he was born blind in order that the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in him.

⁴ We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight; night is coming on, when no man can work.

⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the world’s Light.

⁶ When He had said this, He spat on the ground and made clay (mud) with His saliva, and He spread it [as ointment] on the man’s eyes.

⁷ And He said to him, Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam—which means Sent. So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸ When the neighbors and those who used to know him by sight as a beggar saw him, they said, Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?

⁹ Some said, It is he. Others said, No, but he looks very much like him. But he said, Yes, I am the man.

¹⁰ So they said to him, How were your eyes opened?

¹¹ He replied, The Man called Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and I obtained my sight!

¹² They asked him, Where is He? He said, I do not know.

¹³ Then they conducted to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

¹⁴ Now it was on the Sabbath day that Jesus mixed the mud and opened the man’s eyes.

¹⁵ So now again the Pharisees asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.

¹⁶ Then some of the Pharisees said, This Man [Jesus] is not from God, because He does not observe the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner (a bad man) do such signs and miracles? So there was a difference of opinion among them.

¹⁷ Accordingly they said to the blind man again, What do you say about Him, seeing that He opened your eyes? And he said, He is [He must be] a prophet!

¹⁸ However, the Jews did not believe that he had [really] been blind and that he had received his sight until they called (summoned) the parents of the man.

¹⁹ They asked them, Is this your son, whom you reported as having been born blind? How then does he see now?

²⁰ His parents answered, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind.

²¹ But as to how he can now see, we do not know; or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. He is of age. Ask him; let him speak for himself and give his own account of it.

²² His parents said this because they feared [the leaders of] the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ, he should be expelled and excluded from the synagogue.

²³ On that account his parents said, He is of age; ask him.

²⁴ So the second time they summoned the man who had been born blind, and said to him, Now give God the glory (praise). This ^[an]Fellow we know is only a sinner (a wicked person).

²⁵ Then he answered, I do not know whether He is a sinner and wicked or not. But one thing I do know, that whereas I was blind before, now I see.

²⁶ So they said to him, What did He [actually] do to you? How did He open your eyes?

²⁷ He answered, I already told you and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Can it be that you wish to become His disciples also?

²⁸ And they stormed at him [they jeered, they sneered, they reviled him] and retorted, You are His disciple yourself, but we are the disciples of Moses.

²⁹ We know for certain that God spoke with Moses, but as for this Fellow, we know nothing about where He hails from.

³⁰ The man replied, Well, this is astonishing! Here a Man has opened my eyes, and yet you do not know where He comes from. [That is amazing!]

³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.

³² Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.

³³ If this Man were not from God, He would not be able to do anything like this.

³⁴ They retorted, You were wholly born in sin [from head to foot]; and do you [presume to] teach us? So they cast him out [threw him clear outside the synagogue].

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had put him out, and meeting him He said, Do you believe in and adhere to the Son of Man ^[ao]or the Son of God?

³⁶ He answered, Who is He, Sir? Tell me, that I may believe in and adhere to Him.

³⁷ Jesus said to him, You have seen Him; [in fact] He is talking to you right now.

³⁸ He called out, Lord, I believe! [I rely on, I trust, I cleave to You!] And he worshiped Him.

³⁹ Then Jesus said, I came into this world for judgment [as a Separator, in order that there may be ^[ap] separation between those who believe on Me and those who reject Me], to make the sightless see and to make those who see become blind.

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were near, hearing this remark, said to Him, Are we also blind?

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but because you now claim to have sight, your sin remains. [If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but because you insist, We do see clearly, you are unable to escape your guilt.]

10 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way (elsewhere, from some other quarter) is a thief and a robber.

² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³ The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to his voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out.

⁴ When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

⁵ They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call.

⁶ Jesus used this parable (illustration) with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

⁷ So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the Door ^[aq]for the sheep.

⁸ All others who came [as such] before Me are thieves and robbers, but the [true] sheep did not listen to and obey them.

⁹ I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.

¹⁰ The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it ^[ar]overflows).

¹¹ I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.^(AN)

¹² But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and snatches them and scatters [the flock].

¹³ Now the hireling flees because he merely serves for wages and is not himself concerned about the sheep [cares nothing for them].

¹⁴ I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me—

¹⁵ Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know the Father—and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf of the sheep.

¹⁶ And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and ^[as]impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd.^(AO)

¹⁷ For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life—to take it back again.

¹⁸ No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.

¹⁹ Then a fresh division of opinion arose among the Jews because of His saying these things.

²⁰ And many of them said, He has a demon and He is mad (insane—He raves, He rambles). Why do you listen to Him?

²¹ Others argued, These are not the thoughts and the language of one possessed. Can a demon-possessed person open blind eyes?

²² After this the Feast of Dedication [of the reconsecration of the temple] was taking place at Jerusalem. It was winter,

²³ And Jesus was walking in Solomon’s Porch in the temple area.

²⁴ So the Jews surrounded Him and began asking Him, How long are You going to keep us in doubt and suspense? If You are really the Christ (the Messiah), tell us so plainly and openly.

²⁵ Jesus answered them, I have told you so, yet you do not believe Me [you do not trust Me and rely on Me]. The very works that I do by the power of My Father and in My Father’s name bear witness concerning Me [they are My credentials and evidence in support of Me].

²⁶ But you do not believe and trust and rely on Me because you do not belong to My fold [you are no sheep of Mine].

²⁷ The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.

²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand.

²⁹ My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand.

³⁰ I and the Father are One.

³¹ Again the Jews ^[at]brought up stones to stone Him.

³² Jesus said to them, My Father has enabled Me to do many good deeds. [I have shown many acts of mercy in your presence.] For which of these do you mean to stone Me?

³³ The Jews replied, We are not going to stone You for a good act, but for blasphemy, because You, a mere ^[au]Man, make Yourself [out to be] God.

³⁴ Jesus answered, Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods?^(AP)

³⁵ So men are called gods [by the Law], men to whom God’s message came—and the Scripture cannot be set aside or cancelled or broken or annulled—

³⁶ [If that is true] do you say of the One Whom the Father consecrated and dedicated and set apart for Himself and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God?

³⁷ If I am not doing the works [performing the deeds] of My Father, then do not believe Me [do not adhere to Me and trust Me and rely on Me].

³⁸ But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, [at least] believe the works and have faith in what I do, in order that you may know and understand [clearly] that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father [One with Him].

³⁹ They sought again to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands.

⁴⁰ He went back again across the Jordan to the locality where John was when he first baptized, and there He remained.

⁴¹ And many came to Him, and they kept saying, John did not perform a [single] sign or miracle, but everything John said about this Man was true.

⁴² And many [people] there became believers in Him. [They adhered to and trusted in and relied on Him.]

11 Now a certain man named Lazarus was ill. He was of Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

² This Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was [now] sick.

³ So the sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, he whom You love [so well] is sick.

⁴ When Jesus received the message, He said, This sickness is not to end in death; but [on the contrary] it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it.

⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.]

⁶ Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was.

⁷ Then after that interval He said to His disciples, Let us go back again to Judea.

⁸ The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews only recently were intending and trying to stone You, and are You [thinking of] going back there again?

⁹ Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? Anyone who walks about in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees [by] the light of this world.

¹⁰ But if anyone walks about in the night, he does stumble, because there is no light in him [the light is lacking to him].

¹¹ He said these things, and then added, Our friend Lazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going there that I may awaken him out of his sleep.

¹² The disciples answered, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will recover.

¹³ However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He referred to falling into a refreshing and natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead,

¹⁵ And for your sake I am glad that I was not there; it will help you to believe (to trust and rely on Me). However, let us go to him.

¹⁶ Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, Let us go too, that we may die [be killed] along with Him.

¹⁷ So when Jesus arrived, He found that he [Lazarus] had already been in the tomb four days.

¹⁸ Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away,

¹⁹ And a considerable number of the Jews had gone out to see Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house.

²¹ Martha then said to Jesus, Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.