Bible in 90 Days
Silencing the Opposition
20 Now they watched Him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order to trap Him in His words so they could hand Him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 And they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You tell it straight and You teach it straight. You show no partiality, but teach the way of God according to the truth. 22 Is it permitted for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
23 But carefully considering their treachery, Yeshua said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius.[a] Whose image and inscription does it have?”
And they said, “Caesar’s.”
25 Then He said to them, “Well then, give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they could not trap Him in His words in the presence of the people. Astonished by His answer, they kept silent.
27 Then some of the Sadducees (who deny there is a resurrection) came and questioned Yeshua. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies’ having a wife ‘but no children, then his brother should take the widow and father children for his brother.’ [b] 29 Now there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third took her, but in this same way, each of the seven brothers died and left no children. 32 Finally the woman died too. 33 So in the resurrection, whose wife is she? For all seven had married her.
34 Yeshua said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those considered worthy to reach the olam ha-ba and the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die, because they are like angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But at the burning bush even Moses revealed that the dead are raised, when he calls Adonai ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ [c] 38 Now He is God not of the dead but of the living, for to Him they all are living.”
39 Some of the Torah scholars replied, “Teacher, You have said it well.” 40 For they no longer dared to question Him about anything.
41 Then Yeshua said to them, “How can they say that the Messiah is Ben-David? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
‘Adonai said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
43 until I make Your enemies a footstool
for Your feet.”’[d]
44 David then calls Him ‘Lord’; so how is He his son?”
45 Then with all the people listening, Yeshua said to the disciples, 46 “Beware of the Torah scholars, who like to walk around in long robes. They love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at feasts. 47 They devour widows’ houses and make long prayers as a show. These men will receive greater condemnation!”
Teaching in the Temple
21 Then Yeshua looked up and saw the rich dropping their gifts into the treasury box. 2 He also saw a poor widow dropping in two small copper coins. [e] 3 And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest. 4 For all these put in their gifts from their surplus. But she, out of her poverty, put in all she had to live on.”
5 And while some were talking about the Temple, how it was decorated with beautiful stones and offerings, Yeshua said, 6 “As for these things you are looking at, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another. Every one will be torn down!”
7 And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, so when will these things happen? What will be the sign that these things are about to take place?”
8 And He said, “Watch out that you are not led astray! For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He’ and ‘The time is near!’ Do not follow them. 9 And when you hear of wars and chaos, do not be terrorized. For these things need to happen first, but the end will not come at once.”
10 Then He continued telling them, “Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes along with famines and epidemics in various places, and there will be terrors along with great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will grab you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons, and leading you away to kings and governors on account of My name. 13 This will lead you to be a witness. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare ahead of time to defend yourselves— 15 for I Myself will give you speech and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. 16 But you will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—and they will put some of you to death. 17 And you will be hated by all because of My name. 18 Yet not a hair of your head will be lost. 19 By your endurance, you will gain your souls.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must get out, and those in the countryside must not enter her. 22 For these are the days of punishment, to fulfill all that has been written.[f]
23 “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath on this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.[g]
25 “There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars. And upon the earth nations will be confused by the roaring of the sea and its waves. [h] 26 People will lose heart from fear and anticipation of what is overtaking the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [i] 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [j] 28 Now when these things begin to happen, stand straight and lift up your heads, because your salvation is near!”
29 Then Yeshua told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 As soon as they sprout their leaves, you see it and you know at once that summer is near. 31 So also, when you see these all these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Amen, I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things happen. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.[k]
34 “But watch out so your hearts are not weighed down by carousing, strong drink, and the worries of life. Do not let that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come rushing upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things about to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
37 So during the days Yeshua was teaching in the Temple, but in the nights He went out and stayed on the Mount of Olives. [l] 38 And all the people would come early in the morning to hear Him in the Temple.
The Day before Pesach
22 Now the Feast of Matzah, which is called Passover, was approaching. 2 The ruling kohanim and Torah scholars were searching for a way to do away with Yeshua, for they were afraid of the people.
3 Then satan entered into Judah, the one from Kriot, one of the twelve. 4 And he went away and talked with the ruling kohanim and officers of the Temple guard about how he might deliver Yeshua over to them. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 So he agreed and began looking for a chance to hand Yeshua over to them without a crowd.
7 Then came the day of matzah when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Now Yeshua sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so we may eat.”
9 Then they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?”
10 And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters. 11 And say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ 12 And with that, he will show you a large upper room, fully furnished. Make preparations there.” 13 So they left and found just what Yeshua had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
The Seder in the Upper Room
14 When the hour came, Yeshua reclined at table, and the emissaries with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 And when He had taken a cup and offered the bracha, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine from now on, until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And when He had taken matzah[m] and offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in memory of Me.” 20 In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. [n] 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. [o] 22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as has been predetermined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
23 So they began to discuss among themselves which of them it might be who would do this thing. 24 But there was also a quarrel among them about which of them is considered the greatest. 25 And Yeshua said to them, “The kings of the nations have mastery over them, and those exercising authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But with you, it is not so. Rather, let the one who is greatest among you become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who reclines or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.
28 “You are the ones who have remained with Me in My times of testing. 29 And just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, so I grant to you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you shall sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon! Indeed, satan has demanded to sift you all like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But Simon said to Him, “Master, I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death!”
34 But Yeshua said, “I tell you, Peter, a rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without a money pouch and travel bag and sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?”
They said, “No, nothing.”
36 Then He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money pouch must carry it as well as a travel bag. And whoever does not own a sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And he was counted with the lawless.’[p] For what is written about Me is being fulfilled.”
38 But they said, “Master, look here! Two swords!”
And He said to them, “It is enough.”
Yeshua Prays at the Mount of Olives
39 And Yeshua came out and went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him. 40 When he reached the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not enter into temptation.” 41 And He pulled back about a stone’s throw from them, got on His knees, and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. 44 And in His anguish, He was praying fervently; and His sweat was like drops of blood falling down on the ground. 45 When He rose up from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 And He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.”
Betrayed!
47 While Yeshua was speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judah, one of the Twelve, approached Yeshua to kiss Him. 48 But Yeshua said to him, “Judah, with a kiss you betray the Son of Man?”[q]
49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Master, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the kohen gadol and cut off his right ear.
51 But Yeshua answered and said, “Stop this now!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Yeshua said to the ruling kohanim, officers of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a revolutionary? 53 Every day I was with you in the Temple, yet you did not lay a finger on Me. But this is yours—the hour and the power of darkness.” 54 Then they seized Yeshua and led Him away and brought Him into the house of the kohen gadol. But Peter was following from a distance.
Denied Three Times
55 Now they had lit a fire in the center of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter was sitting among them. 56 Then a servant girl saw him sitting at the fire. She looked straight at him and said, “This one was with Him too!”
57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I don’t know Him!”
58 A little later, another saw him and said, “You too are one of them.”
But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
59 And about an hour later, another began to insist, saying, “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he too is a Galilean!”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.’
62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Beaten by Roman Soldiers
63 Now the men who were guarding Yeshua began mocking and beating Him. 64 They blindfolded Him and kept asking Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who hit You?” 65 And reviling Him, they were saying many other things against Him.
Brought Before the Council
66 As it become day, the elders of the people gathered together, both ruling kohanim and Torah scholars, and they led Him away to their council, saying, 67 “If You are Mashiach, tell us.”
But Yeshua said to them, “If I tell you, you will never believe; 68 and if I ask you, you will never answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man is seated at the right hand of the power of God.”[r]
70 Then they all said, “Are You then Ben-Elohim?”
And to them He said, “You say that I am.”
71 Then they said, “What further need do we have for testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth!”
Brought Before Pilate
23 Then the entire assembly got up and brought Yeshua to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar and saying that He Himself is Messiah—a king.”
3 So Pilate questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
“As you say,” Yeshua replied.
4 Then Pilate said to the ruling kohanim and the crowds, “I find no case against this Man.”
5 But they kept insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, starting from the Galilee to as far as here.”
6 But when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the Man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that Yeshua was from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Brought Before Herod
8 Now Herod was overjoyed when he saw Yeshua, for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see some miracle done by Him. 9 He was questioning Yeshua on many issues, but Yeshua did not answer at all. [s] 10 And the ruling kohanim and the Torah scholars stood their ground, strongly accusing Him.
11 Now Herod together with his soldiers were treating Him with contempt and mocking Him.[t] They put splendid clothing on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with one another from that very day, for previously they had been enemies with one another.
Pilate’s Decree
13 Now Pilate called together the ruling kohanim, the leaders, and the people. 14 And he said to them, “You brought this Man to me as one who incites the people to revolt. But having examined Him in your presence, I have found no case against this Man regarding what you accuse Him of doing. 15 Nor did Herod, for he sent Him back to us. Indeed, He has done nothing that is worthy of death. 16 Therefore I will scourge Him and release Him.” (17 )[u]
18 But they shouted out all together, saying, “Take this fellow away! Release to us Bar-Abba!” [v] 19 (He was someone who had been thrown into prison for a rebellion in the city and murder.)
20 Again Pilate addressed them, wanting to release Yeshua; 21 but they kept shouting out, saying, “Execute, execute Him!”
22 And a third time he spoke to them, “Why? What evil has this One done? I have found in Him no fault deserving of death. Therefore, I will scourge and release Him.”
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud shouts that He be executed. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decreed that their demand be put into effect. 25 And He released the one they were asking for, the one thrown in jail for insurrection and murder. But he handed over Yeshua to their will.
Executed on the Stake
26 As they led Him away, they grabbed a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the countryside. They placed on him the cross-beam,[w] to carry behind Yeshua.
27 Now a great multitude of people was following Him, including women who were mourning and singing dirges for Him. 28 But Yeshua, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but for yourselves and your children. 29 For indeed, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are barren, and the wombs that never gave birth, and the breasts that did not feed.’
30 ‘Then they will begin to say to the montains, ‘Fall on us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’[x]
31 “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Others, two evildoers, were also led away to be put to death with Him. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on His right and the other on His left.
34 But Yeshua was saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Then they cast lots, dividing up His clothing.[y]
35 The people stood there watching. And even the leaders were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Messiah of God, the Chosen One!”[z]
36 The soldiers likewise mocked Him, coming up and bringing Him sour wine, [aa] 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
38 Now there was also an inscription over Him:[ab] THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 One of the evildoers hanging there was jeering at Him, saying, “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself—and us!”
40 But the other one, rebuking him, replied, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? 41 We’re getting what we deserve for our actions, and rightly so—but this One has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Yeshua, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 Yeshua said to him, “Amen, I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Temple Curtain Torn in Two
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, [ac] 45 for the sun died out. And the curtain[ad] of the Temple was torn in two.
46 And Yeshua, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I entrust My spirit.’”[ae] When He had said this, He breathed His last.
47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began glorifying God, saying, “Truly this was a righteous Man.”
48 And all the crowds assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, began to turn back, beating their breasts. 49 But all Yeshua’s acquaintances, and the women who were following Him from the Galilee, were standing at a distance, watching these things.
Buried in a Rich Man’s Tomb
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and righteous man. 51 (He had not been in agreement with the council and their action.) He was from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. 53 And he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb[af] cut out of the rock, where no one had ever yet been laid.
54 Now it was the Day of Preparation, and Shabbat was approaching. 55 The women who had come with Him from the Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. But on Shabbat they rested according to the commandment.
Women Visit the Garden Tomb
24 Now on the first day of the week, at daybreak, the women came to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone had been rolled away from the tomb; 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Yeshua.
4 And while they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you search for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He is risen! Remember what He told you when He was still in the Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be executed, and on the third day rise up.”
8 And they were reminded of His words. 9 And when they returned from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to everyone else. 10 Now it was Miriam from Magdala, Joanna, the Miriam of Jacob and others together with them who were telling these things to the emissaries. 11 But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. Leaning in, he sees only the linen cloths. And he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
Eyes Open in Emmaus
13 Now behold, two of them on that very day were traveling to a village named Emmaus, a distance of about seven miles[ag] from Jerusalem. 14 They were speaking with one another about all the things that had been happening. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Yeshua Himself approached and began traveling with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
17 Then He said to them, “What are these things you are discussing with one another as you are walking along?”
They stood still, looking gloomy. 18 Then the one named Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”
19 Yeshua said to them, “What kind of things?”
And they said to Him, “The things about Yeshua from Natzeret, who was a Prophet, powerful in deed and word before God and all the people— 20 how the ruling kohanim and our leaders handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they executed Him. 21 But we were hoping that He was the One about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
22 “But also some women among us amazed us. Early in the morning they were at the tomb. 23 When they didn’t find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said He is alive! 24 Some of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women said, but they did not see Him.”
25 Yeshua said to them, “Oh foolish ones, so slow of heart to put your trust in all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary for Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 They approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther on. 29 But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is already gone.” So He went in to stay with them.
30 And it happened that when He was reclining at the table with them, He took the matzah,[ah] offered a bracha and, breaking it, gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from them.
Good News for the Disciples in Jerusalem
32 They said to one another, “Didn’t our heart burn within us while He was speaking with us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven and others with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed! He has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they began telling about the events on the road and how He became recognized by them in the breaking of the matzah.
36 While they were speaking of these things, Yeshua Himself stood in the midst of them and said, “Shalom Aleichem!” 37 But they were startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost.
38 Then He said to them, “Why are you so shaken? And why do doubts arise in your heart? 39 Look at My hands and My feet—it is I Myself! Touch Me and see! For a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41 But while they were still in disbelief due to joy and wonder, He said to them, “Do you have anything to eat here?”
42 They gave Him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and He took it and ate it in their presence. 44 Then He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you—everything written concerning Me in the Torah of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “So it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance for the removal of sins[ai] is to be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [aj] 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Yeshua Ascends into Heaven
50 Then Yeshua led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands[ak] and blessed them. 51 And while blessing them, He departed from them and was taken up into heaven. 52 After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the Temple, praising God.
The Word Becomes Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word.[al] The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that through him everyone might believe. 8 He was not the light, but he came to bear witness concerning the light. 9 The true light, coming into the world, gives light to every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him; but the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. 12 But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They were born not of a bloodline, nor of human desire, nor of man’s will, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory,[am] the glory of the one and only[an] from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testifies about Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘The One who comes after me is above me, because He existed before me.’” 16 Out of His fullness, we have all received grace on top of grace. 17 Torah was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Yeshua the Messiah. 18 No one has ever seen God; but the one and only God,[ao] in the Father’s embrace, has made Him known.
John’s Witness to Israel’s Leaders
19 This is John’s testimony, when the Judean leaders sent kohanim and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He openly admitted and did not deny; he admitted, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 “What then? Are you Elijah?” they asked him.
“I am not,” said John.
“Are you the Prophet?”
“No,” he answered.
22 So they said to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of Adonai,”’[ap] as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those sent were from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “If you’re not the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet, why then are you immersing?”
26 “I immerse in water,” John answered. “Among you stands One you do not know, 27 coming after me, whose sandals I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 These things happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was immersing.
Behold, the Lamb of God
29 The next day, John sees Yeshua coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb[aq] of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the One about whom I told you, ‘He who comes after me is above me, because He was before me.’ 31 I didn’t know Him, but I came immersing with water so that He might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John testified, “I have seen the Ruach coming down like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on Him. 33 I did not know Him; but the One who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘The One on whom you see the Ruach coming down and remaining, this is the One who immerses in the Ruach ha-Kodesh.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is Ben-Elohim.”[ar]
Yeshua’s First Disciples
35 Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples 36 and watched Yeshua walking by. He said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Yeshua.
38 Yeshua turned around and saw them following. He said to them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come and see,” Yeshua tells them. So they came and saw where He was staying, and they spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.[as]
40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John speak and followed Yeshua. 41 First he finds his own brother Simon and tells him, “We’ve found the Messiah!” (which is translated Anointed One).
42 Andrew brought Simon to Yeshua. Yeshua looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Kefa (which is translated Peter).”
Disciples Offer Witness
43 The next day, Yeshua decided to go to the Galilee. He finds Philip and says to him, “Follow Me!” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip finds Nathanael and tells him, “We’ve found the One that Moses in the Torah, and also the prophets, wrote about—Yeshua of Natzeret, the son of Joseph!”
46 “Natzeret!” Nathanael answered. “Can anything good come from there?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Yeshua saw Nathanael coming toward Him. He said, “Look, a true Israelite! There’s nothing false in him.”
48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do you know me?”
Yeshua answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 “Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are Ben-Elohim! You are the King of Israel!”[at]
50 “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe?” Yeshua replied to him. “You will see greater things than that!” 51 And He said, “Amen, amen I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man!”[au]
Water to Wine
2 On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in the Galilee. Yeshua’s mother was there, 2 and Yeshua and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, Yeshua’s mother said to Him, “They don’t have any wine!”
4 Yeshua said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with you and Me? My hour hasn’t come yet.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding two to three measures. [av] 7 Yeshua said to them, “Fill the jars with water!” So they filled them up to the top. 8 Then He said to them, “Take some water out, and give it to the headwaiter.” And they brought it.
9 Now the headwaiter did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. As the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, he calls the bridegroom 10 and says to him, “Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!” 11 Yeshua did this, the first of the signs, in Cana of the Galilee—He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
Yeshua Purges the Temple
12 After this Yeshua went down to Capernaum with His mother, brothers,[aw] and disciples, and they stayed there a few days. 13 The Jewish feast of Passover was near, so Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple, He found the merchants selling oxen, sheep, and doves; also the moneychangers sitting there. 15 Then He made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the Temple, both the sheep and oxen. He dumped out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables. 16 To those selling doves, He said, “Get these things out of here! Stop making My Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written, “Zeal for your House will consume Me!”[ax]
18 The Judean leaders responded, “What sign do You show us, since You are doing these things?”
19 “Destroy this Temple,” Yeshua answered them, “and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 The Judean leaders then said to Him, “Forty-six years this Temple was being built, and You will raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was talking about the temple of His body. 22 So after He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He was talking about this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Yeshua had spoken.
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem for the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, seeing the signs He was doing. 24 But Yeshua did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men. 25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, for He knew what was in man.
A Pharisee Comes Seeking Truth
3 Now there was a man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jewish people. 2 He came to Yeshua at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You, a teacher, have come from God. For no one can perform these signs which You do unless God is with Him!”
3 Yeshua answered him, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born from above,[ay] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus said to Him. “He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?”
5 Yeshua answered, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit,[az] he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be surprised that I said to you, ‘You all must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
The Father’s Love Revealed
9 “How can these things happen?” Nicodemus said.
10 Yeshua answered him, “You’re a teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? 11 Amen, amen I tell you, We speak about what We know and testify about what We have seen. Yet you all do not receive Our testimony! 12 If you do not believe the earthly things I told you, how will you believe when I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up into heaven except the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,[ba] so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life!
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not put his trust in the name of the one and only Ben-Elohim.
19 “Now this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world and men loved the darkness instead of the light,[bb] because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be made known that his deeds have been accomplished in God.”
The Living Word, Source of Life
22 Afterwards, Yeshua and His disciples came to the land of Judea. There He was staying with them and immersing. 23 Now John also was immersing at Aenon near Salim, because much water was there and many were coming and being immersed; 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Now an argument came up between John’s disciples and a Judean concerning purification. 26 They came to John and said, “Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—look, He is immersing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,’ but rather, ‘I am sent before Him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the best man rejoices when he stands and hears the bridegroom’s voice. So now my joy is complete! 30 He must increase, while I must decrease.”
31 The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaks. The One who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, He testifies to that; yet no one receives His testimony. 33 Whoever receives His testimony has certified that God is true.
34 The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Ruach without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hand. 36 He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Yeshua Offers Living Water
4 Now Yeshua knew that the Pharisees heard that He was making and immersing more disciples than John. 2 (Although Yeshua Himself was not immersing, His disciples were.) 3 So He left Judea and went back again to the Galilee.
4 But He needed to pass through Samaria. 5 So He comes to a Samaritan town called Shechem, near the plot of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. [bc] 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. So Yeshua, exhausted from the journey, was sitting by the well. It was midday.[bd]
7 A Samaritan woman comes to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Yeshua tells her, 8 for His disciples had gone away to the town to buy food.
9 Then the Samaritan woman tells Him, “How is it that You, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (For Jewish people don’t deal with Samaritans.)
10 Yeshua replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman tells Him, “You don’t have a bucket, and the well is deep. Then from where do You get this living water? 12 You’re not greater than our father Jacob, are You? He gave us this well. He drank out of it himself, with his sons and his cattle.”
13 Yeshua replied to her, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty. The water that I give him will become a fountain of water within him, springing up to eternal life!”
15 “Sir,” the woman tells Him, “give me this water, so I won’t get thirsty or have to come all the way here to draw water!”
16 He tells her, “Go call your husband, and then come back here.”
17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.
Yeshua tells her, “You’ve said it right, ‘I have no husband.’ 18 For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you have now isn’t your husband. This you’ve spoken truthfully!”
19 “Sir,” the woman tells Him, “I see that You are a prophet! 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you all say that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 Yeshua tells her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming—it is here now—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people as His worshipers. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman tells Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called the Anointed One.)[be] When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
26 Yeshua tells her, “I—the One speaking to you—I am.”
Ready for Harvest
27 At this moment, His disciples came back. They were amazed that He was speaking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do You want?” or “Why are You speaking with her?”
28 So the woman left her water jar and went back to the town. She tells the people, 29 “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did! He couldn’t be the Messiah, could He?” 30 The people left the town and began coming to Him.
31 Meanwhile, the disciples were pressing Him, “Rabbi, eat!”
32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 So the disciples were saying to each other, “No one brought Him food to eat, did they?”
34 Yeshua tells them, “My food is to do the will of the One who sent Me and to accomplish His work. 35 Don’t you say, ‘Four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields! They are white and ready for harvest.
36 “The reaper receives a reward and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you haven’t worked for. Others have worked hard, and you have joined in their work.”
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town put their trust in Him because of the word of the woman testifying, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 So when the Samaritans came to Him, they kept asking Him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, 41 and many more believed because of His word. 42 They kept telling the woman, “It’s no longer because of your words that we believe. We’ve heard for ourselves! Now we know that this really is the Savior of the world!”
Life for a Dying Son
43 After the two days, He went on from there into the Galilee. 44 Now Yeshua Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 But when He came into the Galilee, they welcomed Him. For they had seen all He had done at the feast in Jerusalem, since they also had gone up to celebrate.
46 So He went again to Cana of the Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. Now there was a nobleman whose son was sick in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Yeshua had come from Judea to the Galilee, he went to Him and begged Him to come down and heal his son; for he was about to die.
48 Then Yeshua said to him, “Unless you all see signs and wonders, you’ll never believe!”
49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
50 Yeshua tells him, “Go! Your son lives!”
The man believed the word that Yeshua said to him and started off. 51 While on his way down, his servants met him, saying that his son was living. 52 So he asked them the hour when the boy began to get better. They said, “The fever left him yesterday at about the seventh hour.”[bf]
53 Then the father realized that it was the same hour Yeshua said to him, “Your son lives!” Now he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54 Yeshua did this as the second sign, after He had come again from Judea into the Galilee.
Healing on Shabbat
5 After this there was a Jewish feast, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem there is a pool by the sheep gate, called Bethzatha in Aramaic,[bg] which has five porches. 3 In these a crowd of invalids was lying around—blind, lame, disabled. (4 )[bh]
5 Now a certain man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. 6 Seeing him lying there and knowing he had been that way a long time, Yeshua said to him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 The invalid answered Him, “Sir, I have nobody to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I’m trying to get in, somebody else steps down before me!”
8 Yeshua tells him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!”
9 Immediately, the man was healed! He took up his mat and started walking around. Now that day was Shabbat, 10 so Judean leaders were saying to the man who was healed, “It’s Shabbat! It’s not permitted for you to carry your mat.”
11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” 13 But the man who had been healed didn’t know who it was, for Yeshua had slipped away into the crowd in that place.
14 Afterwards, Yeshua finds him in the Temple. He said to him, “Look, you’ve been healed! Stop sinning, so nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man left and told the Judean leaders that it was Yeshua who had made him well.
Sent by the Father
16 Because Yeshua was doing these things on Shabbat, the Judean leaders started persecuting Him. 17 But Yeshua said to them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” 18 So for this reason the Judean leaders kept trying even harder to kill Him—because He was not only breaking Shabbat,[bi] but also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
19 Therefore Yeshua answered them, “Amen, amen I tell you, the Son cannot do anything by Himself. He can do only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He does. He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever He wants. 22 The Father does not judge anyone, but has handed over all judgment to the Son 23 so that all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 “Amen, amen I tell you, whoever hears My word and trusts the One who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed over from death into life. 25 Amen, amen I tell you, an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of Ben-Elohim. Those who hear will live! 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the Son to have life in Himself. 27 Also He has given the Son authority to judge, because He is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice 29 and come out![bj] Those who have done good will come to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil will come to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I can do nothing on My own. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, for I do not seek My own will, but the will of the One who sent Me.”
The Father Testifies about the Son
31 “If I testify about Myself, My witness is not valid. 32 There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony He gives is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 I do not receive the testimony of man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was the lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for a while in his light.
36 “But the testimony I have is greater than that from John. The works the Father has given Me to finish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father who sent Me has testified concerning Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form. 38 Nor do you have His Word living in you, because you do not trust the One He sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. It is these that testify about Me. 40 Yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life!
41 “I do not accept glory from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me. But if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that comes from God alone?
45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. 46 For if you were believing Moses, you would believe Me—because he wrote about Me. 47 But since you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”[bk]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.