John 7:1–2; John 7:3–53

red bookmark icon blue bookmark icon gold bookmark icon
John 7:1–2

Jesus at the Feast of Booths

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because pthe Jews1 were seeking to kill him. Now qthe Jews’ Feast of rBooths was at hand.


John 7:3–53

sSo his brothers1 said to him, Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, tshow yourself to the world. uFor not even vhis brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, wMy time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but xit hates me because I testify about it that yits works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not2 going up to this feast, for zmy time has not yet fully come. After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

10 But after ahis brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 bThe Jews cwere looking for him at the feast, and saying, Where is he? 12 And there was much dmuttering about him among the people. eWhile some said, He is a good man, others said, No, fhe is leading the people astray. 13 Yet gfor fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up hinto the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore imarveled, saying, How is it that this man has learning,3 when he has never studied? 16 So Jesus answered them, jMy teaching is not mine, but his kwho sent me. 17 lIf anyone’s will is to do God’s4 will, mhe will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I nam speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority oseeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 pHas not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. qWhy do you seek to kill me? 20 The crowd answered, rYou have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you? 21 Jesus answered them, I did sone work, and you all marvel at it. 22 tMoses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but ufrom the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, vare you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 wDo not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

Can This Be the Christ?

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, Is not this the man whom xthey seek to kill? 26 And here he is, yspeaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that zthe authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But awe know bwhere this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, cno one will know where he comes from. 28 So Jesus proclaimed, das he taught in the temple, aYou know me, and you know where I come from. But eI have not come of my own accord. fHe who sent me is true, gand him you do not know. 29 hI know him, for I come ifrom him, and jhe sent me. 30 kSo they were seeking to arrest him, but lno one laid a hand on him, mbecause his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet nmany of the people believed in him. They said, oWhen the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd pmuttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent qofficers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, rI will be with you a little longer, and then sI am going to him who sent me. 34 tYou will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come. 35 The Jews said to one another, Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? uDoes he intend to go to vthe Dispersion among wthe Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, xYou will seek me and you will not find me, and, Where I am you cannot come?

Rivers of Living Water

37 yOn the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, zIf anyone thirsts, let him acome to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, bas5 the Scripture has said, cOut of his heart will flow rivers of dliving water. 39 Now ethis he said about the Spirit, fwhom those who believed in him were to receive, gfor as yet the Spirit had not been hgiven, ibecause Jesus was not yet glorified.

Division Among the People

40 When they heard these words, jsome of the people said, This really is kthe Prophet. 41 Others said, This is lthe Christ. But some said, mIs the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes nfrom the offspring of David, and comes ofrom Bethlehem, the village pwhere David was? 43 So there was qa division among the people over him. 44 rSome of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

45 sThe officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, Why did you not bring him? 46 The officers answered, tNo one ever spoke like this man! 47 The Pharisees answered them, uHave you also been deceived? 48 vHave any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed. 50 wNicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 xDoes our law judge a man without first ygiving him a hearing and learning what he does? 52 They replied, zAre you from Galilee too? Search and see that ano prophet arises from Galilee.

[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:538:11.]6

The Woman Caught in Adultery

53 [[They went each to his own house,