John 4
J.B. Phillips New Testament
Jesus meets a Samaritan woman
4 1-7 Now when the Lord found that the Pharisees had heard that “Jesus is making and baptising more disciples than John”—although, in fact, it was not Jesus who did the baptising but his disciples—he left Judea and went off again to Galilee, which meant passing through Samaria. There he came to a little town called Sychar, which is near the historic plot of land that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph, and “Jacob’s Spring” was there. Jesus, tired with his journey, sat down beside it, just as he was. The time was about midday. Presently, a Samaritan woman arrived to draw some water.
8-9 “Please give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, for his disciples had gone away to the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10 “If you knew what God can give,” Jesus replied, “and if you knew who it is that said to you, ‘Give me a drink’, I think you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water!”
11-12 “Sir,” said the woman, “you have nothing to draw water with and this well is deep—where can you get your living water? Are you a greater man than our ancestor, Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank here himself with his family, and his cattle?”
13-14 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again. For my gift will become a spring in the man himself, welling up into eternal life.”
15 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may stop being thirsty—and not have to come here to draw water any more!”
16 “Go and call your husband and then come back here,” said Jesus to her.
17-18 “I haven’t got a husband!” the woman answered. “You are quite right in saying, ‘I haven’t got a husband’,” replied Jesus, “for you have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband at all. Yes, you spoke the simple truth when you said that.”
19-20 “Sir,” said the woman again, “I can see that you are a prophet! Now our ancestors worshipped on this hill-side, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship—”
21-24 “Believe me,” returned Jesus, “the time is coming when worshipping the Father will not be a matter of ‘on this hill-side’ or ‘in Jerusalem’. Nowadays you are worshipping with your eyes shut. We Jews are worshipping with our eyes open, for the salvation of mankind is to come from our race. Yet the time is coming, yes, and has already come, when true worshippers will worship in spirit and in reality. Indeed, the Father looks for men who will worship him like that. God is spirit, and those who worship him can only worship in spirit and in reality.”
25 “Of course I know that Messiah is coming,” returned the woman, “you know, the one who is called Christ. When he comes he will make everything plain to us.”
26 “I am Christ speaking to you now,” said Jesus.
27-30 At this point his disciples arrived, and were surprised to find him talking to a woman, but none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “What are you talking to her about?” So the woman left her water-pot behind and went into the town and began to say to the people, “Come out and see the man who told me everything I’ve ever done! Can this be ‘Christ’?” So they left the town and started to come to Jesus.
31 Meanwhile the disciples were begging him, “Master, do eat something.”
32 To which Jesus replied, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33 This, of course, made the disciples ask each other, “Do you think anyone has brought him any food?”
34-38 Jesus said to them, “My food is doing the will of him who sent me and finishing the work he has given me. Don’t you say, ‘Four months more and then comes the harvest’? But I tell you to open your eyes and look to the field—they are gleaming white, all ready for the harvest! The reaper is already being rewarded and getting in a harvest for eternal life, so that both sower and reaper may be glad together. For in this harvest the old saying comes true, ‘One man sows and another reaps.’ I have sent you to reap a harvest for which you never laboured; other men have worked hard and you have reaped the results of their labours.”
39-42 Many of the Samaritans who came out of that town believed in him through the woman’s testimony—“He told me everything I’ve ever done.” And when they arrived they begged him to stay with them. He did stay there two days and far more believed in him because of what he himself said. As they told the woman, “We don’t believe any longer now because of what you said. We have heard him with our own ears. We know now that this must be the man who will save the world!”
Jesus, in Cana again, heals in response to faith
43-47 After the two days were over, Jesus left and went away to Galilee. (For Jesus himself testified that a prophet enjoys no honour in his own country.) And on his arrival the people received him with open arms. For they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem during the festival, since they had themselves been present. So Jesus came again to Cana in Galilee, the place where he had made the water into wine. At Capernaum there was an official whose son was very ill. When he heard that Jesus had left Judea and had arrived in Galilee, he went off to see him and begged him to come down and heal his son, who was by this time at the point of death.
48 Jesus said to him, “I suppose you will never believe unless you see signs and wonders!”
49 “Sir,” returned the official, “please come down before my boy dies!”
50 “You can go home,” returned Jesus, “your son is alive and well.” And the man believed what Jesus had said to him and went on his way.
51-54 On the journey back his servants met him with the report, “Your son is alive and well.” So he asked them at what time he had begun to recover, and they replied: “The fever left him yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon”. Then the father knew that this must have happened at the very moment when Jesus had said to him, “Your son is alive and well.” And he and his whole household believed in Jesus. This, then, was the second sign that Jesus gave on his return from Judea to Galilee.
John 4
1599 Geneva Bible
4 6 Jesus being weary, asketh drink of the woman of Samaria. 21 He teacheth the true worship. 26 He confesseth that he is the Messiah, 32 His meat. 39 The Samaritans believe in him. 46 He healeth the Ruler’s son.
1 Now [a]when the Lord knew, how the Pharisees had heard, that Jesus made (A)and baptized more disciples than John,
2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not: but his disciples.)
3 He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 [b]Then came he to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near unto the possession that (B)Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 And there was Jacob’s Well. Jesus then wearied in the journey, sat [c]thus on the Well: it was about the [d]sixth hour.
7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said unto her, Give me drink.
8 For his disciples were gone away into the city, to buy meat.
9 Then said the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it, that thou being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews [e]meddle not with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest [f]that gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee [g]water of life.
11 The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the Well is deep: from whence then hast thou that water of life?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the Well, and he himself drank thereof, and his sons, and his cattle.
13 Jesus answered, and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water, shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never be more athirst: but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman said unto him, Sir, give me of that water, that I may not thirst, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus said unto her, Go, call thine husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered, and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, thou hast well said, I have no husband.
18 For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast, is not thine husband: that saidest thou truly.
19 The woman said unto him, Sir, I see that thou art a Prophet.
20 [h]Our fathers worshipped in this [i]mountain, and ye say, that in (C)Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor at Jerusalem worship the Father.
22 Ye worship that which ye (D)know not: we worship that which we know: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in [j]Spirit and Truth: for the Father requireth even such to worship him.
24 (E)God is a [k]Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and Truth.
25 The woman said unto him, I know well that Messiah shall come, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus said unto her, I am he, that speak unto thee.
27 ¶ And upon that, came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with a woman: yet no man said unto him, What askest thou? or why talkest thou with her.
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and said to the men,
29 Come, see a man which hath told me all things that ever I did: is not he that Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31 ¶ In the meanwhile, the disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 [l]But he said unto them, I have meat to eat, that ye know not of.
33 Then said the disciples between themselves, Hath any man brought him meat?
34 Jesus said unto them, My meat is that I may do the will of him that sent me, and finish his work.
35 [m]Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the regions: (F)for they are white already unto harvest.
36 [n]And he that reapeth, receiveth reward, and gathered fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth might rejoice together.
37 For herein is the [o]saying true, that one soweth and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that, whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.
39 [p]Now many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him, for the saying of the woman which testified, He hath told me all things that ever I did.
40 Then when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him, that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word.
42 And they said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed that Christ the Savior of the world.
43 ¶ [q]So two days after he departed thence, and went into [r]Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself had (G)testified, that a Prophet hath none honor in his own country.
45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, which had seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they went also to the feast.
46 [s]And Jesus came again into (H)Cana a town of Galilee, where he had made of water wine. And there was a certain [t]ruler, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would go down, and heal his son: for he was even ready to die.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
49 The ruler said unto him, Sir, go down before my son dies.
50 Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth: and the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday the seventh hour the fever left him.
53 Then the father knew that it was the same hour in the which Jesus had said unto him, Thy son liveth. And he believed, and all his household.
54 This second miracle did Jesus again, after he was come out of Judea into Galilee.
Footnotes
- John 4:1 This measure is to be kept in doing of our duty, that neither by fear we be terrified from going forward, neither by rashness procure or pluck dangers upon our heads.
- John 4:5 Christ leaving the proud Pharisees, communicateth the treasures of everlasting life with a poor sinful woman, and stranger, refelling the gross errors of the Samaritans, and defending the true service of God, which was delivered to the Jews, but yet so, that he calleth both of them back to himself as one whom only all the fathers, and also all the ceremonies of the Law did regard, and had a respect unto.
- John 4:6 Even as he was weary, or because he was weary.
- John 4:6 It was almost noon.
- John 4:9 There is no familiarity nor friendship, between the Jews and the Samaritans.
- John 4:10 By this word (That) we are given to understand, that Christ speaketh of some excellent gift, that is to say, even of himself, whom his Father offered to this woman.
- John 4:10 This everlasting water, that is to say, the exceeding love of God, is called living, or of life, to make a difference between it, and the water that should be drawn out of a well: and these metaphors are very much used of the Jews, Jer. 2:13; Joel 3:18; Zech. 13:11.
- John 4:20 All the religion of superstitious people, standeth for the most part, upon two pillars, but very weak, that is to say upon the examples of the fathers perverted, and a foolish opinion of outward things: against which errors we have to set the word and nature of God.
- John 4:20 The name of this mountain is Gerizim, whereupon Sanabaletta the Cushite built a Temple by Alexander of Macedonia’s leave, after the victory of Issica, and made there Manasses his son-in-law high priest, Josephus, book 11.
- John 4:23 This word (Spirit) is to be taken here, as it is set against that commandment, which is called carnal, Heb. 7:16, as the commandment is considered in itself: and so he speaketh of (Truth) not as we set it against a lie, but as we take it in respect of the outward ceremonies of the Law: which did only shadow that which Christ performed indeed.
- John 4:24 By the word (Spirit) he meaneth the nature of the Godhead, and not the third person in the Trinity.
- John 4:32 We may have care of our bodies, but yet so, that we prefer willingly and freely the occasion which is offered us to enlarge the kingdom of God, before all necessities of this life whatsoever.
- John 4:35 When the spiritual corn is ripe, we must not linger: for so the children of this world would condemn us.
- John 4:36 The doctrine of the Prophets was as it were a sowing time: and the doctrine of the Gospel, as the harvest, and there is an excellent agreement between them both, and the ministers of them both.
- John 4:37 That proverb.
- John 4:39 The Samaritans do most joyfully embrace that which the Jews most stubbornly rejected.
- John 4:43 The despisers of Christ deprive themselves of his benefit: yet Christ prepareth a place for himself.
- John 4:43 Into the towns and villages of Galilee: for he would not make abode in his country of Nazareth, because they despised him, and where (as the other Evangelists write) the efficacy of his benefits was hindered through their marvelous stiffneckedness.
- John 4:46 Although Christ be absent in body, yet he worketh mightily in the believers by his word.
- John 4:46 Some of Herod’s courtiers, for though Herod was not a king, but a Tetrarch, yet the lofty name only except, he was a king, or at least the people called him a king.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
