John 1-4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Prologue
1 In the beginning(A) was the Word,[a](B)
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.(C)
2 He was with God in the beginning.(D)
3 All things were created(E) through Him,(F)
and apart from Him not one thing was created
that has been created.
4 Life was in Him,[b](G)
and that life was the light(H) of men.
5 That light shines(I) in the darkness,
yet the darkness did not overcome[c] it.(J)
6 There was a man named John(K)
who was sent from God.
7 He came as a witness
to testify about the light,
so that all might believe through him.[d]
8 He was not the light,
but he came to testify(L) about the light.
9 The true light,(M) who gives light to everyone,
was coming into the world.[e](N)
10 He was in the world,
and the world was created(O) through Him,
yet the world did not recognize Him.
11 He came to His own,[f]
and His own people[g] did not receive Him.
12 But to all who did receive(P) Him,(Q)
He gave them the right(R) to be[h] children(S) of God,(T)
to those who believe(U) in His name,(V)
13 who were born,(W)
not of blood,[i]
or of the will(X) of the flesh,(Y)
or of the will of man,[j]
but of God.(Z)
14 The Word(AA) became flesh[k](AB)
and took up residence[l] among us.
We observed His glory,(AC)
the glory as the One and Only(AD) Son[m] from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning Him and exclaimed,
“This was the One of whom I said,
‘The One coming after me(AE) has surpassed me,(AF)
because He existed before me.’”)(AG)
16 Indeed, we have all received grace(AH) after grace
from His fullness,
17 for the law was given through Moses,(AI)
grace and truth(AJ) came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God.[n]
The One and Only(AK) Son[o]—
the One who is at the Father’s(AL) side[p]—
He has revealed Him.(AM)
John the Baptist’s Testimony
19 This is John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem(AN) sent priests(AO) and Levites(AP) to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He did not refuse to answer, but he declared: “I am not the Messiah.”(AQ)
21 “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”(AR)
“I am not,” he said.
“No,” he answered.
22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord(AT)[r]—just as Isaiah(AU) the prophet said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.(AV) 25 So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with[s] water,”(AW) John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know Him. 27 He is the One coming after me,[t](AX) whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”
28 All this happened in Bethany[u] across the Jordan,[v](AY) where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God,(AZ) who takes away the sin(BA) of the world! 30 This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’ 31 I didn’t know Him,(BB) but I came baptizing with[w] water so He might be revealed(BC) to Israel.”
32 And John testified, “I watched the Spirit(BD) descending from heaven like a dove, and He rested on Him.(BE) 33 I didn’t know Him, but He[x] who sent me to baptize with[y] water told me, ‘The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on—He is the One who baptizes with[z] the Holy Spirit.’(BF) 34 I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!”[aa](BG)
35 Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and noticed them following Him, He asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi”(BH) (which means “Teacher”), “where are You staying?”
39 “Come and you’ll see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day. It was about 10 in the morning.[ab]
40 Andrew,(BI) Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!”[ac](BJ) (which means “Anointed(BK) One”), 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, He said, “You are Simon, son of John.[ad] You will be called Cephas”(BL) (which means “Rock”).
Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day He[ae] decided to leave for Galilee. Jesus found Philip(BM) and told him, “Follow Me!”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida,(BN) the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael[af](BO) and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law (and so did the prophets(BP)): Jesus the son of Joseph,(BQ) from Nazareth!”(BR)
46 “Can anything good(BS) come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.
“Come and see,” Philip answered.
47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said about him, “Here is a true Israelite;(BT) no deceit is in him.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.
49 “Rabbi,”(BU) Nathanael replied, “You are the Son(BV) of God! You are the King of Israel!”(BW)
50 Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You[ag] will see greater things than this.” 51 Then He said, “I assure you: You[ah] will see heaven opened and the angels of God(BX) ascending and descending(BY) on the Son of Man.”(BZ)
The First Sign: Turning Water into Wine
2 On the third day a wedding took place in Cana(CA) of Galilee.(CB) Jesus’ mother(CC) was there, and 2 Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.”
4 “What has this concern of yours to do with Me,[ai](CD) woman?”(CE) Jesus asked. “My hour[aj] has not yet come.”
5 “Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants.
6 Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification.(CF) Each contained 20 or 30 gallons.[ak]
7 “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. 8 Then He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.”[al] And they did.
9 When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom 10 and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
11 Jesus performed this first sign[am] in Cana(CG) of Galilee.(CH) He displayed(CI) His glory,(CJ) and His disciples believed in Him.
12 After this, He went down to Capernaum,(CK) together with His mother, His brothers,(CL) and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.
Cleansing the Temple Complex
13 The Jewish Passover(CM) was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(CN) 14 In the temple complex(CO) He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and He also found the money changers sitting there. 15 After making a whip out of cords,(CP) He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep(CQ) and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. 16 He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s(CR) house(CS) into a marketplace!”[an](CT)
17 And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal(CU) for Your house will consume(CV) Me.(CW)[ao]
18 So the Jews replied to Him, “What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?”
19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary,(CX) and I will raise it up in three days.”(CY)
20 Therefore the Jews said, “This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?”(CZ)
21 But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.(DA) 22 So when He was raised from the dead,(DB) His disciples remembered that He had said this.(DC) And they believed the Scripture(DD) and the statement Jesus had made.
23 While He was in Jerusalem(DE) at the Passover Festival,(DF) many trusted in His name(DG) when they saw the signs He was doing. 24 Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.(DH)
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees(DI) named Nicodemus,(DJ) a ruler(DK) of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,(DL) we know that You have come from God(DM) as a teacher,(DN) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”(DO)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,[ap](DP) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(DQ)
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born(DR) of water and the Spirit,[aq](DS) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh(DT) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit(DU) is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you[ar] must be born(DV) again. 8 The wind[as] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.(DW) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(DX)
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[at] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “I assure you:(DY) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you[au] do not accept Our testimony.[av] 12 If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13 No one has ascended(DZ) into heaven(EA) except the One who descended from heaven(EB)—the Son of Man.[aw](EC) 14 Just as Moses(ED) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(EE) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will[ax] have eternal life.(EF)
16 “For God loved(EG) the world in this way:[ay] He gave His One and Only(EH) Son,(EI) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.(EJ) 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn(EK) the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,(EL) because he has not believed in the name(EM) of the One and Only Son(EN) of God.
19 “This, then, is the judgment: The light(EO) has come into the world,(EP) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates(EQ) the light and avoids it,[az] so that his deeds(ER) may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[ba] the truth comes to the light, so that his works(ES) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”[bb]
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. 23 John(ET) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.(EU)
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples(EV) and a Jew[bc] about purification.(EW) 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,(EX) the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,(EY) is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.”(EZ)
27 John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,(FA) but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’(FB) 29 He who has the bride(FC) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly[bd] at the groom’s voice. So this joy(FD) of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The One who comes from above(FE) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.[be] The One who comes from heaven is above all.(FF) 32 He testifies(FG) to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33 The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.(FH) 34 For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He[bf] gives the Spirit(FI) without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son(FJ) and has given all things into His hands.(FK) 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.(FL)
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
4 When Jesus[bg] knew that the Pharisees(FM) heard He was making(FN) and baptizing more disciples than John(FO) 2 (though Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3 He left Judea(FP) and went again to Galilee.(FQ) 4 He had to travel through Samaria,(FR) 5 so He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property[bh] that Jacob(FS) had given his son Joseph.(FT) 6 Jacob’s well(FU) was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well. It was about six in the evening.[bi]
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water.(FV)
“Give Me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 for His disciples had gone into town to buy food.
9 “How is it that You, a Jew,(FW) ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan(FX) woman?” she asked Him. For Jews do not associate with[bj] Samaritans.[bk]
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God,(FY) and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.”(FZ)
11 “Sir,”(GA) said the woman, “You don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do You get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob,(GB) are You? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”
13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever!(GC) In fact, the water I will give him will become a well[bl](GD) of water springing up within him for eternal life.”(GE)
15 “Sir,” the woman said to Him, “give me this water so I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.”
16 “Go call your husband,” He told her, “and come back here.”
17 “I don’t have a husband,” she answered.
“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus said. 18 “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain,[bm](GF) yet you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”(GG)
21 Jesus told her, “Believe Me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans[bn] worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.(GH) 23 But an hour is coming, and is now here,(GI) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. 24 God is spirit,(GJ) and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”(GK)
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah[bo](GL) is coming” (who is called Christ(GM)). “When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
26 “I am He,”(GN) Jesus told her, “the One speaking to you.”
The Ripened Harvest
27 Just then His disciples arrived, and they were amazed that He was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do You want?” or “Why are You talking with her?”
28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?”(GO) 30 They left the town and made their way to Him.(GP)
31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging Him, “Rabbi,(GQ) eat something.”
32 But He said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”
33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought Him something to eat?”
34 “My food is to do the will of Him(GR) who sent Me(GS) and to finish His work,”(GT) Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open[bp] your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready[bq] for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life,(GU) so the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’(GV) 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from[br] their labor.”
The Savior of the World
39 Now many Samaritans(GW) from that town believed in Him because of what the woman said[bs] when she testified,(GX) “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 Therefore, when the Samaritans came to Him,(GY) they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days. 41 Many more believed because of what He said.[bt] 42 And they told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior(GZ) of the world.”[bu]
A Galilean Welcome
43 After two days He left there for Galilee.(HA) 44 Jesus Himself testified(HB) that a prophet has no honor in his own country.(HC) 45 When(HD) they entered Galilee, the Galileans(HE) welcomed Him because they had seen everything He did in Jerusalem(HF) during the festival.(HG) For they also had gone to the festival.
The Second Sign: Healing an Official’s Son
46 Then He went again to Cana(HH) of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum.(HI) 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea(HJ) into Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded with Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.
48 Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders,(HK) you will not believe.”(HL)
49 “Sir,”(HM) the official said to Him, “come down before my boy dies!”
50 “Go,” Jesus told him, “your son will live.” The man believed what[bv] Jesus said to him and departed.
51 While he was still going down, his slaves met him saying that his boy was alive. 52 He asked them at what time he got better. “Yesterday at seven in the morning[bw] the fever left him,” they answered. 53 The father(HN) realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” Then he himself believed, along with his whole household.
54 This, therefore, was the second sign(HO) Jesus performed after He came from Judea to Galilee.(HP)
Footnotes
- John 1:1 The Word (Gk Logos) is a title for Jesus as the communication and the revealer of God the Father; Jn 1:14,18; Rv 19:13.
- John 1:4 Other punctuation is possible: . . . not one thing was created. What was created in Him was life
- John 1:5 Or grasp, or comprehend, or overtake; Jn 12:35
- John 1:7 Or through it (the light)
- John 1:9 Or The true light who comes into the world gives light to everyone, or The true light enlightens everyone coming into the world.
- John 1:11 The same Gk adjective is used twice in this verse: the first refers to all that Jesus owned as Creator (to His own); the second refers to the Jews (His own people).
- John 1:11 The same Gk adjective is used twice in this verse: the first refers to all that Jesus owned as Creator (to His own); the second refers to the Jews (His own people).
- John 1:12 Or become
- John 1:13 Lit bloods; the pl form of blood occurs only here in the NT. It may refer either to lineal descent (that is, blood from one’s father and mother) or to the OT sacrificial system (that is, the various blood sacrifices). Neither is the basis for birth into the family of God.
- John 1:13 Or not of human lineage, or of human capacity, or of human volition
- John 1:14 The eternally existent Word (vv. 1-2) took on full humanity but without sin; Heb 4:15.
- John 1:14 Or and dwelt in a tent; lit and tabernacled; this word occurs only here in John. A related word, referring to the Festival of Tabernacles, occurs only in 7:2; Ex 40:34-38.
- John 1:14 Son is implied from the reference to the Father and from Gk usage.
- John 1:18 Since God is an infinite being, no one can see Him in His absolute essential nature; Ex 33:18-23.
- John 1:18 Other mss read God
- John 1:18 Lit is in the bosom of the Father
- John 1:21 Probably the Prophet in Dt 18:15
- John 1:23 Is 40:3
- John 1:26 Or in
- John 1:27 Other mss add who came before me
- John 1:28 Other mss read in Bethabara
- John 1:28 Another Bethany, near Jerusalem, was the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary; Jn 11:1.
- John 1:31 Or in
- John 1:33 He refers to God the Father, who gave John a sign to help him identify the Messiah. Vv. 32-34 indicate that John did not know that Jesus was the Messiah until the Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism.
- John 1:33 Or in
- John 1:33 Or in
- John 1:34 Other mss read is the Chosen One of God
- John 1:39 Lit about the tenth hour. Various methods of reckoning time were used in the ancient world. John probably used a different method from the other 3 Gospels. If John used the same method of time reckoning as the other 3 Gospels, the translation would be: It was about four in the afternoon.
- John 1:41 In the NT, the word Messiah translates the Gk word Christos (“Anointed One”), except here and in Jn 4:25 where it translates Messias.
- John 1:42 Other mss read Simon, son of Jonah
- John 1:43 Or he, referring either to Simon Peter (vv. 41-42) or Andrew (vv. 40-41)
- John 1:45 Probably the Bartholomew of the other Gospels and Acts
- John 1:50 In Gk, the word you is sg and refers to Nathanael.
- John 1:51 In Gk, the word you is pl and refers to Nathanael and the other disciples.
- John 2:4 Or You and I see things differently; lit What to Me and to you; Mt 8:29; Mk 1:24; 5:7; Lk 8:28
- John 2:4 The time of His sacrificial death and exaltation; Jn 7:30; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1
- John 2:6 Lit 2 or 3 measures
- John 2:8 Lit ruler of the table; perhaps master of the feast, or headwaiter
- John 2:11 Lit this beginning of the signs; Jn 4:54; 20:30. Seven miraculous signs occur in John’s Gospel and are so noted in the headings.
- John 2:16 Lit a house of business
- John 2:17 Ps 69:9
- John 3:3 The same Gk word can mean again or from above (also in v. 7).
- John 3:5 Or spirit, or wind; the Gk word pneuma can mean wind, spirit, or Spirit, each of which occurs in this context.
- John 3:7 The pronoun is pl in Gk.
- John 3:8 The Gk word pneuma can mean wind, spirit, or Spirit, each of which occurs in this context.
- John 3:10 Or the teacher
- John 3:11 In Gk, the word you is pl here and throughout v. 12.
- John 3:11 The pronouns we and our refer to Jesus and His authority to speak for the Father.
- John 3:13 Other mss add who is in heaven
- John 3:15 Other mss add not perish, but
- John 3:16 The Gk word houtos, commonly translated in Jn 3:16 as “so” or “so much” occurs over 200 times in the NT. Almost without exception it is an adverb of manner, not degree (for example, see Mt 1:18). It only means “so much” when modifying an adjective (see Gl 3:3; Rv 16:18). Manner seems primarily in view in Jn 3:16, which explains the HCSB‘s rendering.
- John 3:20 Lit and does not come to the light
- John 3:21 Lit who does
- John 3:21 It is possible that Jesus’ words end at v. 15. Ancient Gk did not have quotation marks.
- John 3:25 Other mss read and the Jews
- John 3:29 Lit with joy rejoices
- John 3:31 Or of earthly things
- John 3:34 Other mss read since God
- John 4:1 Other mss read the Lord
- John 4:5 Lit piece of land
- John 4:6 Lit the sixth hour; see note at Jn 1:39; an alt. time reckoning would be noon
- John 4:9 Or do not share vessels with
- John 4:9 Other mss omit For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
- John 4:14 Or spring
- John 4:20 Mount Gerizim, where there had been a Samaritan temple that rivaled Jerusalem’s
- John 4:22 Samaritans is implied since the Gk verb and pronoun are pl.
- John 4:25 In the NT, the word Messiah translates the Gk word Christos (“Anointed One”), except here and in Jn 1:41 where it translates Messias.
- John 4:35 Lit Raise
- John 4:35 Lit white
- John 4:38 Lit you have entered into
- John 4:39 Lit because of the woman’s word
- John 4:41 Lit because of His word
- John 4:42 Other mss add the Messiah
- John 4:50 Lit the word
- John 4:52 Or seven in the evening; lit at the seventh hour; see note at Jn 1:39; an alt time reckoning would be at one in the afternoon
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