The New Testament Part 18

CHRIST'S DISCOURSE WITH NICODEMUS.

1 [2:23]AND when he was at Jerusalem at the feast of the pa.s.sover many believed on him, seeing his miracles which he performed; [2:24]but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men, [2:25]for he had no need that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.

2 [3:1]And there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [3:2]This man came to him by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from G.o.d, for no one can perform these miracles which you perform unless G.o.d is with him.

[3:3]Jesus answered and said to him, I tell you most truly, unless one has been born again he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d. [3:4]Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he become an unborn infant of his mother a second time, and be born? [3:5]Jesus answered, I tell you most truly, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d. [3:6]That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is a spirit. [3:7]Wonder not that I said to you, You must be born again.

[3:8]The Spirit breathes where it wills, and you hear its voice, but you know not whence it comes, nor whither it goes; so is every one that has been born of the Spirit.

3 [3:9]Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?

[3:10] Jesus answered and said to him, Are you a teacher of Israel and know not these things? [3:11]I tell you most truly, that we speak what we know, and what we have seen we testify; and you receive not our testimony. [3:12]If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how will you believe if I should tell you heavenly things? [3:13]And no one has ascended into heaven but he that came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. [3:14]And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up; [3:15]that every one believing in him may have eternal life. [3:16]For G.o.d so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that every one believing in him may not perish but have eternal life. [3:17]For G.o.d sent not his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved. [3:18]He that believes in him is not judged; but he that believes not has been judged already; because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of G.o.d. [3:19]And this is the judgment; that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. [3:20]For every one that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved; [3:21]but he that does good comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, for they are wrought in G.o.d.

CHAPTER V.

CHRIST BAPTIZING, AND PREACHING TO THE SAMARITANS.

1 [3:22]AFTER these things Jesus and his disciples came into the country of Judea; and there he staid with them, and baptized.

[3:23]And John also was baptizing at AEnon, near Salim, because there were many waters there; and they came and were baptized, [3:24]for John was not yet cast into prison. [3:25] Then there was a controversy of the disciples of John with a Jew concerning purification. [3:26]And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you testified, behold, this [man] baptizes and all men come to him. [3:27]John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it is given him from heaven. [3:28]You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but am sent before him.

[3:29]He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; this my joy, therefore, is fully attained.

[3:30]He must increase, but I must decrease. [3:31]He that comes from above is above all; he that is of the earth is of the earth, and speaks of the earth. He that comes from heaven is above all; [3:32] and what he has seen and heard this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony. [3:33]He that receives his testimony has sealed that G.o.d is true. [3:34]For he whom G.o.d has sent speaks the words of G.o.d; for G.o.d gives not the Spirit by measure. [3:35]The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. [3:36]He that believes on the Son has eternal life; but he that disbelieves the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of G.o.d continues on him.

2 [4:1]When, therefore, the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, [4:2]though Jesus himself indeed baptized not, but his disciples, [4:3]he left Judea and departed again to Galilee. [4:4]And it was necessary that he should pa.s.s through Samaria. [4:5] He came, therefore, to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the lot which Jacob gave his son Joseph. [4:6]And Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being fatigued with travelling sat thus by the well; it was about the sixth hour [noon].

[4:7]A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink; [4:8]for his disciples had gone away into the city to buy provisions. [4:9]Then the Samaritan woman said to him, How do you, being a Jew, ask a drink of me, who am a Samaritan? for the Jews do no business with the Samaritans. [4:10]Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of G.o.d, and who it is that says to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. [4:11]The woman said to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; whence then have you the living water? [4:12]Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle? [4:13]Jesus answered and said to her, Every one that drinks of this water will thirst again; [4:14]but whoever drinks of the water which I will give him shall never thirst; but the water which I will give him shall be in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life. [4:15]The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, nor come here to draw.

[4:16]He said to her, Go and call your husband, and come here.

[4:17]The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have said well, I have no husband; [4:18]for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband. In this you have spoken truly.

3 [4:19]The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.

[4:20] Our fathers wors.h.i.+pped in this mountain, and you say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to wors.h.i.+p. [4:21]Jesus said to her, Believe me, woman, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, you shall wors.h.i.+p the Father. [4:22]You wors.h.i.+p what you know not; we wors.h.i.+p what we know; for salvation is of the Jews.

[4:23]But the hour comes, and now is, when the true wors.h.i.+ppers shall wors.h.i.+p the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father seeks such to wors.h.i.+p him. [4:24]G.o.d is a Spirit, and those that wors.h.i.+p him must wors.h.i.+p in spirit and truth. [4:25]The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming, called Christ; when he comes he will tell us all things. [4:26]Jesus said to her, I that speak to you am [the Messiah].

4 [4:27]And upon this his disciples came, and wondered that he talked with the woman; but no one said to him, What do you seek? or why do you talk with her? [4:28]Then the woman left her bucket, and went to the city, and said to the men, [4:29]Come and see a man who has told me all things which I have done; is this the Christ? [4:30]They came out from the city and came to him.

5 [4:31]In the meantime the disciples asked him saying, Rabbi, eat.

[4:32]But he said to them, I have food to eat which you know not of.

[4:33]Then the disciples said one to another, Has any one brought him food to eat? [4:34]Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. [4:35]Do you not say, There are yet four months, and the harvest comes? behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and see the fields; for they are white for a harvest.

[4:36]Already he that reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for life eternal, that he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together.

[4:37] For in this is the saying true; He that sows is one, and he that reaps is another. [4:38]I have sent you to reap that on which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.

6 [4:39]And many of the Samaritans in that city believed on him, on account of the word of the woman, testifying, He told me all things which I have done. [4:40]When, therefore, the Samaritans came to him, they desired him to remain with them; and he remained there two days.

[4:41]And many more believed on account of his word, [4:42]and said to the woman, We no longer believe on account of your report, for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.

CHAPTER VI.

CHRIST IN GALILEE, CURING A n.o.bLEMAN'S SON.

1 [4:43]AND after two days he departed thence to Galilee. [4:44]For Jesus himself testified that a prophet is without honor in his native country. [4:45] When, therefore, he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all that he did at Jerusalem at the feast; for they also came to the feast. [4:46]Then he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.

2 And there was a certain n.o.bleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

[4:47] Hearing that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and desired him to come down and cure his son, for he was about to die. [4:48]Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see miracles and prodigies you will not believe. [4:49] The n.o.bleman said to him, Lord, come down before my child dies. [4:50]Jesus said to him, Go; your son lives. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went.

[4:51]And as he was now going down his servants met him, and told, saying, Your child lives. [4:52]Then he inquired of them the hour in which he became better. Then they said to him, The fever left him yesterday, at the seventh hour. [4:53]Then the father knew that it was in that hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives; and he believed, and all his house. [4:54] This second miracle did Jesus, having come from Judea into Galilee.

CHAPTER VII.

CHRIST CURING A SICK MAN ON THE SABBATH, AT JERUSALEM.

1 [5:1]AFTER these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [5:2]And there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-gate, a pool, called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. [5:3]In these lay a mult.i.tude of sick, blind, lame, withered. [5:5]And there was a certain man there who had been sick thirty-eight years. [5:6]Jesus seeing him lying, and knowing that he had now been sick a long time, said to him, Do you wish to become well? [5:7]The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is disturbed, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming another goes down before me. [5:8]Jesus said to him, Arise, take up your bed and walk. [5:9]And the man immediately became well, and took up his bed and walked. That day was the sabbath.

2 [5:10]The Jews, therefore, said to him that was cured, It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry the bed. [5:11]He answered them, He that made me well, he said to me, Take up your bed and walk.

[5:12]They asked him, Who is the man that said to you, Take up your bed and walk? [5:13]And the sick man knew not who it was; for Jesus had gone away, a mult.i.tude being in that place. [5:14]Afterwards Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, Behold, you have become well; sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to you. [5:15]The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well; [5:16]and on this account the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he had done these things on the sabbath. [5:17]But Jesus answered them, My Father works even till now, and I work. [5:18]Then, for this reason, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also said, that G.o.d was his Father, making himself equal with G.o.d.

[5:19]Then Jesus answered and said to them, I tell you most truly, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever he does, these things also does the Son in like manner.

[5:20]For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things which he does; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may wonder. [5:21]For as the Father raises the dead, and makes them alive, so also the Son makes alive whom he will. [5:22]For the Father judges no man, but has given all judgment to the Son, [5:23]that all should honor the Son as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father that sent him.

3 [5:24]I tell you most truly, he that hears my word and believes him that sent me has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has pa.s.sed from death to life. [5:25]I tell you most truly, that the hour comes, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d, and those that hear shall live. [5:26]For as the Father has life in himself, so has he also given to the Son to have life in himself; [5:27]and has given him authority and judgment to execute, because he is the Son of man. [5:28]Wonder not at this; for the hour comes in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice [5:29]and shall come forth; those that have done good to a resurrection of life, and those that have done evil to a resurrection of judgment. [5:30]I can do nothing of myself; as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, for I seek not my will, but the will of him that sent me.

4 [5:31]If I testify of myself my testimony is not true. [5:32]There is another who testifies of me, and I know that the testimony which he testifies of me is true. [5:33]You sent to John, and he testified to the truth; [5:34]but I receive not testimony from a man; but I say these things that you may be saved. [5:35]He was a burning and s.h.i.+ning light, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

[5:36]But I have greater testimony than John's; for the works which the Father has given me to finish, these works which I do, testify of me that the Father has sent me; [5:37]and the Father who sent me, he has testified of me. You have not heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form; [5:38]and his word you have not continuing in you, for whom he has sent, him you believe not. [5:39]You search the Scriptures, because you think by them to have eternal life; and they testify of me; [5:40]and you will not come to me that you may have life.

5 [5:41]I receive not glory from men, [5:42]but I know you, that you have not the love of G.o.d in you. [5:43]I have come in my Father's name and you receive me not; if another comes in his own name, him will you receive. [5:44]How can you believe, receiving glory one from another, and the glory from G.o.d alone you seek not? [5:45]Think not that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one that accuses you, Moses, in whom you trust. [5:46]For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me; for he wrote of me. [5:47]But if you believe not his writings, how will you believe my words?

CHAPTER VIII.

CHRIST FEEDING FIVE THOUSAND, AND WALKING ON THE LAKE.

1 [6:1]AFTER these things Jesus went across the lake of Galilee, the Tiberias. [6:2]And a great mult.i.tude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he performed on the sick. [6:3]And Jesus went up on the mountain and sat there with his disciples. [6:4]And the pa.s.sover was nigh, the feast of the Jews. [6:5]Then Jesus lining up his eyes, and seeing many people come to him, said to Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?

2 [6:6]But this he said to try him; for he knew what he was about to do. [6:7] Philip answered him, Two hundred denarii [$28] worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that each may take a little. [6:8]One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, [6:9]There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes; but what are these for so many? [6:10]Jesus said, Make the men sit down. And there was much gra.s.s in the place. The men, therefore, sat down in number about five thousand. [6:11]Then Jesus took the bread, and having given thanks, distributed it to those reclining; likewise also of the fishes, as much as they wished. [6:12]And when they were filled he said to his disciples, Collect the fragments that remain over, that nothing may be lost. [6:13]Then they collected, and filled twelve traveling-baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over to those who had eaten.

3 [6:14]Then the men, seeing what a miracle Jesus had performed, said, This is truly the prophet who was to come into the world. [6:15]And Jesus knowing that they were about to come and take him by force to make him a king, went up to the mountain himself alone.

4 [6:16]And when it was evening, his disciples went down to the lake, [6:17] and entering into the s.h.i.+p were crossing the lake to Capernaum.

And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them, [6:18]and the lake was made rough by a great wind blowing. [6:19]Then having gone about twenty-five or thirty stadiums [3 or 3 1-2 miles], they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the s.h.i.+p, and they were afraid.

[6:20]But he said to them, It is I; be not afraid. [6:21] Then they willingly took him into the s.h.i.+p, and immediately the s.h.i.+p was at the land to which they were going.

CHAPTER IX.

CHRIST AT CAPERNAUM PROCLAIMING HIMSELF THE SON OF G.o.d AND THE BREAD OF LIFE.

1 [6:22]ON the next day, the mult.i.tude standing on the other side of the lake seeing that there was no other boat there except one, and that Jesus entered not into the s.h.i.+p with his disciples but his disciples had gone away alone,-- [6:23] but other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord gave thanks,-- [6:24]when, therefore, the mult.i.tude saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they went into the s.h.i.+ps and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. [6:25]And finding him on the other side of the lake they said to him, Rabbi, when came you hither? [6:26]Jesus answered them and said, I tell you most truly, you seek me not because you saw miracles, but because you eat of the bread and were filled. [6:27]Work not for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give you; for him has G.o.d the Father sealed.

2 [6:28]Then they said to him, What shall we do to perform the works of G.o.d? [6:29]Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of G.o.d; to believe on him whom he has sent. [6:30]Then they said to him, What miracle do you perform, that we may see and believe you? what work do you perform? [6:31]Our fathers eat the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. [6:32]Then Jesus said to them, I tell you most truly, Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven; [6:33]for the bread of G.o.d is he that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.