Joh 1:29-4:54 | ESV | STEP | The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him , and said , Behold , the Lamb of God , who takes away the sin of the world !

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, ^athe Lamb of God, who ^btakes away the sin ^cof the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ^d‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but ^efor this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John ^fbore witness: ^g“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and ^hit remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but ⁱhe who sent me to baptize ^jwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, ^kthis is he who baptizes ^lwith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ^mthe Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ⁿ“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, ^o“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ^{▼▼That is, about 4 p.m.} 40 ^qOne of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus ^{▼▼Greek him} was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found ^sthe Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^tJohn. You shall be called ^uCephas” (which means ^vPeter ^{▼▼ Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively}).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 ^xThe next day Jesus decided ^yto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now ^zPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found ^aaNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom ^abMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus ^acof Nazareth, ^adthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, ^ae“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, ^afan Israelite indeed, ^agin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How ^ahdo you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, ^ai“Rabbi, ^ajyou are the Son of God! You are the ^akKing of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse} you will see ^amheaven opened, and ^anthe angels of God ascending and descending on ^aothe Son of Man.”

John 2

The Wedding at Cana

1 On ^apthe third day there was a wedding at ^aqCana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with ^arhis disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, ^as“Woman, ^atwhat does this have to do with me? ^auMy hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there ^avfor the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty ^awgallons. ^{▼▼Greek two or three measures (metrētas); a metrētēs was about 10 gallons or 35 liters} 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted ^aythe water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested ^azhis glory. And ^bahis disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and ^bbhis brothers ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters} and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 ^bdThe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus ^bewent up to Jerusalem. 14 ^bfIn the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make ^bgmy Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, ^bh“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, ^bi“What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, ^bj“Destroy this temple, and in three days ^bkI will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, ^{▼▼Or This temple was built forty-six years ago} and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about ^bmthe temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, ^bnhis disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed ^bothe Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name ^bpwhen they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus ^bqon his part did not entrust himself to them, because ^brhe knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for ^bshe himself knew what was in man.

John 3

You Must Be Born Again

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named ^btNicodemus, ^bua ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus ^{▼▼Greek him} ^bwby night and said to him, ^bx“Rabbi, ^bywe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do ^bzunless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is ^caborn ^cbagain ^{▼▼Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7} he cannot ^cdsee the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born ^ceof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 ^cfThat which is born of the flesh is ^cgflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ^{▼▼The same Greek word means both wind and spirit} 7 ^ciDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural here} must be born ^ckagain.’ 8 ^clThe wind ^{▼▼The same Greek word means both wind and spirit} blows ^cnwhere 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 who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, ^co“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel ^cpand yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, ^cqwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but ^cryou ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12} do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 ^ctNo one has ^cuascended into heaven except ^cvhe who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add who is in heaven} 14 And ^cxas Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man ^cybe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes ^czin him ^damay have eternal life. ^{▼▼Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15}

For God So Loved the World

16 “For ^dcGod so loved ^ddthe world, ^{▼▼Or For this is how God loved the world} ^dfthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not ^dgperish but have eternal life. 17 For ^dhGod did not send his Son into the world ^dito condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 ^djWhoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not ^dkbelieved in the name of the only Son of God. 19 ^dlAnd this is the judgment: ^dmthe light has come into the world, and ^dnpeople loved the darkness rather than the light because ^dotheir works were evil. 20 ^dpFor everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ^dqlest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever ^drdoes what is true ^dscomes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and ^dtwas baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for ^duJohn had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over ^dvpurification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, ^dw“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, ^dxto whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and ^dyall are going to him.” 27 John answered, ^dz“A person cannot receive even one thing ^eaunless it is given him ^ebfrom heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^ec‘I am not the Christ, but ^edI have been sent before him.’ 29 ^eeThe one who has the bride is the bridegroom. ^efThe friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, ^egrejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 ^ehHe must increase, but I must decrease.” ^{▼▼Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36}

31 ^ejHe who comes from above ^ekis above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and ^elspeaks in an earthly way. ^emHe who comes from heaven ^enis above all. 32 ^eoHe bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ^epyet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony ^eqsets his seal to this, ^erthat God is true. 34 For he whom ^esGod has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit ^etwithout measure. 35 ^euThe Father loves the Son and ^evhas given all things into his hand. 36 ^ewWhoever believes in the Son has eternal life; ^exwhoever does not obey the Son shall not ^eysee life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 4

Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and ^ezbaptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed ^faagain for Galilee. 4 ^fbAnd he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field ^fcthat Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, ^fdwearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. ^{▼▼That is, about noon}

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ^ff“Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” ( ^fgFor Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you ^fhliving water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 ^fiAre you greater than our father Jacob? ^fjHe gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but ^fkwhoever drinks of the water that I will give him ^flwill never be thirsty again. ^{▼▼Greek forever} The water that I will give him will become ^fnin him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, ^fogive me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Go, ^fpcall your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that ^fqyou are ^fra prophet. 20 ^fsOur fathers worshiped on ^ftthis mountain, but you say that ^fuin Jerusalem is ^fvthe place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, ^fw“Woman, believe me, ^fxthe hour is coming when ^fyneither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 ^fzYou worship what you do not know; ^gawe worship what we know, for ^gbsalvation is ^gcfrom the Jews. 23 But ^gdthe hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father ^gein spirit and ^gftruth, for the Father ^ggis seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that ^ghMessiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, ^gihe will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, ^gj“I who speak to you am he.”

27 Just then ^gkhis disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man ^glwho told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, ^gm“Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, ^gn“Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, ^go“My food is ^gpto do the will of him who sent me and ^gqto accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that ^grthe fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that ^gssower and ^gtreaper ^gumay rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ^gv‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap ^gwthat for which you did not labor. Others have labored, ^gxand you have entered into their labor.”

39 Many Samaritans ^gyfrom that town believed in him ^gzbecause of ^hathe woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed ^hbbecause of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, ^hcand we know that this is indeed ^hdthe Savior ^heof the world.”

43 After ^hfthe two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified ^hgthat a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, ^hhhaving seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For ^hithey too had gone to the feast.

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

46 So he came again to ^hjCana in Galilee, ^hkwhere he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus ^hlhad come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, ^hm“Unless you ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse} see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down ^hobefore my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants ^{▼▼Greek bondservants} met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour ^{▼▼That is, at 1 p.m.} the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, ^hrand all his household. 54 ^hsThis was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.