John

1   The message was in the beginning. And the message was with God, and the message was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and not even one thing which has become, came to be without him. Life was in him, and the life was the light of mankind. The light appeared in the darkness, and the darkness didn’t overpower it.

    A person came who’d been sent from God. His name was Yohannes. He came as a testimony, so that he should testify about the light, so that everyone would trust through him. He wasn’t the light, but that he should testify about the light. The true light, which brings light to every person, was the one who was coming into the world.

    He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world didn’t perceive him. He came to his own, but those who were his own didn’t accept him. But to as many as did accept him, he gave them the authority to become children of God, to those who trusted in his name. Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

    And the message became flesh, and encamped among us, and we gazed upon his glory, the glory like that of an only child with a father, full of grace and truth. Yohannes testified about him and cried out saying, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me is more important than me because he was before me.’”

    And we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness. Because the law was given through Moshe, but the grace and the truth came through Yeshua the Anointed. Nobody has ever seen God. The only son, the one who’s in the bosom of the father — he has related him in full.

    And this is the testimony of Yohannes when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you-?” He acknowledged and didn’t deny. He acknowledged, “I myself am not the Anointed.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you- Eliyah?” and he said, “I’m not.” “Are you- the prophet?”, and he answered, “I’m not.” Then they said to him, “Who are you-? So we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you- say about yourself?” He declared, “I’m a voice of one who shouts in the wilderness, ‘Straighten the path of the lorda [Yahweh]’, just as the prophet Yisheyah has said.” And those who’d been sent were from the Pharisees, and they asked him and said to him, “So why do you- immerse? If you- aren’t the Anointed, nor Eliyah, nor the prophet?” Yohannes answered them, saying, “I immerse in water, but in the midst of you= stands one whom you= don’t know. He’s the one who comes after me, who’s more important than me, of whom I’m not worthy that I should untie the strap of his sandal.”

    These things occurred in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan where Yohannes was immersing. The next day, Yohannes observed Yeshua coming towards him, and he said, “See, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is the one about whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who’s more important than me because he was before me.’ And I didn’t know him, but only that he would be manifested to Yisrael. Because of this I came immersing in water.” And Yohannes testified, saying, “I’ve gazed at the spirit descend like a dove from the sky and remain on him. And I didn’t know him, but the one who sent me to immerse in water, he said to me, ‘The one on whom you- see the spirit descend and remain on him, this is the one who immerses in the holy spirit.’ And I’ve seen, and I’ve testified that this is the son of God.”

    Again on the next day, Yohannes was standing with two of his disciples. And looking at Yeshua walking he said, “See the lamb of God.” And the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed after Yeshua. And Yeshua turned and gazed at them following, and he said to them, “What are you= looking for?” And they said to him, “Rabbib, (which is translated as Teacher), where are you- staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” And they went and saw where he was staying. And they stayed there that day since it was the tenth hourc.

    One of the two who’d heard from Yohannes and followed him was Andreas, the brother of Shimon Petros. Who first found his own brother, Shimon, and said to him, “We’ve found the Messiahd”, (which is translated as The Anointed). And he led him to Yeshua. But when he looked at him, Yeshua said, “You’re- Shimon, the son of Yonah. You’ll- be called Cephase”, (which is translated as Petrose [Stone]).

    The next day he wanted to go to Galilee, and he found Philippos and said to him, “Follow me.” And Philippos was from Bethsaida, from the town of Andreas and Petros. Philippos found Nathanael and said to him, “We’ve found the one whom Moshe wrote about in the law, and the prophets — Yeshua the son of Yosef, from Nazareth.” And Nathanael said to him, “Is anything from Nazareth able to be good?” Philippos said to him, “Come and see!”

    Yeshua saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “See! Truly a Yisraelite in whom there’s no deceit.” Nathanael said to him, “Where do you- know me from?” Yeshua answered and said, “I saw you- under the fig tree, before Philippos called you-.” Nathanael answered and he said to him, “Rabbib. You’re- the son of God. You’re- the king of Yisrael.” Yeshua answered and he said to him, “You- trust me because I said to you- that I saw you- underneath the fig tree. You’ll- see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Amenf, amen, I say to you=, from now on you’ll= see the sky opened and the messengers of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

a) Jews used “Lord” in place of “Yahweh” to avoid any possibility of breaking the third commandment.

b) Rabbi was a Hebrew title meaning “Teacher”

c) four in the afternoon

d) Messiah is Hebrew and Christos is Greek, and both mean “anointed”

e) Cephas is Hebrew and Petros is Greek, and both mean a stone

f) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

2   And on the third day, there came to be a wedding feast in Cana in Galilee. And Yeshua’s mother was there, and Yeshua and his disciples were invited to the wedding feast. And when they were lacking wine, Yeshua’s mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.” Yeshua said to her, “What’s that to me and you- woman? My hour hasn’t yet arrived.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you=.”

    There were six stone water jars placed there for the cleansing of the Jews. Each one had room for two or three metretesa, [about 100 liters]. Yeshua said to them, “Fill the water jars full of water.” And they filled them full to the brim. And he said to them, “Now scoop some out and carry it to the master of the dining roomb.” And they carried it.

    But when the master tasted the water, it had become wine. And he didn’t know where it’d come from, (but the servants who’d scooped the water knew). And the master called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone puts out the good wine first, and then when they’re drunk, the inferior. But you’ve- kept the good wine until now.”

    This was the beginning of the signs which Yeshua did in Cana in Galilee, and he manifested his glory, and his disciples trusted in him. After this he went down to Capernaum, himself and his mother, and his brothers, and his disciples. And they stayed there for a few days.

    The Passoverc of the Jews was near, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. And he found people selling oxen and sheep and doves, and money changers sitting in the temple. And when he’d made a whip out of cords, he threw them all out of the temple, along with the sheep and the oxen, and he poured out the small coins of the money exchangers, and overturned the tables. And to those who were selling doves he said, “Take these things away from here. Don’t make the household of my father a household of merchandise.” And his disciples were reminded that it’s been written, “Zeal for your- house has consumed me.”

    Then the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign do you- show us, that you- do these things?” Yeshua answered and he said to them, “Break apart this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple took forty six years to build, and you’ll- raise it up in three days?” But the one he’d spoken about was the temple of his body. (Later, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples were reminded that he’d said this, and they trusted the writing and the message which Yeshua had spoken).

    And while he was in Jerusalem, at the Passoverc and during the festival, many who observed the signs which he did trusted in his name. But Yeshua himself didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone, and because he had no need that anyone should testify about anyone, for he himself perceived what was in the person.

a) a metretes was a measuring jug for liquids which was almost 40 litres

b) “master of the dining room” is all one word in Greek and literally it means the ruler of a dining room which has three couches

c) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

3   Now there was a person from the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, who came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbia, we know that you’re- a teacher who’s come from God, for nobody is able to do the signs you- do unless God is with him.” And Yeshua answered and said to him, “Amenb, amen, I say to you-, unless anyone is born from above they aren’t able to see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How’s a person able to be born when he’s an old man? He isn’t able to enter the belly of his mother a second time and be born, is he?” Yeshua answered, “Amenb, amen, I say to you-, unless anyone is born of water and of spirit, they aren’t able to enter into the kingdom of God.” That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

    You- shouldn’t marvel that I said to you-, ‘You= have to be born from above.’ The windc blows where it wants, and you- hear its sound but you- don’t know where it comes from or where it’s going. Everyone who has been born of the spirit is like this.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How are these things possible?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “You’re- the teacher of Yisrael and you- don’t perceive these things? Amenb, amen, I say to you-, that we speak the things which we know, and we testify to the things which we’ve seen, but you= don’t accept our testimony. If you= don’t trust the earthly things I tell you=, how will you= trust when I tell you= heavenly things?

    Nobody has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, the one who’s in heaven. And just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who trusts in him won’t be destroyed but may have everlasting life.” For in this way God loved the world — he gave his only born son so that everyone who trusts in him won’t be destroyed but may have everlasting life.

    For God didn’t send his son into the world so he should judge the world, but so the world might be saved through him. The one who trusts in him isn’t judged, but the one who doesn’t trust has already been judged because he hasn’t trusted in the name of the only born son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world but the people loved the darkness more than the light, for their works were wicked. For everyone who practises low things hates the light, and doesn’t come towards the light so their works won’t be exposed. But the one who does the truth comes towards the light so their works might be manifested, because they’ve been enacted in God.

    After these things, Yeshua and his disciples went into the land of Judea, and he stayed there with them and immersed. And Yohannes was also immersing in Aenon near Salem because there was a lot of water there, and they came to him and were immersed. For Yohannes hadn’t yet been thrown into jail.

    And then an inquiry arose between the disciples of Yohannes and a Jew about purification. And they went to Yohannes and said to him, “Rabbia. The one who was with you- on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you- testified. Look! He’s immersing. And everyone’s going to him.” Yohannes answered and said, “A person isn’t able to take anything if it hasn’t been given to them from heaven. You= yourselves are witnesses that I said, ‘I’m not the Anointed, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, the one who stands by and hears his joy, rejoices because of the voice of the bridegroom. So this is my joy which has been fulfilled. He has to increase but I have to be decreased.

    The one who comes from above is over all. The one who’s from the earth is of the earth, and speaks of the earth. The one who comes from heaven is over all. And he testifies to that which he’s seen and heard, but nobody accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmedd that God is true. For the one whom God has sent speaks the declarations of God, for God gives the spirit without measure. The father loves the son and has given all things into his hand. The one who trusts in the son has everlasting life, but the one who disobeys the son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on them.”

a) Rabbi was a Hebrew title meaning “Teacher”

b) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

c) The Greek word for “spirit” also means “wind” or “breath” so this sentence could be translated “The spirit blows where he wants ...”

d) “confirmed” here is literally “sealed” (as in marked with a seal)

4   Then, since the lord had perceived that the Pharisees had heard that Yeshua was making and immersing more disciples than Yohannes, (although Yeshua himself wasn’t immersing, but it was his disciples), he left Judea and went away to Galilee. And so he had to pass through Samaria. And he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, which neighbours the property which Yaakov gave to his son Yosef. And there was a spring of Yaakov there, and Yeshua was tired from the journey. And so he was sitting above the spring. It was about the sixth houra.

    And a woman from Samaria came to scoop water, and Yeshua said to her, “Give me something to drink.” (For his disciples had gone into the town to buy food). Then the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you-, a Jew, request a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews don’t have anything to do with Samaritans). Yeshua answered and said to her, “If you- knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you-, ‘Give me something to drink’, then you- would’ve requested living water from him, and he would’ve given it to you-.” The woman said to him, “Lord, you- have no scoop and the well is deep. So where’d you- get the living water from? You- aren’t greater than our father Yaakov who gave us the well, and who drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock, are you-?”

    Yeshua answered and said to her, “All who drink this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water which I’ll give them won’t be thirsty at all, into the age. But the water which I give them will become a spring of water in them, leaping up into everlasting life.” The woman said to him, “Lord, give me this water so I may not be thirsty, nor come to this place to scoop.” Yeshua said to her, “Go off and call your- husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I don’t have a husband.” Yeshua said to her, “You- spoke well, ‘I don’t have a husband.’ For you’ve- had five husbands, and the one you- have now isn’t your- husband. You’ve- spoken the truth.”

    The woman said to him, “Lord, I observe that you’re- a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you= Jews say that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” Yeshua said to her, “Woman. Trust me that an hour is coming when you= [Samaritans] will worship the father neither on this mountain, nor even in Jerusalem. You= worship that which you= don’t know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. For the father also seeks those who worship him in this way. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiahb is coming, the one called the Anointed. Whenever he comes, he’ll report everything to us.” Yeshua said to her, “I, the one who speaks to you-, am him.”

    Just then his disciples came, and they marvelled that he spoke with a woman. Nevertheless nobody asked, “What are you- looking for?” or “Why are you- talking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar behind and went into the town and said to the people, “Come here and see a person who told me everything I ever did. Is this not the Anointed?” And they came out of the town and went to him. And in the meantime his disciples were saying, “Rabbic. Eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat which you= don’t know anything aboutd.” Then the disciples said to one another, “Nobody brought him anything to eat, did they?” Yeshua said to them, “My food is that I do the will of the one who sent me, and that I should complete his work. Don’t you= say, ‘It’s still four months until the harvest is coming’? Look! I say to you=, lift up your= eyes and look around, the countryside is already white to harvest, and the one who reaps receives a reward, and he collects fruit for everlasting life, so that the one who sows, and likewise the one who reaps, may rejoice. For in this the saying is true, that one is the one who sows and another is the one who reaps. I’ve sent you= to reap that for which you= haven’t laboured. Others have laboured and you’ve= entered into their labour.”

    And from that town many of the Samaritans trusted in him because of the message of the woman who testified, “He told me everything which I ever did.” Then, when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them. And he stayed there for two days. And many more trusted because of his message, and they said to the woman, “We no longer trust just because of what you- said, for we ourselves trust because we’ve heard and because we know that this truly is the saviour of the world — the Anointed.” But after the two days he went on from there and went to Galilee.

    Now Yeshua himself testified that a prophet has no honour in his own home towne. And when he came to Galilee the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all the things which he’d done in Jerusalem during the festival, (for they themselves had gone to the festival). So then Yeshua came again to Cana in Galilee, where he’d made the water into wine.

    And there was a certain royal in Capernaum whose son was ill. And when he heard that Yeshua was arriving in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and to heal his son, for he was about to die. Then Yeshua said to him, “Unless you= see signs and miracles you= won’t trust at all.” The royal said to him, “Lord, come down before my child dies.” Yeshua said to him, “Go, your- son lives.” And the person trusted what Yeshua had said to him and went. And while he was still going down, his slaves met him and reported, saying, “Your- child is alive.” Then he inquired of them the hour in which he’d recovered. They said to him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hourf” Then the father knew that it was at that hour in which Yeshua had said to him, “Your- son lives.” And he himself trusted, and his whole household. This was again a second sign which Yeshua did when he’d come to Galilee from Judea.

a) midday

b) Messiah is Hebrew and Christos is Greek, and both mean “anointed”

c) Rabbi was a Hebrew title meaning “Teacher”

d) “know nothing about” is literally “aren’t aware of”

e) “his own home town” is literally “his own fathers’”

f) one in the afternoon

5   After these things was the festival of the Jews, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem, above the sheep gate, there’s a bathing pool, (the one called Bethesda in Hebrew, and which has five covered colonnades), in which a multitude was lying down, many of the ill, the blind, the lame, the withered, all waiting for the movement of the water. (Because from time to time a messenger descended into the pool and disturbed the water. Then the first to step in after the disturbance of the water would be made well from whatever disease had once restrained them).

    And a certain person was there who’d been ill for thirty eight years. When Yeshua saw him lying there, he perceived that he’d already been there a long time, and he said to him, “Do you- want to be made well?” The ill person answered him, “Lord. I don’t have anyone to place me into the pool when the water is disturbed. So while I’m coming someone else goes down before me.” Yeshua said to him, “Get up, pick up your- mat, and walk.” And straightaway the person was made well, and he picked up his mat and walked.

    But it was a Sabbath on that day. And the Jews said to the one who’d been cured, “It’s a Sabbath, you’re- not permitted to pick up your- mat.” But he answered them, “The one who made me well, he said to me, ‘Pick up your- mat and walk’.” Then they asked him, “Who’s the person who said to you-, ‘Pick up your- mat and walk’?” But the one who’d been healed didn’t know who it was, for Yeshua had slipped away, (since there was a crowd in that place).

    After these things Yeshua found him in the temple and said to him, “Look! You’ve- been made well. Sin no longer — so nothing worse happens to you-.” The person went away and reported to the Jews that Yeshua was the one who’d made him well. And because of this the Jews pursued Yeshua, and they sought him to kill him because he’d done these things on a Sabbath. But Yeshua answered them, “My father has been working until now. And I’m also working.” So because of this the Jews sought him even more to kill him, because not only did he break the Sabbath, but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.

    Then Yeshua answered and said to them, “Amena, amen, I say to you=, the son isn’t able to do anything of himself except what he sees the father do. For whatever he does, likewise the son also does those things. For the father is fond of the son and shows him everything that he himself does. And he’ll show him greater works than these things, so that you= may marvel. For just as the father raises the dead and makes alive, so in the same way the son also makes alive whomever he wants. For neither does the father judge anyone, but he’s given all judgement to the son. So that all may honour the son just as they honour the father. Not honouring the son is not honouring the father who sent him.

    Amena, amen, I say to you=, that the one who hears my message and trusts the one who sent me has everlasting life, and won’t come into judgement but has crossed over from death to life.

    Amena, amen, I say to you=, that an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God, and those who have heard will live. For just as the father has life in himself, in the same way he has also granted to the son to have life in himself. And he also gave him authority to pass judgement because he’s the Son of Man. Don’t marvel at this, because an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear his voice, and those who did good things will come out to a resurrection of life, but those who practised low things to a resurrection of judgement.

    I’m not able to do anything of myself, I judge just as I hear, and my judgement is just, because I don’t seek my own will but the will of the father who sent me. If only I testify about myself, then my testimony isn’t true. But there’s another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony which they testify about me is true. You’ve= sent to Yohannes, and he’s testified to the truth.

    I don’t accept the testimony of a person, but I say these things so you= might be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp, and you= were willing to rejoice for an hour in his light. But I have a greater testimony than that of Yohannes, for the works which the father gave to me that I should complete, these works themselves which I do testify about me that the father has sent me. And the father who sent me has testified himself about me. You’ve= never heard his voice at any time, nor even seen his form. And you= haven’t kept his message among you=, because you= don’t trust the one whom he sent.

    You= search the writings because you= assume that in them you= have everlasting life, but those are the very ones who testify about me. And you= aren’t willing to come to me so you= may have life. I don’t accept glory from people. But I perceive you=, that you= don’t have the love of God among yourselves. I’ve come in the name of my father and you= don’t accept me. If another comes in his own name you’ll= accept him. How are you= able to trust, you= who accept glory from one another, and who don’t seek only the glory of God.

    Don’t assume that I’ll accuse you= to the father. Moshe, in whom you’ve= set your= expectation, is the one who accuses you=. For if you’d= trusted Moshe you= would’ve trusted me, for he wrote about me. And if you= don’t trust his writings, how will you= trust my declarations?”

a) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

6   After these things Yeshua went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, (of Tiberius). And a large crowd followed him because they’d seen the signs which he’d done on those who were ill. And Yeshua went up into the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passovera, (a festival of the Jews), was near. And Yeshua lifted his eyes and gazed out because of the large crowd coming towards him. And he said to Philippos, “Where will we buy loaves of bread so they may eat?” But he said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was about to do. Philippos answered him, “Two hundred denariib wouldn’t be sufficient to buy enough loaves of bread for each one of them to get even a little.” One of his disciples, Andreas, the brother of Shimon Petros, said to him, “There’s a little boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fishc. But what are these for so many?” But Yeshua said, “Make the people recline.” There was a lot of grass in the place where they reclined, and the number of men was about five thousand.

    And Yeshua took the loaves of bread, and when he’d given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were reclining. Likewise also with the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they were full, he said to his disciples, “Gather together the leftover pieces so that nothing is wasted.” And then they gathered them together, and they filled twelve baskets, full of pieces of the five loaves of barley bread which were left over by those who’d been fed. Then the people who’d seen the sign which Yeshua had done, said, “This truly is the prophet who’s to come into the world.”

    Then Yeshua, perceiving that they were about to come and seize him so they could make him king, withdrew again into the mountain by himself. And when evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, and when they’d stepped into the boat, they went to the other side of the sea, to Capernaum. (Darkness had already come and Yeshua hadn’t yet come to them). The sea was being stirred up with a great wind blowing. Then, when they’d rowed about twenty five or thirty stadiad, [about five kilometres], they saw Yeshua walking on the sea and coming near to the boat. And they were afraid, but he said to them, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” So they were willing to accept him into the boat. And straightaway the boat came to be at the land which they were going to.

    The next day the crowd which had stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other skiff there except the one which his disciples had stepped into, and that Yeshua hadn’t gone with his disciples in the skiff, but that his disciples had gone off alone. But some other skiffs had come from Tiberius, near the place where they’d eaten the bread, when the lord had given thanks. Therefore, when the crowd saw that Yeshua wasn’t there, nor were his disciples, they themselves stepped into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Yeshua.

    And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you- come here?” Yeshua answered them and said, “Amene, amen, I say to you=, you= look for me, not because you’ve= seen signs, but because you= ate the loaves of bread and were satisfied. Don’t work for the food which is destroyed, but for the food that remains into everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give to you= because God the father has sealed him.” Then they said to him, “What should we do so that we’re working the works of God?” Yeshua answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you= trust in the one whom he’s sent.”

    Then they said to him, “So what sign will you- do so we may see and trust you-? What are you- working? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it’s been written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven.’” Then Yeshua said to them, “Amene, amen, I say to you=, it wasn’t Moshe who gave you= bread from heaven, but my father gives you= the true bread of heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and who gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Lord, give us this bread all the time.”

    And Yeshua said to them, “I’m the bread of life. The one who comes to me won’t be hungry at all, and the one who trusts in me will never be thirsty at all. But I’ve said to you= that you’ve= also seen me, and you= haven’t trusted. Everyone who the father gives to me will be present with me, and the one who comes to me won’t be thrown outside at all. Because I’ve come down from heaven, not so I may do my will, but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the father who sent me, that I shouldn’t lose anyone who he’s given me, and that I’ll raise them up in the last day. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who looks at the son and trusts in him may have everlasting life, and I’ll raise them up in the last day.”

    Then the Jews murmured about him because he said “I’m the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Isn’t this Yeshua, the son of Yosef, whose father and mother we know? So how does he say, ‘I’ve come down from heaven’?” Then Yeshua answered and said to them, “Don’t murmur among one another. Nobody is able to come to me unless the father who sent me draws them. And I’ll raise them up on the last day. It’s been written in the prophets, ‘And they’ll all be taught by God.’ Everyone then, who hears from the father and learns, comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the father, except the one who’s with God — he’s seen the father.

    Amene, amen, I say to you=, the one who trusts in me has everlasting life. I’m the bread of life. Your= fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread that came down out of heaven so that anyone may eat of it and they won’t die. I’m the living bread which came down from heaven, if anyone eats this bread they’ll live, into the age. And the bread which I’ll give is my flesh, which I’ll give for the sake of the life of the world.”

    Then the Jews quarrelled with one another, saying, “How is he able to give us his flesh to eat?” Then Yeshua said to them, “Amene, amen, I say to you=, unless you= eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and you= drink his blood, you= won’t have any life among yourselves. The one who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I’ll raise them up on the last day. For my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink. The one who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living father has sent me, and I live because of the father, the one who feeds on me, that one too will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not as your= fathers ate the manna and died, but the one who feeds on this bread will live into the age.”

    He said these things in the synagogue while teaching in Capernaum. Then many of the disciples who’d heard it, said, “This message is hard. Who’s able to hear it?” But Yeshua, knowing in himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, said to them, “Does this offend you=? Then what if you= observe the Son of Man going up to where he was before? It’s the spirit which makes alive, the flesh doesn’t benefit anything. The declarations which I speak to you= are spirit, and they’re life. But there are some of you= who don’t trust”, (for Yeshua had known from the beginning who were the ones who didn’t trust, and who’d hand him over). And he said, “Because of this I’ve said to you= that nobody is able to come to me unless it’s been given to them from my father.”

    Because of this many of his disciples went away and no longer walked with him. Then Yeshua said to the Twelve, “Don’t you= want to go away too?” Then Shimon Petros answered him, “Lord. Who’ll we go to? You- have the declarations of everlasting life. And we’ve trusted and have perceived that you’re- the Anointed, the son of the living God.” Yeshua answered them, “Didn’t I select you=, the Twelve? But one of you= is a slanderer, [or one of you= is Diabolosf].” He spoke of Yehuda, Shimon Iscarioth, for he was about to hand him over, and he was one of the Twelve.

a) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

b) a denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages for a labourer

c) “fish” here is opsarion here meaning cooked fish.

d) a stadion was about an eighth of a Roman mile, about 160 metres

e) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

f) Diabolos means “slanderer”

7   And after these things Yeshua walked in Galilee, for he didn’t want to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him. But the festival of the Jews, the Feast of Tents, was near, and so his brothers said to him, “Cross over from here and go into Judea so your- disciples may look at the works which you- do. For nobody does anything in secret when they themselves seek to be in the open. If you- do these things, then manifest yourself to the world.” (For his brothers hadn’t yet trusted in him). Then Yeshua said to them, “My time isn’t yet at hand, but your= time is always ready. The world isn’t able to hate you=, but it hates me because I testify about it — that its works are wicked. You= go up to the festival, I’m not going up to this festival yet because my time isn’t yet fulfilled.” And having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee.

    But when his brothers had gone up, he himself also went up to the festival, not openly, but as if in secret. So the Jews were seeking him in the festival and they said, “Where is he?” And there was a lot of murmuring about him among the crowds. Indeed they said, “He’s good.” and others said, “On the contrary, he leads the crowd astray.” Nevertheless nobody spoke openly about him because of the fear of the Jews.

    And it was already the middle of the festival when Yeshua went up to the temple and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, “How does he know the writings when he hasn’t studied?” Then Yeshua answered them and said, “My teaching isn’t mine, but it’s from the one who sent me. If anyone is willing to do his will, then he’ll perceive whether the teaching is of God or whether I speak from myself. The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of the one who sent him, this one is true, and there’s no unrighteousness in him.

    Didn’t Moshe give you= the law? Yet none of you= practises the law. Why do you= seek to kill me?” The crowd answered and said, “You- have a demon! Who’s seeking to kill you-?” Yeshua answered and said to them, “I did one work and you’re= all marvelling. Because of this Moshe gave you= the circumcision, not that it was from Moshe, but it was from the fathers, and you= circumcise a person on a Sabbath. If a person receives circumcision on a Sabbath so that the law of Moshe isn’t broken, then why are you= bitterly angry with me that I made a whole person well on a Sabbath? Don’t judge according to sight, but judge with righteous judgement.”

    Then some of those who lived in Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this the one they’re seeking to kill? And look! He’s speaking openly and yet they don’t say anything to him. Can it really be that the rulers have perceived that he’s truly the Anointed? And we know where he’s from, but the Anointed, whenever he comes, no one perceives where he’s from.”

    Then Yeshua cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, “You= know me, and you= know where I’m from. And I haven’t come of myself. And the one who sent me is true, but you= don’t know him. I know him because I’m with him, and he sent me.” Then they sought to lay hold of him, but nobody laid a hand on him because his hour hadn’t yet come.

    But many of the crowd trusted in him. And they said, “The Anointed, whenever he comes, won’t do more signs than these which this person has done, will he?” The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent attendants to seize him. Then Yeshua said to them, “Still a little time among you= and then I’m going away to the one who sent me. You’ll= seek me, but you= won’t find me. And you= aren’t able to come to where I am.” Then the Jews said to themselves, “Where’s he about to go that we won’t find him? He isn’t about to go to the dispersiona of the Greeks and teach the Greeks is he? What’s this thing that he said, ‘You’ll= seek me, but you= won’t find me. And you= aren’t able to come to where I am.’?”

    And on the last day of the great festival, Yeshua stood up and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and let them drink. The one who trusts in me, just as the writing has said, rivers of living water will stream out of their belly.” He said this about the spirit, whom those who trusted in him were about to receive — for the holy spirit wasn’t yet [received] because Yeshua hadn’t yet been glorified. Then many of the crowd who’d heard the message said, “This is truly the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Anointed.” But others said, “No, because the Anointed doesn’t come from Galilee. Doesn’t the writing say that the Anointed will come from the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” Then a division arose among the crowd because of him. And some of them wanted to lay hold of him, but nobody laid hands on him.

    Then the attendants went to the chief priests and Pharisees and they said to them, “Why haven’t you= brought him?” The attendants answered, “No person has ever spoken the way this person speaks.” Then the Pharisees answered them, “You= haven’t been led astray too, have you=? None of the rulers have trusted in him, have they? Or any of the Pharisees? But this crowd, who don’t perceive the law, are more accursed.” Nicodemus, who’d come to him at night, and who was one of them, said to them, “Our law doesn’t judge the person unless it hears from them first and perceives what they’re doing, does it?” And they answered, saying to him, “You- aren’t from Galilee too are you-? Search and see that no prophet has been raised out of Galilee.” And each one went away to their own household.

a) the dispersion was the name given to the Jews who were spread among the nations. It is also sometimes called the diaspora (after the Greek)

8   But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. And at daybreak he came into the temple again. And all the people went to him, and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman to him who’d been caught in adultery, and they stood her in the middle and said to him, “Teacher, we found this woman who was caught in the act of committing adultery. And in our law Moshe directed that such people be stoned. So you-, what do you- say?” But they said this to test him, so they might have an accusation against him. But Yeshua bent down, and he wrote in the ground with his finger as if he hadn’t heard them. But since they kept asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the sinless one among you= throw the first stone at her.” And he bent down again and wrote in the ground. And those who’d heard were exposed by their conscience, and they were going off one by one, beginning with the elders, until the last ones. And only Yeshua was left behind, and the woman who was standing in the middle. And when he straightened up and didn’t see anybody except the woman, Yeshua said to her, “Woman. Where are they, those accusers of yours-? Nobody condemns you-?” And she said, “Nobody lord.” And Yeshua said to her, “I don’t condemn you- either. Go. But from now on don’t sin any longer.”

    Then Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, “I’m the light of the world. The one who follows me won’t walk in the darkness at all but they’ll have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You- testify about yourself. Your- testimony isn’t true.” Yeshua answered and said to them, “My testimony is true even if I testify about myself, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you= don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You= judge according to the flesh. I don’t judge anyone. But even if I do judge, my judgement is true because I’m not alone, but it’s me, and the father who sent me. And in your= law it’s also been written that the testimony of two people is true. I’m the one who testifies about myself, and the father who sent me testifies about me.” Then they said to him, “Where’s your- father?” Yeshua answered, “You= don’t know either me or my father. If you’d= known me, you= would’ve also known my father.” Yeshua spoke these declarations in the treasury, teaching in the temple, and nobody laid hold of him because his hour hadn’t yet come.

    Then Yeshua said to them again, “I’m going away. And you’ll= seek me but you’ll= die in your= sin. Where I’m going you= aren’t able to come.” Then the Jews said, “He won’t kill himself will he? Because he’s saying, ‘Where I’m going you= aren’t able to come’?” And he said to them, “You’re= from below, I’m from above. You’re= from this world, I’m not from this world. Therefore I said to you= that you’ll= die in your= sins, for unless you= trust that I am, you’ll= die in your= sins.” Then they said to him, “Who are you-?” And Yeshua said to them, “What I said to you= in the beginning. I have many things to say about you=, and to judge, but the one who sent me is true, and I, the things which I hear from him, I say these things to the world.” They didn’t perceive that he spoke to them of the father.

    Then Yeshua said to them, “When you’ve= lifted up the Son of Man, then you’ll= perceive that I am, and that I don’t do anything from myself, but just as my father teaches me, I speak these things. And the one who sent me is with me. The father didn’t send me off alone because I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” When he spoke these things, many trusted in him.

    Then Yeshua said to those Jews who’d trusted in him, “If you= remain in my message then you’re= truly my disciples, and you’ll= perceive the truth, and the truth will free you=.” They answered him, “We’re the seed of Abraham, and we’ve never been enslaved by anyone. How are you- saying, ‘You’ll= become free’?” Yeshua answered them, “Amena, amen, I say to you=, that everyone who practises sin is a slave of sin. And the slave doesn’t remain in the house into the age, but the son remains to the age. So then, if the son frees you= then you= will really be free.

    I know that you’re= the seed of Abraham, but you’re= seeking to kill me because my message has no room [space] among you=. I speak that which I’ve seen with my father, and you= too, you= do that which you’ve= seen with your= father.” And they answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father.” Yeshua said to them, “If you= were children of Abraham, you= would’ve done the works of Abraham. But now you= seek to kill me, a person who has told you= the truth which I’ve heard from God. Abraham didn’t do that. You’re= doing the works of your= father.”

    Then they said to him, “We weren’t born as a result of fornication. We have one father — God.” Then Yeshua said to them, “If God was your= father you= would’ve loved me, because I came from God. And I haven’t come on my own accord, but because he sent me. So why don’t you= perceive my speech? Because you= aren’t able to hear my message. You’re= of your= father Diabolosb. And you= want to do the desires of your= father — he was a murderer from the beginning, and he hasn’t stood in the truth because there’s no truth in him. Whenever he talks he speaks a lie, because he’s a liar and the father of it. But because I speak the truth you= don’t trust me. Which one of you= exposes me concerning sin? But if I speak the truth then why don’t you= trust me? The one who’s from God hears the declarations of God. This is why you= don’t hear, because you= aren’t from God.”

    Then the Jews answered and said to him, “Aren’t we correct in saying that you’re- a Samaritan, and you- have a demon?” Yeshua answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honour my father and you= dishonour me. And I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. Amena, amen, I say to you=, if anyone keeps my message they won’t look upon death at all, into the age.” Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you- have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets, and you’re- saying, ‘If anyone keeps my message they won’t taste death at all, into the age.’ You- aren’t greater than our father Abraham are you-? He died, and the prophets died. Who are you- making yourself out to be?” Yeshua answered, “If I glorify myself then my glory is nothing. It’s my father, whom you= say is your= god, who glorifies me. And you= haven’t perceived him, but I know him. And if I say that I don’t know him then I’ll be a liar like you=. But I know him and I keep his message. Your= father Abraham rejoiced that he might see my day, and he saw it, and he rejoiced.” Then the Jews said to him, “You- don’t yet have fifty years, and you’ve- seen Abraham?” Yeshua said to them, “Amena, amen, I say to you=, before Abraham was born, I am.” Then they picked up stones so they could throw them at him. But Yeshua concealed himself and went out of the temple, passing through the middle of them, and in that way he passed on his way.

a) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

b) Diabolos means “slanderer”

9   And passing by he saw a person who was blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, “Rabbia. Who sinned, this person or his parents, so that he was born blind?” Yeshua answered, “Neither this person nor his parents sinned, but so that the works of God might be manifested in him. I have to work the works of the one who sent me while it’s day. Night is coming when nobody is able to work. While I’m in the world, I’m the light of the world.”

    When he’d said these things he spat on the ground and made mud from the saliva, and he smeared the mud on the eyes of the blind man. And he said to him, “Go off and wash in the Pool of Siloam, (which is translated as Sent).” And he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

    Then the neighbours and those who’d previously seen him blind, said “Isn’t this the one who sat and begged?” Others said, “This is him.” And others, “It looks like him.” He himself said, “I am.” Then they said to him, “How were your- eyes opened?” He answered and said, “The person called Yeshua made mud and smeared it on my eyes and said to me, ‘Go off to the Pool of Siloam and wash’. And when I went and washed, I recovered my sight.” Then they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.”

    They led the one who used to be blind to the Pharisees. But it was a Sabbath day when Yeshua had made mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees also asked him how he’d recovered his sight. And he said to them, “He placed mud on my eyes, and I washed and I see.” Then some of the Pharisees said, “This person isn’t with God because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How is a sinful person able to do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

    Again they said to the blind man, “What do you- say about the one who opened your- eyes?” And he said, “He’s a prophet.” Then the Jews didn’t trust that he’d been blind and that he’d recovered his sight — until they called the parents of the one who’d recovered his sight and they asked them, saying, “Is this your= son, whom you= say was born blind? So how is he able to see now?” And his parents answered them, and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. But we don’t know how he’s able to see now, and we don’t know who opened his eyes. He himself is an adult, ask him and he’ll speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed together that if anyone acknowledged the Anointed they’d be expelled from the synagogue. Because of this his parents said, “He’s an adult, ask him.”)

    Then they called the person who’d been blind a second time, and they said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this person is sinful.” Then he answered and said, “I don’t know if he’s sinful, but I know one thing, I was blind but now I see.” Then they said to him again, “What did he do to you-? How did he open your- eyes?” He answered them, “I already told you=, and you= didn’t hear. Why do you= want to hear again? You= don’t want to become his disciples too do you=?” Then they criticisedb him and said, “You- yourself are his disciple, but we’re disciples of Moshe. We know that Moshe talked to God, but this one, we don’t know where he’s from.”

    The person answered and said to them, “Now this is marvellous, that you= don’t know where he’s from, but he opened my eyes! And we know that God doesn’t hear sinners, but if anyone is God-revering and does his will, he hears them. From the age nobody has heard of anyone opening the eyes of one who has been born blind. If this person wasn’t with God he wouldn’t have been able to do anything.” And they answered, and said to him, “You- were completely born in sins, and you- teach us!” And they threw him outside.

    Yeshua heard that they’d thrown him outside, and when he found him, he said to him, “Do you- trust in the son of God?” He answered and said, “Who is he lord? So that I might trust in him.” But Yeshua said to him, “You’ve- seen him, and the one who speaks with you- is him.” And he declared, “I trust lord!” and he worshipped him. And Yeshua said, “I came into this world for condemnation, so that those who don’t see, might see, and those who see, might become blind.” And those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?” Yeshua said to them, “If you= were blind you= wouldn’t have sin, but now that you= say, ‘We see’, your= sin remains.

a) Rabbi was a Hebrew title meaning “Teacher”

b) in Greek “criticism” has the sense of doing so in an angry or unconstructive way

10   Amena, amen, I say to you=, the one who doesn’t enter into the sheep-pen through the gate, but who climbs over somewhere else, is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens for him, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by their name, and he leads them out. And whenever he puts his own sheep out, he goes along in front of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they won’t follow a stranger, and they’ll run away from him because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” Yeshua told them this allegory, but those people didn’t perceive what he was saying to them.

    Then Yeshua said to them again, “Amena, amen, I say to you=, that I’m the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t hear them. I’m the gate. If anyone enters in through me then they’ll be saved, and they’ll come in, and they’ll go out, and they’ll find pasture. The thief doesn’t come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I came so they may have life, and they may have extraordinarilyb more.

    I’m the goodc shepherd. The goodc shepherd lays down his life for the sake of the sheep. But the hired one, who isn’t a shepherd, and whose the sheep are not, looks at the wolf coming, and he leaves the sheep behind and runs away. And the wolf snatches them away and scatters the sheep. But the hired one flees because he’s a hired one and he doesn’t care about the sheep. I’m the goodc shepherd and I perceive my own, and I’m perceived by my own. Just as the father perceives me and I also perceive the father. And I lay my life down for the sake of sheep.

    And I have other sheep which aren’t from this pen, and I must lead them also. And they’ll hear my voice, and it will become one flock, one shepherd. Because of this my father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. Nobody takes it away from me but I lay it down myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. I received this command from my father.”

    Then a division arose again among those Jews because of these messages. And many of them said, “He has a demon, and he’s mad. Why do you= listen to him?” Others said, “These aren’t the declarations of a demon possessed person. A demon isn’t able to open the eyes of the blind, is it?”

    And it came to be the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. And it was winter. And Yeshua walked around the temple, in Solomon’s Colonnade. Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, “How long will you- hold our life in suspense? If you’re- the Anointed then tell us openly.” Yeshua answered them, “I told you=, but you= didn’t trust me. The works which I do in the name of my father, these things testify about me. But you= don’t trust, for you= aren’t my sheep, just as I said to you=. My sheep hear my voice and I perceive them, and they follow me. And I give them everlasting life, and they won’t be destroyed at all into the age, and nobody will snatch them from my hand. My father, who’s given them to me, is greater than all, and nobody is able to snatch them out of my father’s hand. The father and I are one.

    Then those Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Yeshua answered them, “I’ve shown you= many goodc works from my father. For which one of them are you= stoning me?” The Jews answered him, saying, “We aren’t stoning you- for a goodc work, but for speaking evil, and because you-, being a person, are making yourself out to be a god.” Yeshua answered them, “Hasn’t it been written in your= law, ‘I said, “You= are gods”’? If he called those to whom the message of God came, gods, (and the writing isn’t able to be undone), are you= saying to the one whom the father made holy and sent into the world, ‘You’re- speaking evil’, because I said I’m the son of God? If I don’t do the works of my father, don’t trust me. But if I do, then even if you= don’t trust me, then trust the works, so that you= may perceive, and may trust that the father is in me. And I’m in him.”

    Then they sought again to seize him but he went away out of their hand. And he went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where Yohannes was first immersing, and he stayed there. And many came to him and they said, “Yohannes indeed performed no sign, but everything that he said about this one was true.” And many trusted in him there.

a) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

b) the Greek word here means “beyond the usual measure”

c) good in terms of quality, not morality

11   But a certain person was ill, Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Maria and her sister Martha. And it was the Maria who’d anointed the lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. Then the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord. Look! The one you’re- fond of is ill.” And when he heard this Yeshua said, “This illness isn’t to death, but for the sake of the glory of God, so that the son of God should be glorified through it.”

    Now Yeshua loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, at first he stayed in the place he was at for two days. Then after that he said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbia. Just now the Jews sought to stone you-, and you’re- going off there again?” Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the day they won’t trip up because they can see by the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, they trip up because there’s no light in it.”

    He said these things, and after this he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m going so that I may awaken him.” Then his disciples said, “Lord. If he’s fallen asleep then he’ll get well.” But Yeshua had been speaking about his death, and they’d assumed that he was speaking about lying down to sleep. Therefore Yeshua then said to them plainly, “Lazarus has died. And I rejoice because I wasn’t there — so that you= might trust. But let’s go to him.” Then Thomas, the one called Didymusb, said to the fellow disciples, “Let’s go too, so we may die with him.”

    Then, when he’d come, Yeshua found that he’d already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadiac, [about two and a half kilometres], and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Maria so they could comfort them about their brother. Then when Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet him, but Maria kept sitting in the house. Then Martha said to Yeshua, “Lord, if you’d- been here my brother would never have died. But even now I know that whatever you- should request from God, God will give it to you-.” Yeshua said to her, “Your- brother will rise up.” Martha said to him, “I know that he’ll rise up at the resurrection on the last day.” Yeshua said to her, “I’m the resurrection. And the life. The one who trusts in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives and trusts in me won’t die at all, into the age. Do you- trust this?” She said to him, “Yes lord, I trust that you’re- the Anointed, the son of God who’s coming into the world.”

    And when she’d said these things, she went away and secretly called Maria, her sister, saying, “The teacher’s here, and he’s calling you-.” And when she heard, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Yeshua hadn’t yet come in to the village but he was in the place where Martha had gone out to meet him. Then when the Jews, who were with her in the house, and who were comforting her, saw that Maria got up quickly and went out, they followed her, saying, “She’s going off to the tomb so she can weep there.” Then when Maria came to where Yeshua was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord. If you’d- been here my brother would never have died.” Then when Yeshua saw her weeping, and the Jews who’d come with her weeping, he was deeply moved by the spirit, and was disturbed himself.

    And he said, “Where have you= laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Yeshua criedd. Then the Jews said, “Look how fond he was of him!” But some of them said, “Couldn’t this person who opened the eyes of the blind have also done something so that this person wouldn’t have died?”

    Then, again deeply moved in himself, Yeshua came to the tomb. And it was a cave, and a stone had been placed over it. Yeshua said, “Lift away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the one who’d died, said to him, “Lord. It already smells, for it’s the fourth day.” Yeshua said to her, “Didn’t I say to you- that if you- trusted you’d- see the glory of God?” Then they lifted away the stone where the one who’d died was lying. And Yeshua lifted his eyes upward and said, “Father. I give thanks to you- because you’ve- heard me. And I know that you- always hear me, but I said this because of the crowd who are standing here, so that they should trust that you- sent me.” And when he’d said these things, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus. Come out here.” And the one who’d died came out, with his feet and hands bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a napkin. Yeshua said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”

    Then many of the Jews who’d come to Maria and had seen what Yeshua had done, trusted in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them what Yeshua had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together the Sanhedrin, and they said, “What will we do? Because this person performs many signs. If we let him go on like this everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come, and they’ll take away both our place and our nation.”

    But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was the chief priest of that year, said to them, “You= don’t know anything! Nor do you= understand that it’s beneficial to us that one person dies for the sake of the people, and not that the whole nation be destroyed.” But he didn’t speak this of himself, but being chief priest of that year he prophesied that Yeshua was about to die for the sake of the nation. And not only for the sake of the nation, but so that he may gather up the children of God who’ve been scattered abroad, into one.

    Then from that day they conspired together to kill him. Then Yeshua no longer walked openly among those Jews, but he went away from there into the region near the wilderness, into a town called Ephraim, and he stayed there with his disciples. But the Passovere of the Jews was near, and many from the region went up into Jerusalem before the Passover so they could purify themselves. Then they looked for Yeshua, and said to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you= suppose? That he mightn’t come to the festival at all?” But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command that if anyone knew where he was, they should divulge it so they might seize him.

a) Rabbi was a Hebrew title meaning “Teacher”

b) Didymus means “twin”

c) a stadion was about an eighth of a Roman mile, about 160 metres

d) The Greek word here means tears coming out of the eyes, but not sobbing or making noise.

e) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

12   Then, six days before the Passovera, Yeshua came to Bethany where Lazarus was, the one who’d died, whom Yeshua had raised from the dead. Then they made him a mealb there, and Martha served. And Lazarus was one of those who reclined with him.

    Then Maria took a litrac of very expensive genuine nardd perfume, and she anointed the feet of Yeshua and wiped his feet off with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Then one of his disciples, Yehuda of Shimon Iscarioth, who was about to hand him over, said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denariie, and given to the poor?” (But he didn’t say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the money bag, and he carried what was put in it). Then Yeshua said, “Pardon her that she kept it for the day of my entombment. For you’ll= always have the poor among you=, but you= won’t always have me.”

    Then a great crowd of the Jews perceived that he was there, and they came, not only because of Yeshua, but also to see Lazarus whom he’d raised from the dead. So the chief priests conspired together to kill Lazarus too. Because many of the Jews went off because of him and trusted in Yeshua.

    The next day a large crowd which had come to the festival heard that Yeshua was coming to Jerusalem. They took fronds from the palm trees and they came out to meet him. And they cried out, “Hoshanaf. The one who’s coming in the name of the lordg [Yahweh], the king of Yisrael, is blessed.” And when they’d found a donkey, Yeshua sat on it just as it’d been written, “Don’t be afraid daughter of Zionh. Look! Your- king is coming, sitting on the foal of a donkey.” His disciples didn’t perceive these things at first, but when Yeshua was glorified, then they were reminded that these things had been written about him, and that they’d done these things to him.

    Then the crowd who were with him testified that he’d called Lazarus out of the tomb and had raised him from the dead. The crowd had also come to meet him because of this, because they’d heard that he’d done the sign. Then the Pharisees said to themselves, “You= see that you= aren’t achieving anything. Look. The world has gone off after him.”

    But there were some Greeks among those who’d gone up to worship in the festival. They approached Philippos, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and they asked him saying, “Lord, we want to see Yeshua.” Philippos went and told Andreas, and then Andreas and Philippos told Yeshua. But Yeshua answered them saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

    Ameni, amen, I say to you=, unless the kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. The one who’s fond of their life will lose it, but the one who hates their life in this world will keep it into everlasting life. If anyone serves me, let them follow me, and where I am my servant will also be there. And if anyone serves me, the father will honour him.

    Now my soul has been disturbed, and what will I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But because of this I came to this hour. Father, glorify your- name.” Then a voice came from the sky, “I have glorified it and I’ll glorify it again.” Then the crowd which had been standing near and had heard it, said, “It was thunder.” Others said, “A messenger has spoken to him.” Yeshua answered and said, “This voice didn’t come because of me, but because of you=. Now is a judgement of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be thrown outside. And I, if I’m lifted up from the earth, I’ll draw everyone to myself.” (But he said this to signify by what death he was about to die). The crowd answered him, “We heard from the law that the Anointed remains into the age. So how are you- saying, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

    Then Yeshua said to them, “The light is among you= still a little while. Walk while you= have the light so that the darkness mightn’t overtake you=. The one who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. While you= have the light, trust in the light so that you= may become sons of light.” Yeshua spoke these things and went forth, and he was hidden from them.

    Even though he’d done so many of his signs in front of them, they didn’t trust in him, so that the message of Yisheyah the prophet would be fulfilled which said, “Lordg [Yahweh]. Who has trusted what we said? And to whom was the arm of the lordg [Yahweh] revealed?” Because of this they weren’t able to trust, for Yisheyah had also said, “He’s blinded their eyes and he’s hardened their heart, so that they may not see with their eyes and comprehend with their heart, and may turn back and I’d heal them.” Yisheyah had said these things when he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.

    Nevertheless, even many of the rulers also trusted in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t acknowledge it so they wouldn’t be expelled from the synagogue. For they loved the glory of the people rather than the glory of God. But Yeshua cried out and said, “The one who trusts in me, doesn’t trust in me but in the one who sent me. And the one who looks at me, looks at the one who sent me. I’ve come as a light into the world, so that everyone who trusts in me won’t remain in the darkness. And if anyone hears my declarations and doesn’t trust me, I won’t judge them — for I didn’t come to judge the world, but so that I should save the world. The one who sets me aside and doesn’t accept my declarations has one who judges him — the message which I spoke, that will judge him in the last day, because I didn’t speak from myself but from the father who sent me. He himself gave me a command, what I may declare and what I should speak. And I know that his command is everlasting life. Then, what I speak, according to what the father declared to me, I speak in the same way.”

a) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

b) the word “meal” here specifically means “the main meal of the day”

c) a litra was about half a kilogram

d) nard is a plant which grew in northern India. It’s roots were crushed to make a perfume oil

e) a denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages for a labourer

f) hoshana is a Hebrew word meaning “save” or “rescue“

g) Jews used “Lord” in place of “Yahweh” to avoid any possibility of breaking the third commandment.

h) Zion is the Hebrew name for the area around Jerusalem

i) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

13   And before the festival of the Passovera, knowing that his hour had come, (that he would cross over out of this world to the father), and having loved his own who were in the world, Yeshua loved them to the end. And during the main meal, (Diabolosb had already put it into the heart of Yehuda of Shimon Iscarioth to hand him over), Yeshua, (who knew that the father had given all things into his hands, and that he’d come from God, and was going away to God), rose up from the meal, lay down his clothes, and he took a towel and girdedc himself. Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them with the towel he was girdedc with.

    Then he came to Shimon Petros and he [Petros] said to him, “Lord. Are you- washing my feet?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “You- don’t know what I’m doing now, but later you’ll- perceive these things.” Petros said to him, “No, you- shouldn’t wash my feet at all, into the age.” Yeshua answered to him, “If I don’t wash you- then you- have no part with me.” Shimon Petros said to him, “Lord. Not only my feet but also my hands and my head!” Yeshua said to him, “The one who’s been bathed doesn’t have a need to wash, except the feet, and he’s completely clean. And you= are clean, but not all [of you=].” (For he knew the one who was handing him over. Because of this he’d said, “Not all of you= are clean.”)

    Then when he’d washed their feet, and he’d taken his clothes and reclined again, he said to them, “Do you= perceive what I’ve done to you=? You= call me Teacher, and Lord, and you= speak well, for I am. So if I, Lord and Teacher, have washed your= feet then you= also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you= an example so that just as I did to you=, you= should also do.

    Amend, amen, I say to you=, a slave isn’t greater than their master, neither is an ambassador greater than the one who sent them. If you= know these things then you’re= blessed if you= do them. I’m not speaking about all of you=. I know those whom I’ve selected, but so that the writing will be fulfilled, the one who eats the bread with me has lifted up his heel over me. From now on I tell you= before it comes to pass, so that when it does come to pass you= should trust that I am. Amend, amen, I say to you=, the one who accepts anyone whom I send, accepts me. And the one who accepts me, accepts the one who sent me.”

    Having said these things, Yeshua was disturbed by the spirit and he testified, and said, “Amend, amen, I say to you= that one of you= will hand me over.” Then the disciples looked at one another — at a loss about who he was speaking of. But one of his disciples was reclining at the bosom of Yeshua, one whom Yeshua loved. Then Shimon Petros nodded to him to inquire who it might be that he was speaking about. And leaning back on the chest of Yeshua he said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Yeshua answered him, “It’s the one to whom I’ll give the piece of bread that I’ve dipped.” And he dipped the piece of bread and he gave it to Yehuda of Shimon Iscarioth. And after the piece of bread, Satane entered into him. Then Yeshua said to him, “Do what you’re- doing quickly.” But nobody who was reclining knew why he said this to him. For some were assuming that since Yehuda had the money bag that Yeshua had said to him “Buy what we need for the festival” or that he should give something to the poor.

    Then he took the piece of bread and he went out straightaway. And it was night. When he’d gone, Yeshua said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he’ll glorify him straightaway. Little ones. I’m among you= still a little while. You’ll= seek me, and just as I said to those Jews, ‘You= aren’t able to go where I’m going.’ I also say it to you= now.

    I give you= a new command, that you= love one another. Just as I’ve loved you=, so you= should also love one another. In this everyone will perceive that you= are disciples to me, if you= have love for one another.”

    Shimon Petros said to him, “Lord, where are you- going?” Yeshua answered him, “Where I’m going you- aren’t able to follow me now, but you’ll- follow me later.” Petros said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you- now? I’ll lay down my life for your- sake.” Yeshua answered him, “You- will lay down your- life for my sake. Amend, amen, I say to you-, the rooster won’t crow until you’ve- renounced me three times.”

a) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

b) Diabolos means “slanderer”

c) “girded” means to have something wrapped around and tightened

d) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

e) Satan is the Hebrew name for Diabolos and means “accuser”

14   “Don’t let your= heart be disturbed, trust in God and trust in me. In my father’s house there are many places to stay. (If not I would’ve told you=). I’m going to prepare a place for you=. And if I go and prepare a place for you= then I’ll come back again and take you= to myself, so that you= may also be where I am. You= know where I’m going, and you= know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re- going, so how can we know the way?” Yeshua said to him, “I’m the way — and the truth, and the life. Nobody comes to the father except through me.

    If you’d= perceived me, you= would’ve perceived my father. And from now on you= do perceive him and you= have seen him.” Philippos said to him, “Lord, show us the father and that’s enough for us.” Yeshua said to him, “I’m among you= such a long time and you- haven’t perceived me Philippos? The one who’s seen me has seen the father. How can you- say, ‘Show us the father’? Don’t you- trust that I’m in the father and the father is in me? I don’t speak the declarations that I say to you= from myself. But the father, who remains in me, does the works himself. Trust me that I’m in the father and the father is in me. And if not, then trust me because of the works themselves.

    Amena, amen, I say to you=, the one who trusts in me will also do the works which I do, and they’ll do greater than these because I’m going to my father, and whatever you= request in my name, I’ll do — so the father will be glorified in the son. If you= request anything in my name, I’ll do it.

    If you= love me, keep my commands. And I’ll ask the father, and he’ll give another aide to you=, so that he may remain among you=, into the age — the spirit of truth, whom the world isn’t able to accept because it doesn’t look at him, nor does it perceive him. But you= perceive him because he remains with you=, and will be among you=. I won’t leave you= orphaned. I’ll come to you=. Still a little while and the world will no longer look upon me. But you= look upon me because I’m alive, and you’ll= be alive. On that day you’ll= perceive that I’m in my father, and you’re= in me, and I’m in you=.

    The one who has my commands and keeps them, this is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my father, and I’ll love them and I’ll disclose myself to them. Yehuda, (not Iscarioth), said to him, “Lord, how is it that you’re- about to disclose yourself to us but not to the world?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “If anyone loves me they’ll keep my message, and my father will love them, and we’ll come to them and make a place to stay with them. The one who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my messages. And the message which you= hear isn’t mine, but the father’s who sent me.

    I’ve said these things to you= while staying with you=. But the Aide, the holy spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you= all things and he’ll remind you= of all the things which I’ve said to you=. I leave peace with you=. I give you= my peace. I don’t give to you= in the way the world gives. Don’t let your= heart be disturbed, nor let it be afraid because you= heard what I said to you=, ‘I’m going away and I’m coming back to you=’. If you= loved me you= would’ve rejoiced that I said, ‘I’m going to the father’, because my father is greater than me. And now I’ve told you= before it comes to pass, so that when it does come to pass you= should trust. I won’t talk with you= much longer, for the ruler of the world is coming and he doesn’t have anything in me. But so that the world may perceive that I love the father, and that I do things just as the father directs me to do — get up, let’s go from here.”

a) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

15   “I’m the true grapevine, and my father is the farmer. He takes away every branch in me which isn’t bearing fruit. And he prunes every one which is bearing fruit, so it bears more fruit. You’re= already pruned because of the message which I’ve spoken to you=. Remain in me and I in you=.

    Just as the branch isn’t able to bear fruit from itself unless it remains in the vine, so in the same way, neither are you=, unless you= remain in me. I’m the grapevine, you’re= the branches. The one who remains in me, and I in them, bears much fruit — for without me you= aren’t able to do anything. Unless anyone remains in me they’re thrown out like a branch, and they wither, and they’re gathered together, and they’re thrown into the fire and burned. If you= remain in me, and my declarations remain among you=, you’ll= request whatever you= want and it’ll come to pass for you=. In this my father is glorified, that you= bear much fruit and become disciples to me.

    Just as the father has loved me, I’ve also loved you=. Remain in my love. If you= keep my commands you’ll= remain in my love, just as I’ve kept the commands of my father and I remain in his love. I’ve told you= these things so that my joy might remain among you=, and so that your= joy might be made complete.

    This is my command, that you= love one another just as I’ve loved you=. Nobody has greater love than this, that someone should lay down his life for the sake of his friends. You’re= my friends if you= do whatever I direct you=. I no longer call you= slaves because a slave doesn’t know what his master does. But I call you= friends because I’ve made everything which I heard from my father known to you=. You= didn’t select me, but I selected you=. And I appointed you=, so you’d= go off and bear fruit, and so your= fruit might remain, so the father might give you= whatever you= request from him in my name. I’m commanding you= these things so you= love one another.

    If the world hates you=, you= perceive that it hated me before it hated you=. If you= were from the world, the world would be fond of its own, but because you= aren’t from the world, but I selected you= out of the world, the world hates you= because of this. Recall the message which I spoke to you=, ‘A slave isn’t greater than his master’. If they persecuted me, they’ll also persecute you=. If they keep my message, they’ll keep yours= too. But they’ll do all these things to you= because of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me.

    If I hadn’t come and spoken to them, they wouldn’t have had sin, but now they don’t have an excuse for their sin. The one who hates me also hates my father. If I hadn’t done the works among them which nobody else has done, they wouldn’t have had sin, but now they’ve both seen and hated both me and my father. (So that the message which has been written in their law would be fulfilled, ‘They hated me for no reason’). But when the Aide comes, whom I’ll send to you= from the father, the spirit of truth, who’s with the father — when he’s sent out he’ll testify about me. And you= also testify because you’ve= been with me from the beginning.

16   “I’ve told you= these things so that you= shouldn’t be stumbleda. They’ll expel you= from the synagogues, and an hour is coming when everyone who kills you= will assume they’re offering service to God. And they’ll do these things because they haven’t perceived the father, nor me. But I’ve told you= these things so that when the hour comes you= may recall them, that I’ve said them to you=. But I didn’t say these things to you= from the beginning because I was among you=. But now I’m going away to the one who sent me, and none of you= asks me, ‘Where are you- going?’ But because I’ve told you= these things, sadness has filled your= heart.

    But I speak the truth to you=, it’s beneficial to you= that I go away, for if I don’t go away the Aide won’t come to you=. But if I go away, I’ll send him to you=. And when he’s come, he’ll expose the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgement. Concerning sin indeed, because they don’t trust in me. And concerning righteousness because I’m going away to my father and you’ll= no longer look upon me. And concerning judgement because the ruler of this world has been judged.

    I still have much to say to you=, but you= aren’t able to bear it at present. And when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he’ll guide you= into all the truth, for he won’t speak from himself, but he’ll speak whatever he hears, and he’ll report to you= things which are to come. He’ll glorify me because he’ll receive from me and report it to you=. All things, whatever the father has, are mine. Because of this I’ve said that he’ll receive from me and report to you=.

    A little while and you’ll= no longer look upon me, and again a little while and you’ll= see me, because I’m going away to the father.” Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What’s this that he’s saying to us, ‘A little while and you’ll= no longer look upon me, and again a little while and you’ll= see me’, and ‘because I’m going away to the father’?” Then they said, “What’s this which he’s saying, ‘A little while’. We don’t know what he’s talking about.” Then Yeshua perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Are you= seeking this with one another because I’ve said ‘a little while and you’ll= no longer look upon me, and again a little while and you’ll= see me’? Amenb, amen, I say to you= that you’ll= weep and wail but the world will rejoice. And you’ll= be saddened, but your= sadness will become joy.

    A woman, when she’s giving birth, has sadness because her hour has come, but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer recalls the duress because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. And you= then, now you= indeed have sadness, but I’ll see you= again and your= heart will rejoice, and nobody takes your= joy away from you=. And in that day you= won’t ask me anything.

    Amenb, amen, I say to you= that whatever you= request from the father in my name he’ll give to you=. Until now you= haven’t requested anything in my name. Request, and you’ll= receive, so that your= joy might be made complete. I’ve told you= these things in allegories, but an hour is coming when I’ll no longer talk to you= in allegories, but I’ll report plainly to you= about the father. In that day you’ll= request in my name. And I’m not saying to you= that I’ll ask the father for you=, for the father himself is fond of you=, because you’ve= been fond of me, and you’ve= trusted that I came from being with God. I came from being with the father, and I’ve come into the world. Again, I’m leaving the world, and I’m going to the father.”

    His disciples said to him, “Look! Now you’re- talking plainly and not speaking an allegory. Now we know that you- know all things, and that you- have no need for anyone to ask you-. In this we trust that you- came from God.” Yeshua answered them, “Now you= trust! Look! An hour is coming, and has now come, that you= will be scattered, each one to his own. And you’ll= leave me alone, but I’m not alone because the father is with me. I’ve told you= these things so that in me you= might have peace. In the world you= have duress, but have courage, I’ve conquered the world.”

a) “stumbled” in Greek also means “offended”

b) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”

17   When he’d said these things, Yeshua lifted his eyes up to the sky and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your- son so your- son may glorify you-. Just as you- gave him authority over all flesh, so that he will give everlasting life to all whom you’ve- given to him. And this is everlasting life, that they may perceive you-, the only true God, and Yeshua the Anointed whom you’ve- sent.

    I’ve glorified you- on the earth. I’ve finished the work which you’ve- given me to do. And now father, glorify me with yourself, to the glory which I had with you- before the world was. I’ve manifested your- name to those people whom you- gave me from the world. They were yours- and you- gave them to me, and they’ve kept your- message. Now they’ve perceived that all things, whatever you’ve- given to me, are with you-. Because I’ve given them the declarations which you’ve- given me, and they’ve accepted them. And they’ve perceived that I truly came from being with you-, and they’ve trusted that you- sent me.

    I ask about them, I don’t ask about the world but about those whom you’ve- given to me, because they’re yours-. And all mine are yours-, and yours- are mine, and I’ve been glorified among them. And I’m no longer in the world, but they’re in the world, and I’m coming to you- holy father. Keep them, those whom you’ve- given to me, in your- name so that they may be one just as we are. When I was with them in the world, I kept them in your- name. I guarded those whom you’ve- given to me, and none of them was lost, except the son of destruction, so that the writing would be fulfilled.

    But now I’m coming to you-, and I say these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed among them. I’ve given them your- message and the world hates them because they aren’t of the world, just as I’m not of the world. I’m not asking that you- should lift them out of the world, but that you- should keep them from the wicked one. They’re not of the world, just as I’m not of the world. Make them holy in your- truth. Your- message is the truth. Just as you- sent me into the world, I’ve also sent them into the world. And for their sake I make myself holy so that they themselves may be made holy in the truth.

    And I’m not only asking about them, but also about those who trust in me through their message. That they all might be one, just as you- father are in me and I’m in you-. That they also may be one in us so that the world should trust that you- sent me. And the glory which you- gave me, I’ve also given to them so that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you- in me, so that they may be made complete in one, and so that the world may perceive that you- sent me, and that you’ve- loved them just as you’ve- loved me.

    Father, for those whom you’ve- given to me, I want that where I am they may be with me, so that they may look upon my glory, which you’ve- given me because you- loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous father, the world hasn’t perceived you-, but I’ve perceived you-, and they’ve perceived that you- sent me. And I’ve made your- name known to them, and I’ll make it known that the love which you’ve- loved me with may be among them, and I also may be among them.”

18   When he’d said these things, Yeshua went off with his disciples to the other side of the winter flow of the Kedron, where there was a garden which he and his disciples went into. But Yehuda, the one who was handing him over, knew that place because Yeshua had gathered there many times with his disciples. Then Yehuda took the troops and the attendants of the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they went there with torches, and lamps, and weapons.

    Then Yeshua, who knew everything that was coming upon him, went out and said to them, “Who are you= looking for?” They answered him, “Yeshua the Nazarene.” Yeshua said to them, “I’m him.” And Yehuda, the one who handed him over, was standing there with them. So when he said to them, “I’m him”, they drew back and fell to the ground. Then he questioned them again, “Who are you= looking for?” And they said, “Yeshua the Nazarene.” Yeshua answered, “I told you= that I’m him. If you’re= looking for me, then allow these men to leave.” (So that the message would be fulfilled which he’d said, “I haven’t lost one of those whom you’ve- given to me.”)

    Then Shimon Petros, who had a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the chief priest, cutting off his right ear. (The name of the slave was Malchus.) Then Yeshua said to Petros, “Put your- sword back into the scabbard. Won’t I drink the cup which the father has given me at all?” Then the troops, and the commandera, and the attendants of the Jews, together, took Yeshua and bound him. And first they led him away to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the chief priest of that year. But Caiaphas was the one who’d advised the Jews that it was beneficial for one person to be destroyed for the sake of the people.

    And Shimon Petros and the other disciple were following Yeshua. And that disciple was known to the chief priest, and he entered into the courtyard of the chief priest together with Yeshua. But Petros stood outside at the gate. Then the other disciple, who was known to the chief priest, went out and spoke to the gatekeeper, and he brought Petros inside. Then the slave girl who was the gatekeeper said to Petros, “You- aren’t one of the disciples of this person too, are you-?” He said, “I’m not.” And the slaves and the attendants were standing there, (having made a fire of coals because it was cold), and they warmed themselves. And Petros was standing with them and warming himself.

    Then the chief priest asked Yeshua about his disciples and about his teaching. Yeshua answered him, “I’ve spoken openly to the world. I always taught in a synagogue, and in the temple where the Jews are always coming together, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret. Why are you- questioning me? Question those who have heard what I said to them. Look! They are aware of what I said.” And when he’d said these things, one of the attendants who was standing nearby gave Yeshua a slap to the face, saying, “You’re- answering the chief priest like this?” Yeshua answered him, “If I spoke evilly, then testify about the evil, but if good, then why do you- whip me?”

    Then Annas sent him off, having been bound, to Caiaphas the chief priest. But Shimon Petros was standing and warming himself. Then they said to him, “You- aren’t one of his disciples too, are you-?” Then he denied it, and he said, “I’m not.” One of the slaves of the chief priest, a relative of the one whose ear Petros had cut off, said “Didn’t I see you- in the garden with him?” Then Petros denied it again. And straightaway, a rooster crowed.

    Then they led Yeshua from Caiaphas into the governor’s residence. But it was early morning, and they themselves didn’t enter into the governor’s residence so they wouldn’t be defiled, and so they may eat the Passoverb. Then Pilate came out to them and said, “What accusation do you= bring against this person?” And they answered and said to him, “If he wasn’t an evildoer we wouldn’t have handed him over to you-.” Then Pilate said to them, “You= take him, and judge him according to your= law.” Then the Jews said to him, “We’re not permitted to kill anyone.” (So that the message of Yeshua would be fulfilled which he’d said signifying what kind of death he was about to die).

    Then Pilate entered into the governor’s residence again and called Yeshua, and said to him, “You’re- the king of the Jews?” Yeshua answered him, “Do you- say this from yourself or have others told you- about me?” Pilate answered, “I’m not a Jew am I? Your- nation and the chief priests handed you- over to me. What did you- do?” Yeshua answered, “My kingdom isn’t of this world. If my kingdom was of this world then my attendants would’ve fought so I wouldn’t have been handed over to the Jews. But now, my kingdom isn’t from here.” Then Pilate said to him, “Then you- are a king?” Yeshua answered, “You’re- saying that I’m a king. For this I’ve been born, and for this I’ve come into the world, so that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who’s of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

    And when he’d said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no blame in him. But it’s a custom for you= that I should release one person to you= during the Passoverb. So do you= intend that I should release the king of the Jews to you=?” Then they all cried out again, saying, “Not this one, but Barabbasc!” But Barabbas was a robber.

a) a chiliarchos was a Roman commander of a thousand men

b) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

c) There is some irony here because Barabbas is a Hebrew name meaning “Son of the Father”, but Yeshua is the true son of the true father!

19   So then Pilate took Yeshua and flogged him. And the soldiers plaited a wreath from thornbushes and they placed it on his head, and they threw a purple cloak around him. And they said, “Rejoice. King of the Jews.” And they gave him slaps to the face.

    Then Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look! I’m bringing him outside to you= so that you= can perceive that I find no blame in him.” Then Yeshua came outside wearing the thorny wreath and the purple cloak, and he said to them, “Look! The person.” Then, when the chief priests and the attendants saw him, they cried out, saying, “Executea! Execute him!” Pilate said to them, “You= take him yourselves and executea him, because I don’t find any blame in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die because he made himself the son of God.” Then, when Pilate heard this message he was even more afraid.

    And he entered into the residence again and said to Yeshua, “Where are you- from?” But Yeshua didn’t give him an answer. Then Pilate said to him, “You- aren’t talking to me? Don’t you- know that I have authority to executea you-, and I have authority to release you-?” Yeshua answered, “You- wouldn’t have any authority over me at all unless it’d been given to you- from above. Because of this, the one who handed me over to you- has a greater sin.”

    From then on Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out saying, “If you- release this person then you- aren’t a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes themselves king opposes Caesar.” Then when Pilate heard this message he led Yeshua outside, and he sat on the judgement platform, in the place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gabbathab. And it was the preparation for the Passoverc, and it was about the sixth hourd and he said to the Jews, “Look! Your= king.” But they cried out, “Take him away! Take him away! Executea him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I executea your= king?” The chief priests answered, “We don’t have a king, except Caesar.” So then, he handed him over to them so he’d be executeda. And they took Yeshua and led him away.

    And carrying his stakee, he went out to a place called The Skull, a place which in Hebrew is called Golgothaf, where they executeda him, and two others with him, one on each side, with Yeshua in the middle. And Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it above the stakee. “Yeshua, the Nazarene, the king of the Jews” was written there. Then many of the Jews read this inscription because the place where Yeshua was executeda was near the town, and it had been written in Hebrew, Greek and Lating. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “You- shouldn’t write ‘The king of the Jews’, but that he said ‘I’m king of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I’ve written, I’ve written.”

    Then when the soldiers had executeda Yeshua, they took his clothes and made four shares, one share for each soldier, and also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down, so they said to one another, “We shouldn’t tear it, but we should draw lots about whose it’ll be.” (So that the writing would be fulfilled which says, “They distributed my clothes among themselves and cast a lot on my garment). Then the soldiers indeed did these things.

    And beside the stakee of Yeshua stood his mother, and his mother’s sister, Maria of Clopas, and Maria the Magdaleneh. Then when Yeshua saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, “Woman. Look! Your- son.” After that he said to the disciple, “Look! Your- mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her as his own.

    After this, knowing that everything had already been finished, so that the writing would be fulfilled, Yeshua said, “I’m thirsty.” Now, there was a vessel filled with cheap wine laying there, and when they’d filled a sponge with wine, and had put it on a hyssop branch, they held it up to his mouth. Then when he took the wine, Yeshua said, “It’s finished”, and he lowered his head, and he handed over his spirit.

    Then, so the bodies wouldn’t remain on the stakee on the Sabbath, (since it was preparation, for that Sabbath was a great dayi), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs would be broken, and they might be taken away. Then the soldiers came and indeed broke the legs of the first one, and of the other one who was executeda with him. But when they came to Yeshua, they saw that he’d already died, and they didn’t break his legs. But one of the soldiers punctured his side with a spear, and straightaway blood and water came out.

    And the one who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true, and he knows that what he speaks is true, so that you= should trust. For these things came to be so that the writing would be fulfilled, “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again, another writing says, “They’ll look on him whom they pierced.”

    And after these things, Yosef from Arimathea, who was a disciple of Yeshua, (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate if he could take away the body of Yeshua. And Pilate permitted him. So he came and took away the body of Yeshua. And Nicodemus also came, the one who first went to Yeshua at night, carrying a mixture of about a hundred litraj of myrrh and aloe, [about fifty kilograms]. Then they took the body of Yeshua, and they bound it in strips of linen cloth with the spices, as was the custom of the Jews for burial. And in the place where he was executeda there was a garden, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So they placed Yeshua there, because of the preparation of the Jews, and because the tomb was nearby.

a) the Greek word specifically means to execute by hanging on a stake

b) Gabbatha was a Hebrew word meaning “height” or “ridge”

c) Pesach is the Jewish festival celebrating their deliverance from Egypt. From the Hebrew word Pesah which means “to pass over”.

d) midday

e) the Greek word used here means a vertical stake or pole. Sometimes but not usually it could include a crossbar of some kind.

f) Golgotha is a Hebrew word meaning “skull”

g) Latin was the language of Rome

h) Magdala was a town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee

i) the first and seventh day of Passover were special Sabbaths

j) a litra was about half a kilogram

20   But on the day after the Sabbatha Maria the Magdaleneb came to the tomb in the morning, while it was still dark. And she saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she came running to Shimon Petros and the other disciple whom Yeshua was fond of, and said to them, “They’ve carried off the lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve laid him.” Then Petros and the other disciple went out, and went to the tomb.

    And the two ran together, but the other disciple ran quickly ahead of Petros and he came to the tomb first. And when he peered in, he observed the strips of linen lying there, (but he didn’t actually enter in). Then Shimon Petros came following him, and he entered into the tomb and looked at the strips of linen cloth lying there. And the napkin which had been on his head wasn’t lying with the strips of linen cloth, but it was separate, and it’d been folded up in one place. So then the other disciple, who’d come to the tomb first, entered in. And he saw, and he trusted. (For they didn’t yet know the writing that he must rise from the dead).

    Then the disciples went away again to their own. But Maria stood outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept she stooped sideways to look into the tomb. And she looked upon two messengers in white, who were sitting, one near the head, and one near the feet, where the body of Yeshua had been laid. And they said to her, “Woman. Why are you- weeping?” She said to them, “Because they’ve carried my lord away and I don’t know where they’ve laid him.” And when she’d said these things, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, (but she didn’t realise that it was Yeshua). Yeshua said to her, “Woman. Why are you- weeping? Who are you- looking for?” Assuming that he was the gardener, she said to him, “Lord, if you- carried him, tell me where you- laid him, and I’ll take him away.” Yeshua said to her, “Maria!” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni”, which means “Teacher”. Yeshua said to her, “Don’t touch me, because I haven’t yet ascended to my father, but go to my brothers and tell them I’m ascending to my father, and your= father, and my god and your= god.” Maria the Magdaleneb came and reported to the disciples that she’d seen the lord and that he’d said these things to her.

    Then, when it was evening of the day which was the day after the Sabbatha, and the doors had been locked where the disciples had been gathered, (through fear of the Jews), Yeshua came and stood in the middle and said to them, “Peace to you=.” And when he’d said this he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they’d seen the lord. Then Yeshua said to them again, “Peace to you=. Just as the father has sent me, I also send you=.” And when he’d said this, he blew on them and he said, “Receive the holy spiritc. If you= pardon the sins of any, they’re pardoned. If you= hold on to the sins of any, they’re held.”

    But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called Didymusd, wasn’t with them when Yeshua came. Then the other disciples said to him, “We saw the lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and push my finger into the mark of the nails, and I push my hand into his side, I won’t trust at all.” And eight days later his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. And Yeshua came, (the doors had been locked), and stood in the middle, and he said, “Peace to you=.” Then he said to Thomas, “Bring your- finger here and see my hands. And bring your- hand and push it into my side, and don’t become untrusting, but trusting.” And Thomas answered and said to him, “My lord, and my god.” Yeshua said to him, “You- trust because you’ve- seen me. Those who haven’t seen me and have trusted are blessed.”

    Then indeed Yeshua did many other signs in front of his disciples which haven’t been written in this scroll. But these things have been written so that you= should trust that Yeshua is the Anointed, the son of God, and that when you= trust, you= may have life in his name.

a) “day after the Sabbath” here is literally “one of the Sabbaths”

b) Magdala was a town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee

c) the Greek word translated “spirit” can also mean “breath” or “wind”

d) Didymus means “twin”

21   After these things Yeshua manifested himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. And he manifested himself in this way: Shimon Petros, and Thomas, the one called Didymusa, and Nathanael, the one from Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two of his other disciples were together. Shimon Petros said to them, “I’m going off to fish.” They said to him, “We’re coming with you- too.” And they went off and got into the boat straightaway, but during that night they caught nothing. Now when morning had already come, Yeshua stood on the shore. (The disciples however didn’t know that it was Yeshua). Then Yeshua said to them, “Children. You= don’t have anything to eat do you=?” They answered him, “No.” But he said to them, “Throw the net to the right of the boat and you’ll= find some.” Then they threw it, and they were no longer able to pull it in because of the multitude of the fishb.

    Then the disciple whom Yeshua loved said to Petros, “It’s the lord.” Then when Shimon Petros heard that it was the lord, he girdedc his robe, (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the skiff, (for they weren’t far from the land — only around two hundred cubitsd [about a hundred meters]), dragging the net of fishb. Then, when they stepped out onto the land, they saw a fire of coals there, with small fishe laid on it, and bread. Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the small fishe which you= just caught.” Shimon Petros went up and pulled the net onto the land, filled with large fishb, (a hundred and fifty three). And although there were so many the net wasn’t torn.

    Yeshua said to them, “Come here and eat breakfast.” But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you-?”, knowing that he was the lord. Then Yeshua came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the small fishe. This was already the third time Yeshua was manifested to his disciples after he’d been raised from the dead.

    Then when they’d eaten, Yeshua said to Shimon Petros, “Shimon of Yonah, do you- love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes lord, you- know that I’m fond of you-.” He said to him, “Graze my lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Shimon of Yonah, do you- love me?” He said to him, “Yes lord, you- know that I’m fond of you-.” He said to him, “Shepherd my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Shimon of Yonah, are you- fond of me?” Petros was saddened because the third time he’d said to him, “Are you- fond of me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you- know everything. You- perceive that I’m fond of you-.” Yeshua said to him, “Graze my sheep.

    Amenf, amen, I say to you-, when you- were younger you- girded yourself and you- walked where you- wanted to. But when you- grow old you’ll- stretch out your- hands and another will girdf you-, and they’ll take you- where you- don’t want to go.” And he said this to signify by what kind of death he’ll glorify God. And when he’d said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

    But when he turned around Petros observed the disciple whom Yeshua loved, following them, (the one who’d also reclined on his chest during the meal, and had said, “Lord, who’s the one who’s handing you- over?”). And when he saw him, Petros said to Yeshua, “Lord, and what about him?” Yeshua said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what’s that to you-? You- follow me.” Then this story went out among the brothers that that disciple wouldn’t die. But Yeshua hadn’t said that he wouldn’t die, but “If I want him to remain until I come, what’s that to you-?” This is the disciple who is testifying about these things, and who wrote these things. And we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Yeshua did. Things which, if they were written down one by one, I imagine that the world itself wouldn’t have enough room for the scrolls which were written.

    Ameng.

a) Didymus means “twin”

b) the word for fish here is the generic word ichthus

c) “girded” means to have something wrapped around and tightened, usually it involved pulling your tunic between your legs and tucking it into your belt

d) a cubit was the length of a man’s forearm, about forty five centimetres

e) the word for fish here is opsarion, meaning small cooked fish

f) “girded” means to have something wrapped around and tightened

g) amen is a Hebrew word meaning “truly”