John 7

Jesus Teaches at the Feast

1After these things Jesus 1was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because 2the Jews 3were seeking to kill Him. 2Now the feast of the Jews, 4the Feast of Booths, was near. 3Therefore His 5brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your 6disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. 4For no one does anything in secret 7when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” 5For not even His 8brothers were believing in Him. 6So Jesus said to them, “9My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. 710The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that 11its deeds are evil. 8Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because 12My time has not yet fully come.” 9Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.

10But when His 13brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret. 1114So the Jews 15were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?” 12There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; 16some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.” 13Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for 17fear of the Jews.

14But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to 18teach. 1519The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man 20become learned, having never been educated?” 16So Jesus answered them and said, “21My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 1722If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. 18He who speaks from himself 23seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

19“24Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you 25seek to kill Me?” 20The crowd answered, “26You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?” 21Jesus answered them, “I did 27one 28deed, and you all marvel. 22For this reason 29Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from 30the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. 2331If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24Do not 32judge according to appearance, but 33judge with righteous judgment.”

25So some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? 26Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. 34The rulers do not really know that this is 35the Christ, do they? 27However, 36we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from.” 28Then Jesus cried out in the temple, 37teaching and saying, “38You both know Me and know where I am from; and 39I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. 2940I know Him, because 41I am from Him, and 42He sent Me.” 30So they 43were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His 44hour had not yet come. 31But 45many of the crowd believed in Him; and they were saying, “46When 47the Christ comes, He will not perform more 4849signs than those which this man has, will He?”

32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent 50officers to 51seize Him. 33Therefore Jesus said, “52For a little while longer I am with you, then 53I go to Him who sent Me. 3454You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” 3555The Jews then said to one another, “56Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to 57the Dispersion among 58the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He? 36What is this statement that He said, ‘59You will seek Me, and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come’?”

37Now on 60the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “6162If anyone is thirsty, 63let him come to Me and drink. 38He who believes in Me, 64as the Scripture said, ‘From 65his innermost being will flow rivers of 66living water.’” 39But this He spoke 67of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for 68the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet 69glorified.

Division of People over Jesus

40Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is 70the Prophet.” 41Others were saying, “This is 71the Christ.” Still others were saying, “72Surely 73the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? 42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from 74the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43So 75a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. 4476Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

45The 77officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46The 78officers answered, “79Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” 47The Pharisees then answered them, “80You have not also been led astray, have you? 4881No one of 82the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.” 5083Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, 51“84Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52They answered him, “85You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” 53[86Everyone went to his home.