these things were transacted at Bethabara, near Jordan, where John used to baptize.

Now standing there were six stone water jars used for the Jewish rites of purification, each one holding from two to three measures.

There in the Temple [area] He found people selling oxen, sheep and pigeons. [i.e., for use as sacrifices]. Also cashiers were sitting there. [Note: These people exchanged foreign coins so visitors to Jerusalem could make purchases and pay taxes].

Jesus said to him, "Truly, truly, I tell you, a person cannot see the kingdom of God [i.e., enter it. See verse 5], unless he is born from above [Note: The words "from above" are also used in verse 31, but in this place they could also mean "again," or "anew" and refer to the source of a person's second birth].

So the Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you -- a Jew -- ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?”

In these there used to lie a great number of sick persons, and of people who were blind or lame or paralyzed.

For an angel used to descend from time to time into the bath, and disturb the water; whereupon the first person who stepped in after the water was disturbed was restored to health, no matter what disease he had been afflicted with].

This was why the Jews used to persecute Jesus, because he did things like this on the Sabbath.

The Spirit is what gives life; flesh is of no use at all. The things that I have said to you are spirit and they are life.

The neighbours therefore, and those who used to see him before, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that was sitting and begging?

They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees.

So again they asked the man who used to be blind, "What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?" "He is a prophet," the man replied.

Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, "Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner."

But he responded, "I don't know whether he is a sinner or not. The one thing I do know is that I used to be blind and now I can see!"

Then they said to him, What did he do to you? how did he give you the use of your eyes?

The man said in answer, Why, here is a strange thing! You have no knowledge where he comes from though he gave me the use of my eyes.

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

and Jesus used to walk inside the temple, in the portico of Solomon.

Then Jesus again crossed the Jordan to the place where John used to baptize at first, and stayed there some time, during which many people came to see him.

(Now he said this not because {he was concerned} about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, he used to steal what was put into [it].)

So, Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Let her keep [the rest of] it for [use on] the day of my burial.

Now some of those who used to come up to worship at the Festival were Greeks.

Nicodemus, the man who first came to Jesus one night, also went with him [i.e., to claim Jesus' body]. He brought about a seventy-five pound mixture of myrrh and aloes [i.e., aromatic spices used for embalming].

He stooped down and looked inside [the cave-like tomb] and saw the linen cloths lying there [i.e., these were wrappings used to hold embalming spices against the body], but he did not go in.

Jesus said, “Mary.”

Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”—which means “Teacher.”

So that disciple whom Jesus used to love tenderly said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he belted on his fisherman's coat, for he had taken it off, and plunged into the sea.

So, after they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you really love me more than these [other disciples do]?" Peter answered Him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." [Note: Since two different Greek words for "love" are used in this conversation, some scholars see a distinction in their meaning. See Butler, Vol. II, pp. 453-457 for a discussion of these views]. Jesus replied to him, "[Then] feed my lambs."

"In most solemn truth I tell you that whereas, when you were young, you used to put on your girdle and walk whichever way you chose, when you have grown old you will stretch out your arms and some one else will put a girdle round you and carry you where you have no wish to go."