In him life lay, and this life was the Light for men:

who owe this birth of theirs to God, not to human blood, nor to any impulse of the flesh or of man.

(John testified to him with the cry, 'This was he of whom I said, my successor has taken precedence of me, for he preceded me.')

This took place at Bethany on the opposite side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

And John bore this testimony also: "I saw the Spirit descend like a dove from heaven and rest on him.

Jesus performed this, the first of his Signs, at Cana in Galilee, thereby displaying his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

After this he travelled down to Capharnahum, with his mother and brothers and his disciples; they stayed there for a few days.

Then the Jews accosted him with the words, "What sign of authority have you to show us, for acting in this way?"

Jesus replied, "Destroy this sanctuary and I will raise it up in three days."

"This sanctuary took forty-six years to build," the Jews retorted, "and you are going to raise it up in three days!"

Jesus replied, "You do not understand this? ??you, a teacher in Israel!

And this is the sentence of condemnation, that the Light has entered the world and yet men have preferred darkness to light. It is because their actions have been evil;

[vss 22-30 moved to between 2:12 and 2:13] After this Jesus and his disciples went into the country of Judaea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.

Are you a greater man than Jacob, our ancestor? He gave us this well, and he drank from it, with his sons and his cattle."

Jesus answered, "Anyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,

"Ah, sir," said the woman, "give me this water, so that I need not thirst or come all this road to draw water."

Now our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, whereas you Jews declare the proper place for worship is at Jerusalem."

"Woman," said Jesus, "believe me, the time is coming when you will be worshipping the Father neither on this mountain nor at Jerusalem.

At this point his disciples came up; they were surprised that he was talking to a woman, but none of them said, "What is it?" or, "Why are you talking to her?"

This was the second Sign which Jesus performed again after leaving Judaea for Galilee.

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, "This is the sabbath, you have no right to be carrying your mat."

And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did things like this on the sabbath.

The reply of Jesus was, "As my Father has continued working to this hour, so I work too."

But this only made the Jews more eager to kill him, because he not merely broke the sabbath but actually spoke of God as his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

So Jesus made this answer to them: "Truly, truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, nothing but what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, the Son also does the same.

Do not wonder at this; for there is a time coming when all who are in the tombs will listen to his voice

(though I accept no testimony from man ??I only speak of this testimony, that you may be saved);

After this Jesus went off to the opposite side of the sea of Galilee (the lake of Tiberias),

(He said this to test Philip, for he knew what he was going to do himself.)

Now when the people saw the Sign he had performed, they said, "This really is the Prophet who is to come into the world!"

and embarking in a boat they started across the sea for Capharnahum. By this time it was dark, Jesus had not reached them yet,

Jesus replied to them, "This is the work of God, to believe in him whom God has sent."

They said, "Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph? We know his father and mother. How can he claim now, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and more, the bread I will give is my flesh, given for the life of the world."

Such is the bread which has come down from heaven: your ancestors ate their bread and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live for ever."

This he said as he taught in the synagogue at Capharnahum.

Now many of his disciples, on hearing it, said, "This is hard to take in! Who can listen to talk like this?"

Jesus, inwardly conscious that his disciples were murmuring at it, said to them, "So this upsets you?

After this Jesus moved about in Galilee; he would not move in Judaea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.

so his brothers said to him, "Leave this and go across into Judaea, to let your disciples witness what you can do;

Go up to the festival yourselves; I am not going up to this festival, for my time has not arrived yet."

placed after 5:47] The Jews were amazed, saying, "How can this uneducated fellow manage to read?"

Then said some of the Jerusalemites, "Is this not the man they want to kill?

No, we know where this man comes from; but when the Christ does come, no one will know where he comes from."

Indeed many of the people believed in him, saying, "When the Christ does come, will he perform more Signs than this man?"

The Pharisees heard the people discussing Jesus in this way, so the high priests and the Pharisees despatched attendants to arrest him.

(he meant by this the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive: ??as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus had not been glorified yet).

On hearing this some of the people said, "This really is the Prophet";

As for this mob, with its ignorance of the Law ??it is accursed!"

they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.

(They said this to test him, in order to get a charge against him.) Jesus stooped down, and began to write with his finger on the ground;

He said to them, "You are from the world below, I am from the world above: you belong to this world, I do not belong to this world.

As he said this, a number believed in him.

At this they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus concealed himself and made his way out of the temple.

Whereupon the neighbours and those to whom he had been a familiar sight as a beggar, said, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"

They brought him before the Pharisees, this man who had once been blind.

Then said some of the Pharisees, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath"; others said, "How can a sinner perform such Signs?" They were divided on this.

and asked them, "Is this your son, the son you declare was born blind? How is it that he can see now?"

His parents answered, "This is our son, and he was born blind; we know that.

(His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed him to be Christ should be excommunicated.

So the man born blind was summoned a second time, and told, "Now give God the praise; this man, we know quite well, is only a sinner."

We know God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this fellow comes from."

The man replied to them, "Well, this is astonishing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he has opened my eyes!

If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

Then said Jesus, "It is for judgment that I have come into this world, to make the sightless see, to make the seeing blind."

On hearing this the Pharisees who were beside him asked, "And are we blind?"

Jesus told them this allegory, but they did not understand what he was saying to them;

I have other sheep, too, which do not belong to this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; so it will be one flock, one shepherd.

This is why my Father loves me, because I lay down my life to take it up again.

No one takes it from me, I lay it down of my own accord: I have power to lay it down and also power to take it up again; I have my Father's orders for this.

and many came to him, saying, "John did not perform any Sign, but all he ever said about this man was true."

When Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness is not to end in death; the end of it is the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby."

Jesus replied, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If one walks during the day he does not stumble, for he sees the light of this world:

This he said, then added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; I am going to waken him."

So, on hearing this, Mary rose hurriedly and went to him.

This made Jesus chafe afresh, so he went to the tomb; it was a cave with a boulder to close it.

Jesus said, "Remove the boulder." "Lord," said Martha, the dead man's sister, "he will be stinking by this time; he has been dead four days."

If we let him alone, like this, everybody will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and suppress our holy Place and our nation."

(He did not say this simply of his own accord; he was high priest that year, and his words were a prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation,

"Why was not this perfume sold for ten pounds, and the money given to the poor?"

(Not that he cared for the poor; he said this because he was a thief, and because he carried the money-box and pilfered what was put in.)

(His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered this had been written of him and had happened to him.)

and that was why the crowd went out to meet him, because they heard he had performed this Sign.

He who loves his life loses it, and he who cares not for his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

My soul is now disquieted. What am I to say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? Nay, it is something else that has brought me to this hour:

Jesus answered, "This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.

Now is this world to be judged; now the Prince of this world will be expelled.

(By this he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

So the people answered, "We have learned from the Law that the Christ is to remain for ever; what do you mean by saying that the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?"

This was why they could not believe; for Isaiah again said,

(Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him.)

Now before the passover festival Jesus knew the time had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had loved his own in this world and he loved them to the end;

If you know all this, blessed are you if you really do it.

When I say 'you,' I do not mean you all; I know the men of my choice, and I made my choice that this scripture might be fulfilled, he who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.

I am telling you this now, before it occurs, so that when it has occurred you may believe who I am.

On saying this, Jesus was disquieted in spirit: he testified and said, "Truly, truly I tell you, one of you will betray me."

Jesus answered, "The man I am going to give this piece of bread to, when I dip it in the dish." Then he took the piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot;

(None of those at table understood why he said this to him;

By this everyone will recognize that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another."