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John chapter 4

English Standard Version

1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob 's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." 11The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." 13Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."
16Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." 19The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." 21Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." 25The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." 26Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."
27Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" 28So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" 30They went out of the town and were coming to him.
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." 33So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" 34Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor."
39Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman 's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."
43After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
46So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." 49The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household. 54This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
New International Version

1Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
4Now he had to go through Samaria. 5So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )
10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"
13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
16He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
17"I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."
19"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21"Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you—I am he."
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.
42They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
43After the two days he left for Galilee. 44(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
46Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
48"Unless you people see signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
49The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50"Go," Jesus replied, "your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him."
53Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and his whole household believed.
54This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
New American Standard Bible

1So then, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that He was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus Himself was not baptizing; rather, His disciples were), 3He left Judea and went away again to Galilee. 4And He had to pass through Samaria. 5So He *came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired from His journey, was just sitting by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, 'Give Me a drink.' 8For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy food. 9So the Samaritan woman *said to Him, 'How is it that You, though You are a Jew, are asking me for a drink, though I am a Samaritan woman?' (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10Jesus replied to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.' 11She *said to Him, 'Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water? 12You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?' 13Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.'
15The woman *said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.' 16He *said to her, 'Go, call your husband and come here.' 17The woman answered and said to Him, 'I have no husband.' Jesus *said to her, 'You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.' 19The woman *said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.' 21Jesus *said to her, 'Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.' 25The woman *said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.' 26Jesus *said to her, 'I am He, the One speaking to you.'
27And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, 'What are You seeking?' or, 'Why are You speaking with her?' 28So the woman left her waterpot and went into the city, and *said to the people, 29Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is He?' 30They left the city and were coming to Him.
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat something.' 32But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.' 33So the disciples were saying to one another, 'No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?' 34Jesus *said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work. 35Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, raise your eyes and observe the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps may rejoice together. 37For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have come into their labor.'
39Now from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, 'He told me all the things that I have done.' 40So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41Many more believed because of His word; 42and they were saying to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world.'
43And after the two days, He departed from there for Galilee. 44For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, only because they had seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.
46Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had made the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and began asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48Then Jesus said to him, 'Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.' 49The royal official *said to Him, 'Sir, come down before my child dies.' 50Jesus *said to him, 'Go; your son is alive.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went home. 51And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was alive. 52So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, 'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.' 53So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, 'Your son is alive'; and he himself believed, and his entire household. 54This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come from Judea into Galilee.
Christian Standard Bible

1When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(though Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), 3he left Judea and went again to Galilee. 4He had to travel through Samaria; 5so he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.
7A woman of Samaria came to draw water. "Give me a drink," Jesus said to her, 8because his disciples had gone into town to buy food.
9"How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
10Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water."
11"Sir," said the woman, "you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock."
13Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life."
15"Sir," the woman said to him, "give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water."
16"Go call your husband," he told her, "and come back here."
17"I don’t have a husband," she answered. "You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’" Jesus said. 18"For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."
19"Sir," the woman replied, "I see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem."
21Jesus told her, "Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth."
25The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ ). "When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
26Jesus told her, "I, the one speaking to you, am he."
27Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
28Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" 30They left the town and made their way to him.
31In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, "Rabbi, eat something."
32But he said, "I have food to eat that you don’t know about."
33The disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?"
34"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work," Jesus told them. 35"Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor."
39Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of what the woman said when she testified, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41Many more believed because of what he said. 42And they told the woman, "We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world."
43After two days he left there for Galilee. 44(Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. ) 45When they entered Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen everything he did in Jerusalem during the festival. For they also had gone to the festival.
46He went again to Cana of Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. 47When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to him and pleaded with him to come down and heal his son, since he was about to die.
48Jesus told him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe."
49"Sir," the official said to him, "come down before my boy dies."
50"Go," Jesus told him, "your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed.
51While he was still going down, his servants met him saying that his boy was alive. 52He asked them at what time he got better. "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him," they answered. 53The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." So he himself believed, along with his whole household.
54Now this was also the second sign Jesus performed after he came from Judea to Galilee.
New Living Translation

1Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2(though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them — his disciples did). 3So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
4He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' 8He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, 'You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?'
10Jesus replied, 'If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.'
11But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,' she said, 'and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?'
13Jesus replied, 'Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.'
15Please, sir,' the woman said, 'give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.'
16Go and get your husband,' Jesus told her.
17I don’t have a husband,' the woman replied. Jesus said, 'You’re right! You don’t have a husband — 18for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!'
19Sir,' the woman said, 'you must be a prophet. 20So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?'
21Jesus replied, 'Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23But the time is coming — indeed it’s here now — when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.'
25The woman said, 'I know the Messiah is coming — the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.'
26Then Jesus told her, 'I AM the Messiah!'
27Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, 'What do you want with her?' or 'Why are you talking to her?' 28The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?' 30So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
31Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, 'Rabbi, eat something.'
32But Jesus replied, 'I have a kind of food you know nothing about.'
33Did someone bring him food while we were gone?' the disciples asked each other.
34Then Jesus explained: 'My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. 35You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. 36The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! 37You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. 38I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.'
39Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, 'He told me everything I ever did!' 40When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42Then they said to the woman, 'Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.'
43At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. 44He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. 45Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
46As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
48Jesus asked, 'Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?'
49The official pleaded, 'Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.'
50Then Jesus told him, 'Go back home. Your son will live!' And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
51While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, 'Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!' 53Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, 'Your son will live.' And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
King James Version

1When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4And he must needs go through Samaria. 5Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? 28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41And many more believed because of his own word; 42And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
43Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. 44For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. 45Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
New King James Version

1Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John 2(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4But He needed to go through Samaria.
5So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
15The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
19The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
27And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”
28The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
31In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
33Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of His own word.
42Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
43Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
46So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
49The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
50Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
52Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
54This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

What does John chapter 4 mean?

The gospel of John frequently uses contrast as a teaching tool. In chapter 2, there is a distinction between the joyous, secretive miracle at the wedding (John 2:6–10) and the public, dramatic cleansing of the temple (John 2:13–16). Chapter 3 presents another contrast. This passage moves from the loud, public, confrontational temple incident to a quiet, private, instructional conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1–2).

Chapter 4 once again presents meaningful contrasts. Nicodemus was a man of power and prestige, well educated, and one who sought out Jesus of his own free will. The Samaritan woman mentioned here is poor, outcast even among the outcast Samaritans, and not expecting to meet the Lord at all. Nicodemus needed to be reminded that his knowledge was incomplete (John 3:9–10). The Samaritan woman needed to be confronted with her sin (John 4:17–18), but also encouraged and given value (John 4:23). These contrasts help demonstrate how the gospel of Jesus Christ is not only for all people, in all times, but that it will reach each person wherever they are, spiritually speaking.

The first major portion of the chapter is Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman. Their back-and-forth banter reveals Christ's mastery of personal evangelism. This passage is also an excellent example of the principle of ipsissima vox, or "the very voice" of Scripture. Almost certainly, this conversation involved more words and more time than are recorded here. Rather than a verbatim transcript, John reports the substance of the conversation, probably as related to him by Jesus at some later time. As part of that discussion, Jesus reveals that He knows very personal details about the woman's life (John 4:1–16).

Christ's remark about the woman's troubling lifestyle might seem blunt. The woman immediately tries to change the subject. She is confident and clever, but Jesus knows exactly what she needs to understand. The Savior knows what she has done, and who she is, and seeks her anyway. To worship "in spirit and truth" is the role of a true believer. That Christ seeks all people, despite our former sins or our current circumstances, and wants to make us sincere disciples is the great message of His conversation at the well (John 4:17–26).

When the woman goes into town, Jesus tries to get His disciples to understand the purpose of their mission. This hinges on the idea of reaping and sowing: a process of creating more true believers in Christ. In many cases, one person will lay the early foundations, and a later person will be there to follow through to conclusion. As Jesus is speaking, He apparently sees the people from Sychar coming in a large group. This might have led to a moment of embarrassment. The disciples of Christ went into town as a group and brought no one back to meet the Lord. Yet a single, untrained, outcast, female Samaritan not only told others, but she also brought them to see Jesus face-to-face (John 4:27–38).

This chapter presents a very practical foreshadowing of a command given by Jesus elsewhere in the Scriptures. At this point, Jesus has traveled from Jerusalem (John 2—3), through Judea and into Samaria (John 4). The Samaritans respond to Jesus by proclaiming Him "the Savior of the world." At His ascension, Jesus will declare His disciples to be His witnesses "in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Just as He had done, He called His followers to do (John 4:39–45).

Chapter 4 also includes the second of seven "signs" recorded in the gospel of John (John 4:54). Part of the lesson in Christ's healing of this official's son is the difference between belief based on miracles and belief rooted in trusting faith. Jesus essentially forces the man to demonstrate actual trust, which is validated soon afterward. While this miracle is more open than that at the wedding, it is still relatively quiet. Later miracles will become more public, more spectacular, and invite more hostility from the local religious leaders (John 4:46–54).
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