John 4

American Standard-ASV1901 (ASV)

1 Ref When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John

2 Ref (although Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples),

3 Ref he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.

4 Ref And he must needs pass through Samaria.

5 Ref So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph:

6 Ref and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7 Ref There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 Ref For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.

9 Ref The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10 Ref Jesus answered and said unto 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.

11 Ref The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Ref Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

13 Ref Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 Ref but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.

15 Ref The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.

16 Ref Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:

18 Ref for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.

19 Ref The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Ref Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Ref Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.

22 Ref Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.

23 Ref But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.

24 Ref God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

25 Ref The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things.

26 Ref Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am `he'.

27 Ref And upon this came his disciples; and they marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her?

28 Ref So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people,

29 Ref Come, see a man, who told me all things that `ever' I did: can this be the Christ?

30 Ref They went out of the city, and were coming to him.

31 Ref In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat.

32 Ref But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not.

33 Ref The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him `aught' to eat?

34 Ref Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.

35 Ref Say not ye, There are yet four months, and `then' cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest.

36 Ref He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 Ref For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 Ref I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor.

39 Ref And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all things that `ever' I did.

40 Ref So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days.

41 Ref And many more believed because of his word;

42 Ref and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.

43 Ref And after the two days he went forth from thence into Galilee.

44 Ref For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.

45 Ref So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

46 Ref He came therefore again unto Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47 Ref When 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.

48 Ref Jesus therefore said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe.

49 Ref The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50 Ref Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way.

51 Ref And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived.

52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 Ref So the father knew that `it was' at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

54 Ref This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judaea into Galilee.

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 Ref When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus more disciples doth make and baptize than John,

2 Ref (though indeed Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples,)

3 Ref he left Judea and went away again to Galilee,

4 Ref and it was behoving him to go through Samaria.

5 Ref He cometh, therefore, to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the place that Jacob gave to Joseph his son;

6 Ref and there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore having been weary from the journeying, was sitting thus on the well; it was as it were the sixth hour;

7 Ref there cometh a woman out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, `Give me to drink;'

8 Ref for his disciples were gone away to the city, that they may buy victuals;

9 Ref the Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, `How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?' for Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.

10 Ref Jesus answered and said to her, `If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'

11 Ref The woman saith to him, `Sir, thou hast not even a vessel to draw with, and the well is deep; whence, then, hast thou the living water?

12 Ref Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'

13 Ref Jesus answered and said to her, `Every one who is drinking of this water shall thirst again;

14 Ref but whoever may drink of the water that I will give him, may not thirst -- to the age; and the water that I will give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up to life age-during.'

15 Ref The woman saith unto him, `Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.'

16 Ref Jesus saith to her, `Go, call thy husband, and come hither;'

17 the woman answered and said, `I have not a husband.' Jesus saith to her, `Well didst thou say -- A husband I have not;

18 Ref for five husbands thou hast had, and, now, he whom thou hast is not thy husband; this hast thou said truly.'

19 Ref The woman saith to him, `Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet;

20 Ref our fathers in this mountain did worship, and ye -- ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it behoveth to worship.'

21 Ref Jesus saith to her, `Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;

22 Ref ye worship what ye have not known; we worship what we have known, because the salvation is of the Jews;

23 Ref but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him;

24 Ref God `is' a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.'

25 Ref The woman saith to him, `I have known that Messiah doth come, who is called Christ, when that one may come, he will tell us all things;'

26 Ref Jesus saith to her, `I am `he', who am speaking to thee.'

27 Ref And upon this came his disciples, and were wondering that with a woman he was speaking, no one, however, said, `What seekest thou?' or `Why speakest thou with her?'

28 Ref The woman then left her water-jug, and went away to the city, and saith to the men,

29 Ref `Come, see a man, who told me all things -- as many as I did; is this the Christ?'

30 Ref They went forth therefore out of the city, and were coming unto him.

31 Ref And in the meanwhile his disciples were asking him, saying, `Rabbi, eat;'

32 Ref and he said to them, `I have food to eat that ye have not known.'

33 Ref The disciples then said one to another, `Did any one bring him anything to eat?'

34 Ref Jesus saith to them, `My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work;

35 Ref do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already.

36 Ref `And he who is reaping doth receive a reward, and doth gather fruit to life age-during, that both he who is sowing and he who is reaping may rejoice together;

37 Ref for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper.

38 Ref I sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others laboured, and ye into their labour have entered.

39 Ref And from that city many believed in him, of the Samaritans, because of the word of the woman testifying, -- `He told me all things -- as many as I did.'

40 Ref When, then, the Samaritans came unto him, they were asking him to remain with them, and he remained there two days;

41 Ref and many more did believe because of his word,

42 Ref and said to the woman -- `No more because of thy speaking do we believe; for we ourselves have heard and known that this is truly the Saviour of the world -- the Christ.'

43 Ref And after the two days he went forth thence, and went away to Galilee,

44 Ref for Jesus himself testified that a prophet in his own country shall not have honour;

45 Ref when then, he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all things that he did in Jerusalem in the feast -- for they also went to the feast.

46 Ref Jesus came, therefore, again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine, and there was a certain courtier, whose son was ailing in Capernaum,

47 Ref he, having heard that Jesus is come out of Judea to Galilee, went away unto him, and was asking him that he may come down and may heal his son, for he was about to die.

48 Ref Jesus then said unto him, `If signs and wonders ye may not see, ye will not believe.'

49 Ref The courtier saith unto him, `Sir, come down before my child die;'

50 Ref Jesus saith to him, `Be going on; thy son doth live.' And the man believed the word that Jesus said to him, and was going on,

51 Ref and he now going down, his servants met him, and told, saying -- `Thy child doth live;'

52 he inquired then of them the hour in which he became better, and they said to him -- `Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him;'

53 Ref then the father knew that `it was' in that hour in which Jesus said to him -- `Thy son doth live,' and he himself believed, and his whole house;

54 Ref this again a second sign did Jesus, having come out of Judea to Galilee.

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Ref Now when it was clear to the Lord that word had come to the ears of the Pharisees that Jesus was making more disciples than John and was giving them baptism

2 Ref (Though, in fact, it was his disciples who gave baptism, not Jesus himself),

3 Ref He went out of Judaea into Galilee again.

4 Ref And it was necessary for him to go through Samaria.

5 Ref So he came to a town of Samaria which was named Sychar, near to the bit of land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph:

6 Ref Now Jacob's fountain was there. Jesus, being tired after his journey, was resting by the fountain. It was about the sixth hour.

7 Ref A woman of Samaria came to get water, and Jesus said to her, Give me some water.

8 Ref For his disciples had gone to the town to get food.

9 Ref The woman of Samaria said to him, Why do you, a Jew, make a request for water to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this because Jews have nothing to do with the people of Samaria.

10 Ref In answer Jesus said, If you had knowledge of what God gives freely and who it is who says to you, Give me water, you would make your prayer to him, and he would give you living water.

11 Ref The woman said to him, Sir, you have no vessel and the fountain is deep; from where will you get the living water?

12 Ref Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the fountain and took the water of it himself, with his children and his cattle?

13 Ref Jesus said to her, Everyone who takes this water will be in need of it again:

14 Ref But whoever takes the water I give him will never be in need of drink again; for the water I give him will become in him a fountain of eternal life.

15 Ref The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be in need again of drink and will not have to come all this way for it.

16 Ref Jesus said to her, Go, get your husband and come back here with him.

17 In answer, the woman said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have said rightly, I have no husband:

18 Ref You have had five husbands, and the man you have now is not your husband: that was truly said.

19 Ref The woman said to him, Sir, I see that you are a prophet.

20 Ref Our fathers gave worship on this mountain, but you Jews say that the right place for worship is in Jerusalem.

21 Ref Jesus said to her, Woman, take my word for this; the time is coming when you will not give worship to the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.

22 Ref You give worship, but without knowledge of what you are worshipping: we give worship to what we have knowledge of: for salvation comes from the Jews.

23 Ref But the time is coming, and is even now here, when the true worshippers will give worship to the Father in the true way of the spirit, for these are the worshippers desired by the Father.

24 Ref God is Spirit: then let his worshippers give him worship in the true way of the spirit.

25 Ref The woman said to him, I am certain that the Messiah, who is named Christ, is coming; when he comes he will make all things clear to us.

26 Ref Jesus said to her, I, who am talking to you, am he.

27 Ref At that point the disciples came back, and they were surprised to see him talking to a woman; but not one of them said to him, What is your purpose? or, Why are you talking to her?

28 Ref Then the woman put down her water-pot and went into the town, and said to the people,

29 Ref Come and see a man who has been talking to me of everything I ever did! Is it possible that this is the Christ?

30 Ref So they went out of the town and came to him.

31 Ref While this was taking place, the disciples were saying to Jesus, Master, take some food.

32 Ref But he said to them, I have food of which you have no knowledge.

33 Ref So the disciples said one to another, Did anyone give him food?

34 Ref Jesus said, My food is to do the pleasure of him who sent me and to make his work complete.

35 Ref You would say, Four months from now is the time of the grain-cutting. Take a look, I say to you, at the fields; they are even now white for cutting.

36 Ref He who does the cutting now has his reward; he is getting together fruit for eternal life, so that he who did the planting and he who gets in the grain may have joy together.

37 Ref In this the saying is a true one, One does the planting, and another gets in the grain.

38 Ref I sent you to get in grain which you had no hand in planting: other men did that work, and you take the reward.

39 Ref Now a number of the people of that town had faith in him because of the woman's witness: He has been talking to me of everything I ever did.

40 Ref So when the people came to him they made request to him to be among them for a time, and he was there two days.

41 Ref And a great number more of them came to have faith in him because of what he himself said.

42 Ref And they said to the woman, Now we have faith, but not because of your story: we ourselves have given ear to his words, and we are certain that he is truly the Saviour of the world.

43 Ref And after the two days he went on from there into Galilee.

44 Ref For Jesus himself said that a prophet has no honour in the country of his birth.

45 Ref So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans took him to their hearts because of the things which they had seen him do in Jerusalem at the feast--they themselves having been there at the feast.

46 Ref So he came to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And there was a certain man of high position whose son was ill at Capernaum.

47 Ref When it came to his ears that Jesus had come from Judaea into Galilee, he went to him and made a request that he would come down to his son, who was near to death, and make him well.

48 Ref Then Jesus said to him, You will not have faith if you do not see signs and wonders.

49 Ref The man said, Sir, come down before my boy is dead.

50 Ref And Jesus said, Go in peace; your son is living. The man had faith in the word which Jesus said to him and went away.

51 Ref And while he was going down, his servants came to him and said, Your boy is living.

52 So he put a question to them as to the hour when he became better; and they said to him, The disease went from him yesterday at the seventh hour.

53 Ref It was clear then to the father that this was the very time at which Jesus said to him, Your son is living. And he had faith in Jesus, he and all his family.

54 Ref Now this is the second sign which Jesus did after he had come out of Judaea into Galilee.

Chapter 4 of 21

Begin Your Journey of Faith

We all start at different points in our walk with Christ. No matter where you are, we're here to support you as you grow in faith.

Accept Jesus Christ as Your Savior

If you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus yet, we want to walk with you as you discover the new life He offers.

Read "A Truly Free Gift"

What Guides Our Walk With Christ

Discover the biblical truths and core beliefs that shape how we live, serve, and walk faithfully with Christ each day.

Explore Our Beliefs

Join a Community of Believers

Don’t walk through life alone. Find others to connect with, whether in person or online, and grow together in Christ.

Discover Where We Meet