Samaritan-Woman-texts.doc

John (Good News Translation)John 4Jesus and the Samaritan Woman1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John. (2 Actually, Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; only his disciples did.)3 So when Jesus heard what was being said, he left Judea and went back to Galilee;4 on his way there he had to go through Samaria. 5 (A)In Samaria he came to a town named Sychar, which was not far from the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.6 Jacobs well was there, and Jesus, tired out by the trip, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw some water, and Jesus said to her, Give me a drink of water. (8 His disciples had gone into town to buy food.) 9 (B)The woman answered, You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan”so how can you ask me for a drink? (Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use.)a 10 Jesus answered, If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water. 11 Sir, the woman said, you dont have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water?12 It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You dont claim to be greater than Jacob, do you? 13 Jesus answered, Those who drink this water will get thirsty again,14 but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life. 15 Sir, the woman said, give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again, nor will I have to come here to draw water. 16 Go and call your husband, Jesus told her, and come back. 17 I dont have a husband, she answered. Jesus replied, You are right when you say you dont have a husband.18 You have been married to five men, and the man you live with now is not really your husband. You have told me the truth. 19 I see you are a prophet, sir, the woman said.20 My Samaritan ancestors worshiped God on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where we should worship God. 21 Jesus said to her, Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem.22 You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes.23 But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of Gods Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants.24 God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is. 25 The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he will tell us everything. 26 Jesus answered, I am he, I who am talking with you. 27 At that moment Jesus disciples returned, and they were greatly surprised to find him talking with a woman. But none of them said to her, What do you want? or asked him, Why are you talking with her? 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went back to the town, and said to the people there,29 Come and see the man who told me everything I have ever done. Could he be the Messiah?30 So they left the town and went to Jesus.John 4(English Standard Version)John 4Jesus and the Woman of Samaria1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and(A) baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed(B) again for Galilee. 4(C) And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field(D) that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacobs well was there; so Jesus,(E) wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.a 7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, (F) 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? (G) 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(H) 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? 12(I) Are you greater than our father Jacob?(J) 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(K) whoever drinks of the water that I will give him(L) will never be thirsty again.b The water that I will give him will become(M) in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. 15The woman said to him, Sir,(N) give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water. 16Jesus said to her, Go,(O) 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(P) you are(Q) a prophet. 20(R) Our fathers worshiped on(S) this mountain, but you say that(T) in Jerusalem is(U) the place where people ought to worship. 21Jesus said to her, (V) Woman, believe me,(W) the hour is coming when(X) neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22(Y) You worship what you do not know;(Z) we worship what we know, for(AA) salvation is from the Jews. 23But(AB) the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father(AC) in spirit and(AD) truth, for the Father(AE) 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(AF) Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes,(AG) he will tell us all things. 26Jesus said to her, (AH) I who speak to you am he. 27Just then(AI) 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, 29Come, see a man(AJ) who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? 30They went out of the town and were coming to him.John 4(The Message)John 4The Woman at the Well1-3 Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee. 4-6To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacobs well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon. 7-8A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, Would you give me a drink of water? (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.) 9The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink? (Jews in those days wouldnt be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered, If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water. 11-12The woman said, Sir, you dont even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this living water? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us? 13-14Jesus said, Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirstnot ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life. 15The woman said, Sir, give me this water so I wont ever get thirsty, wont ever have to come back to this well again! 16He said, Go call your husband and then come back. 17-18I have no husband, she said. Thats nicely put: I have no husband. Youve had five husbands, and the man youre living with now isnt even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough. 19-20Oh, so youre a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right? 21-23Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. Gods way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is comingit has, in fact, comewhen what youre called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. 23-24Its who you are and the way you live that co