A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
John 2
John 2 is the second chapter of the Gospel of John. The 25-verse chapter records the first of Jesus's signs, turning water into wine at Cana, and his cleansing of the temple.
At a wedding in Cana of Galilee, the wine runs out. Jesus's mother tells him, and though he says his hour has not yet come, she tells the servants, "Do whatever He tells you." Jesus has them fill six large stone jars with water, and when the master of the banquet tastes it, it has become wine, better than what was served first. John calls this the first of Jesus's signs, by which he revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him.
Jesus then goes up to Jerusalem for the Passover. In the temple courts he finds merchants selling animals and money changers at their tables. He makes a whip of cords, drives them out, pours out the coins, and overturns the tables, telling those selling doves, "How dare you turn My Father's house into a marketplace!" When the authorities demand a sign to justify his actions, Jesus answers, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again." They think he means the temple building, which took forty-six years to build, but John explains that he was speaking of his body. The chapter closes by noting that many believed when they saw his signs, but that Jesus did not entrust himself to them, because he knew what was in each person.
Verse 1. On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
Verse 2. and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
Verse 3. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.”
Verse 4. “Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
Verse 5. His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
Verse 6. Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons.
Verse 7. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.
Verse 8. “Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so,
Verse 9. and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside
Verse 10. and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”
Verse 11. Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
Verse 12. After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.
Verse 13. When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Verse 14. In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables.
Verse 15. So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
Verse 16. To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
Verse 17. His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
Verse 18. On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”
Verse 19. Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
Verse 20. “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
Verse 21. But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.
Verse 22. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Verse 23. While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name.
Verse 24. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all.
Verse 25. He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
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