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Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.(A) 34 You will search for me, but you will not find me, and where I am, you cannot come.”(B) 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?(C) 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me, but you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

Rivers of Living Water

37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,(D) 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As[a] the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart[b] shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”(E) 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit[c] because Jesus was not yet glorified.(F)

Division among the People

40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.”[d] But some asked, “Surely the Messiah[e] does not come from Galilee, does he?(G) 42 Has not the scripture said that the Messiah[f] is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”(H) 43 So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Unbelief of Those in Authority

45 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” 46 The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” 47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived, too, have you? 48 Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?(I) 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, they are accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus[g] before and who was one of them, asked, 51 “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”(J) 52 They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”

The Woman Caught in Adultery

[[53 Then each of them went home,

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Footnotes

  1. 7.38 Or come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as
  2. 7.38 Gk out of his belly
  3. 7.39 Other ancient authorities read for as yet the Spirit (others, Holy Spirit) had not been given
  4. 7.41 Or the Christ
  5. 7.41 Or the Christ
  6. 7.42 Or the Christ
  7. 7.50 Gk him

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,(A) and then I am going to the one who sent me.(B) 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”(C)

35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered(D) among the Greeks,(E) and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”(F)

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival,(G) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.(H) 38 Whoever believes(I) in me, as Scripture has said,(J) rivers of living water(K) will flow from within them.”[a](L) 39 By this he meant the Spirit,(M) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.(N) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(O)

40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”(P)

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?(Q) 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants(R) and from Bethlehem,(S) the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided(T) because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.(U)

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,”(V) the guards replied.

47 “You mean he has deceived you also?”(W) the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?(X) 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50 Nicodemus,(Y) who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”(Z)


[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home,

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Footnotes

  1. John 7:38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”