37 Now on (A)the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, (B)If anyone is thirsty, [a]let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, (C)as the Scripture said, ‘[b]From his innermost being will flow rivers of (D)living water.’” 39 But this He said (E)in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for (F)the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet (G)glorified.

People’s Division over Jesus

40 Some of the people therefore, after they heard these words, were saying, “This truly is (H)the Prophet.” 41 Others were saying, “This is the [c]Christ.” But others were saying, “(I)Surely the [d]Christ is not coming from Galilee, is He? 42 Has the Scripture not said that the Christ comes from (J)the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So (K)a dissension occurred in the crowd because of Him. 44 And (L)some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

45 The (M)officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46 The (N)officers answered, “(O)Never has a man spoken in this way!” 47 The Pharisees then replied to them, “(P)You have not been led astray too, have you? 48 (Q)Not one of (R)the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 But this crowd that does not know the Law is accursed!” 50 (S)Nicodemus (the one who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them, 51 (T)Our Law does not judge the person unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52 They answered and said to him, “(U)You are not from Galilee as well, are you? Examine the Scriptures, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 7:37 Or come to Me and drink
  2. John 7:38 Lit Out of his belly
  3. John 7:41 I.e., Messiah
  4. John 7:41 I.e., Messiah

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

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

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

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

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,”(P) the guards replied.

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

50 Nicodemus,(S) 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.”(T)

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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.”