Chapter 18

What is that to me, etc. . .These words of our Saviour, spoken to his mother, have been understood by some commentators as harsh, they not considering the next following verse: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye, which plainly shows that his mother knew of the miracle that he was to perform, and that it was at her request he wrought it; besides the manner of speaking the words as to the tone, and the countenance shown at the same time, which could only be known to those who were present, or from what had followed: for words indicating anger in one tone of voice, would be understood quite the reverse in another.

2:5. His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.

2:6. Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece.

2:7. Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

2:8. And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it.

2:9. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom,

2:10. And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now.

2:11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

2:12. After this, he went down to Capharnaum, he and his mother and his brethren and his disciples: and they remained there not many days.

2:13. And the pasch of the Jews was at hand: and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2:14. And he found in the temple them that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting.

2:15. And when he had made, as it were, a scourge of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen: and the money of the changers he poured out, and the tables he overthrew.

2:16. And to them that sold doves he said: Take these things hence, and make not the house of my Father a house of traffic.

2:17. And his disciples remembered, that it was written: The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up.

2:18. The Jews, therefore, answered, and said to him: What sign dost thou shew unto us, seeing thou dost these things?

2:19. Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple; and in three days I will raise it up.

2:20. The Jews then said: Six and forty years was this temple in building; and wilt thou raise it up in three days?

2:21. But he spoke of the temple of his body.

2:22. When therefore he was risen again from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this: and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had said.

2:23. Now when he was at Jerusalem, at the pasch, upon the festival day, many believed in his name, seeing his signs which he did.

2:24. But Jesus did not trust himself unto them: for that he knew all men,

2:25. And because he needed not that any should give testimony of man: for he knew what was in man.

John Chapter 3

Christ's discourse with Nicodemus. John's testimony.

3:1. And there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

3:2. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him.

3:3. Jesus answered and said to him: Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

3:4. Nicodemus saith to him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born again?

3:5. Jesus answered: Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Unless a man be born again, etc. . .By these words our Saviour hath declared the necessity of baptism; and by the word water it is evident that the application of it is necessary with the words. Matt. 28. 19.

3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

3:7. Wonder not that I said to thee: You must be born again.

3:8. The Spirit breatheth where he will and thou hearest his voice: but thou knowest not whence he cometh and whither he goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.

3:9. Nicodemus answered and said to him: How can these things be done?

3:10. Jesus answered and said to him: Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?

3:11. Amen, amen, I say to thee that we speak what we know and we testify what we have seen: and you receive not our testimony.

3:12. If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not: how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?

3:13. And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.

3:14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up:

3:15. That whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.

3:16. For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.

3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world: but that the world may be saved by him.

3:18. He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Is not judged. . .He that believeth, viz., by a faith working through charity, is not judged, that is, is not condemned; but the obstinate unbeliever is judged, that is, condemned already, by retrenching himself from the society of Christ and his church.

3:19. And this is the judgment: Because the light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil.

The judgment. . .That is, the cause of his comdemnation.

3:20. For every one that doth evil hateth the light and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved.

3:21. But he that doth truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest: because they are done in God.

He that doth truth. . .that is, he that acteth according to truth, which here signifies the Law of God. Thy law is truth. Psa. 118. 142.

3:22. After these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea: and there he abode with them and baptized.

3:23. And John also was baptizing in Ennon near Salim: because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.

3:24. For John was not yet cast into prison.

3:25. And there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews, concerning purification.

3:26. And they came to John and said to him: Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou gavest testimony: behold, he baptizeth and all men come to him.

3:27. John answered and said: A man cannot receive any thing, unless it be given him from heaven.

3:28. You yourselves do bear me witness that I said that I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him.

3:29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled.

3:30. He must increase: but I must decrease.

3:31. He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh. He that cometh from heaven is above all.

3:32. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth: and no man receiveth his testimony.

3:33. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

3:34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God doth not give the Spirit by measure.

3:35. The Father loveth the Son: and he hath given all things into his hand.

3:36. He that believeth in the Son hath life everlasting: but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John Chapter 4

Christ talks with the Samaritan woman. He heals the ruler's son.

4:1. When Jesus therefore understood the Pharisees had heard that Jesus maketh more disciples and baptizeth more than John

4:2. (Though Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples),

4:3. He left Judea and went again into Galilee.

4:4. And he was of necessity to pass through Samaria.

4:5. He cometh therefore to a city of Samaria, which is called Sichar, near the land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

4:6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the sixth hour.

4:7. There cometh a woman of Samaria, to draw water. Jesus saith to her: Give me to drink.

4:8. For his disciples were gone into the city to buy meats.

4:9. Then that Samaritan woman saith to him: How dost thou, being a Jew; ask of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews do not communicate with the Samaritans.

4:10. Jesus answered and said to her: If thou didst know the gift of God and who he is that saith to thee: Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

4:11. The woman saith to him: Sir, thou hast nothing wherein to draw, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou living water?

4:12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof, himself and his children and his cattle?

4:13. Jesus answered and said to her: Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him shall not thirst for ever.

4:14. But the water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting.

4:15. The woman said to him: Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.

4:16. Jesus saith to her: Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

4:17. The woman answered and said: I have no husband. Jesus said to her: Thou hast said well: I have no husband.

4:18. For thou hast had five husbands: and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. This, thou hast said truly.

4:19. The woman saith to him: Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

4:20. Our fathers adored on this mountain: and you say that at Jerusalem is the place where men must adore.

This mountain. . .Garizim, where the Samaritans had their schismatical temple.

4:21. Jesus saith to her: Woman, believe me that the hour cometh, when you shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father.

4:22. You adore that which you know not: we adore that which we know. For salvation is of the Jews.

4:23. But the hour cometh and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeketh such to adore him.

4:24. God is a spirit: and they that adore him must adore him in spirit and in truth.

4:25. The woman saith to him: I know that the Messias cometh (who is called Christ): therefore, when he is come, he will tell us all things.

4:26. Jesus saith to her: I am he, who am speaking with thee.

4:27. And immediately his disciples came. And they wondered that he talked with the woman. Yet no man said: What seekest thou? Or: Why talkest thou with her?

4:28. The woman therefore left her waterpot and went her way into the city and saith to the men there:

4:29. Come, and see a man who has told me all things whatsoever I have done. Is not he the Christ?

4:30. They went therefore out of the city and came unto him.

4:31. In the mean time, the disciples prayed him, saying: Rabbi, eat.

4:32. But he said to them: I have meat to eat which you know not.

4:33. The disciples therefore said one to another: Hath any man brought him to eat?

4:34. Jesus saith to them: My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I may perfect his work.

4:35. Do not you say: There are yet four months, and then the harvest cometh? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the countries. For they are white already to harvest.

4:36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

4:37. For in this is the saying true: That it is one man that soweth, and it is another that reapeth.

4:38. I have sent you to reap that in which you did not labour. Others have laboured: and you have entered into their labours.

4:39. Now of that city many of the Samaritans believed in him, for the word of the woman giving testimony: He told me all things whatsoever I have done.

4:40. So when the Samaritans were come to him, they desired that he would tarry there. And he abode there two days.

4:41. And many more believed in him, because of his own word.

4:42. And they said to the woman: We now believe, not for thy saying: for we ourselves have heard him and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.

4:43. Now after two days, he departed thence and went into Galilee.

4:44. For Jesus himself gave testimony that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

4:45. And when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things he had done at Jerusalem on the festival day: for they also went to the festival day.

4:46. He came again therefore into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capharnaum.

4:47. He having heard that Jesus was come from Judea into Galilee, sent to him and prayed him to come down and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

4:48. Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not.

4:49. The ruler saith to him: Lord, come down before that my son die.

4:50. Jesus saith to him: Go thy way. Thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his way.

4:51. And as he was going down, his servants met him: and they brought word, saying, that his son lived.

4:52. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.

4:53. The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth. And himself believed, and his whole house.

4:54. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea. into Galilee.

John Chapter 5

Christ heals on the sabbath the man languishing thirty-eight years. His discourse upon this occasion.

5:1. After these things was a festival day of the Jews: and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

5:2. Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches.

Probatica. . .That is, the sheep pond; either so called, because the sheep were washed therein, that were to be offered up in sacrifice in the temple, or because it was near the sheep gate. That this was a pond where miracles were wrought is evident from the sacred text; and also that the water had no natural virtue to heal, as one only of those put in after the motion of the water was restored to health; for if the water had the healing quality, the others would have the like benefit, being put into it about the same time.

5:3. In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered: waiting for the moving of the water.

5:4. And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under.

5:5. And there was a certain man there that had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity.

5:6. Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been now a long time, he saith to him: Wilt thou be made whole?

5:7. The infirm man answered him: Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pond. For whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me.

5:8. Jesus saith to him: Arise, take up thy bed and walk.

5:9. And immediately the man was made whole: and he took up his bed and walked. And it was the sabbath that day.

5:10. The Jews therefore said to him that was healed: It is the sabbath. It is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed.

5:11. He answered them: He that made me whole, he said to me: Take up thy bed and walk.

5:12. They asked him therefore: Who is that man who said to thee: Take up thy bed and walk?

5:13. But he who was healed knew not who it was: for Jesus went aside from the multitude standing in the place.

5:14. Afterwards, Jesus findeth him in the temple and saith to him: Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee.

5:15. The man went his way and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.

5:16. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.

5:17. But Jesus answered them: My Father worketh until now; and I work.

5:18. Hereupon therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he did not only break the sabbath but also said God was his Father, making himself equal to God.

5:19. Then Jesus answered and said to them: Amen, amen, I say unto you, the Son cannot do any thing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doth, these the Son also doth in like manner.

5:20. For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things which himself doth: and greater works than these will he shew him, that you may wonder.

5:21. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and giveth life: so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.

5:22. For neither does the Father judge any man: but hath given all judgment to the Son.

5:23. That all men may honour the Son, as they honour the Father. He who honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father who hath sent him.

5:24. Amen, amen, I say unto you that he who heareth my word and believeth him that sent me hath life everlasting: and cometh not into judgment, but is passed from death to life.

5:25. Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

5:26. For as the Father hath life in himself, so he hath given to the Son also to have life in himself.

5:27. And he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man.

5:28. Wonder not at this: for the hour cometh wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God.

5:29. And they that have done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection of life: but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.

Unto the resurrection of judgment. . .That is, condemnation.

5:30. I cannot of myself do any thing. As I hear, so I judge. And my judgment is just: because I seek not my own will. but the will of him that sent me.

5:31. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

5:32. There is another that beareth witness of me: and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

5:33. You sent to John: and he gave testimony to the truth.

5:34. But I receive not testimony from man: but I say these things, that you may be saved.

5:35. He was a burning and a shining light: and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

5:36. But I have a greater testimony than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to perfect, the works themselves which I do, give testimony of me, that the Father hath sent me.

5:37. And the Father himself who hath sent me hath given testimony of me: neither have you heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

5:38. And you have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him you believe not.

5:39. Search the scriptures: for you think in them to have life everlasting. And the same are they that give testimony of me.

Or. . .You search the scriptures. Scrutamini. . .It is not a command for all to read the scriptures; but a reproach to the Pharisees, that reading the scriptures as they did, and thinking to find everlasting life in them, they would not receive him to whom all those scriptures gave testimony, and through whom alone they could have that true life.

5:40. And you will not come to me that you may have life.

5:41. I receive not glory from men.

5:42. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you.

5:43. I am come in the name of my Father, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.

5:44. How can you believe, who receive glory one from another: and the glory which is from God alone, you do not seek?

5:45. Think not that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, Moses, in whom you trust.

5:46. For if you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also: for he wrote of me.

5:47. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?

John Chapter 6

Christ feeds five thousand with five loaves. He walks upon the sea and discourses of the bread of life.

6:1. After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias.

6:2. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw the miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

6:3. Jesus therefore went up into a mountain: and there he sat with his disciples.

6:4. Now the pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand.

6:5. When Jesus therefore had lifted up his eyes and seen that a very great multitude cometh to him, he said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6:6. And this he said to try him: for he himself knew what he would do.

6:7. Philip answered him: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one may take a little.

6:8. One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to him:

6:9. There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves and two fishes. But what are these among so many?

6:10. Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now, there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand.

6:11. And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would.

6:12. And when they were filled, he said to his disciples: gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost.

6:13. They gathered up therefore and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above to them that had eaten.

6:14. Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the prophet that is to come into the world.

6:15. Jesus therefore, when he knew that they would come to take him by force and make him king, fled again into the mountains, himself alone.

6:16. And when evening was come, his disciples went down to the sea.

6:17. And when they had gone up into a ship, they went over the sea to Capharnaum. And it was now dark: and Jesus was not come unto them.

6:18. And the sea arose, by reason of a great wind that blew.

6:19. When they had rowed therefore about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking upon the sea and drawing nigh to the ship. And they were afraid.

6:20. But he saith to them: It is I. Be not afraid.

6:21. They were willing therefore to take him into the ship. And presently the ship was at the land to which they were going.

6:22. The next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other ship there but one: and that Jesus had not entered into the ship with his disciples, but that his disciples were gone away alone.

6:23. But other ships came in from Tiberias, nigh unto the place where they had eaten the bread, the Lord giving thanks.