Veritable King James Version
1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with His disciples.
3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8And He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.
9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom
10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
11This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Third day” (tē hēmera tē tritē) likely refers to the third day after Nathanael’s call (cf. John 1:43–51), retained for narrative continuity.
“Cana in Galilee” (Kana tēs Galilaias) specifies location, retained for historical accuracy.
“Mother of Jesus” (hē mētēr tou Iēsou, feminine) refers to Mary, unnamed here, with pronouns feminine and lowercase per VKJV non-deity convention.
“Woman” (gynai, vocative) is a respectful address (cf. John 19:26, 20:15), translated directly.
“What does this have to do with Me?” (ti emoi kai soi, literally “what to Me and to you?”) is idiomatic, rendered conversationally to reflect Jesus’ initial reluctance.
“My hour” (hē hōra mou) is a Johannine theme, indicating divine timing (cf. John 7:30, 12:23), retained for theological weight.
“Six stone water jars” (hydriai lithinai hex) and “twenty or thirty gallons” (metrētas duo ē treis, roughly 75–115 liters) are translated with modern measurements for clarity.
“Jewish rites of purification” (katharismon tōn Ioudaiōn) specifies cultural context, rendered clearly.
“Master of the feast” (architriklinos) refers to the banquet overseer, translated descriptively.
“Water now become wine” (hydōr oinos gegonen, perfect tense) emphasizes transformation, rendered as “now become” for clarity.
“First of His signs” (archēn tōn sēmeiōn) marks the miracle’s significance, with “signs” (sēmeia) retained for theological emphasis.
“Manifested His glory” (ephanerōsen tēn doxan autou) echoes John 1:14, translated as “manifested” for continuity.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “Me” capitalized per VKJV deity convention (ho Iēsous, autos, autou).
“Her” for Jesus’ mother (autē, feminine) is lowercase and gender-specific.
“They,” “them” for servants and guests (autoi, autois) are gender-neutral, as Greek does not specify gender.
“Bridegroom,” “him,” “he” (ton nymphion, masculine) are lowercase and gender-specific.
“Everyone,” “people” (pas, hoi anthrōpoi) are gender-neutral, inclusive of all guests.
12After this He went down to Capernaum, with His mother and His brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.
15And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
16And He said to those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.”
17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Capernaum” (Kapharnaoum) and “Jerusalem” (Hierosolyma) are retained for geographical accuracy.
“His mother” (hē mētēr autou, feminine) and “His brothers” (hoi adelphoi autou, masculine plural) are lowercase; “brothers” may refer to siblings or kin, retained as “brothers” per Greek.
“Passover of the Jews” (to pascha tōn Ioudaiōn) specifies the festival, with “Jews” gender-neutral, referring to the religious community.
“Temple” (hieron) denotes the temple complex, translated directly.
“Money-changers” (kermatistas) and “those who sold” (tous pōlountas) indicate commercial activity, rendered descriptively.
“Whip of cords” (phragellion ek schoiniōn) is literal, emphasizing Jesus’ action.
“Drove them all out” (pantas exebalen) includes people and animals, clarified by context.
“Father’s house” (ton oikon tou patros mou) is capitalized per VKJV deity convention.
“House of trade” (oikon emporiou) contrasts sacred purpose, translated clearly.
“Zeal...consume Me” quotes Psalm 69:9 (ho zēlos tou oikou sou kataphagetai me), words of old, rendered modernly with “Your” capitalized for God.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “Me,” “My,” “Father,” “Your” capitalized (ho Iēsous, autos, mou, patēr).
“His mother,” “her” (hē mētēr, feminine) and “His brothers,” “they” (hoi adelphoi, autoi) are lowercase; “they” gender-neutral for the group.
“Those” (tous pōlountas, masculine plural) and “them” (autous) are gender-neutral in context, referring to sellers.
18The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us for doing these things?”
19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21But He was speaking about the temple of His body.
22When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“The Jews” (hoi Ioudaioi, masculine plural) denotes religious authorities, gender-neutral in context per VKJV sensitivity.
“Sign” (sēmeion) echoes “signs” in 2:11, 18, retained for theological consistency.
“Destroy this temple” (lysate ton naon touton) uses “temple” (naon, sanctuary) distinct from hieron (complex), clarified as “His body” (tou sōmatos autou).
“In three days” (en trisin hēmerais) foreshadows resurrection, translated literally.
“Forty-six years” (tesserakonta kai hex etesin) reflects historical temple construction, retained for accuracy.
“Raise it up” (egerō auton, future) implies resurrection, clarified in verse 21.
“Scripture” (tē graphē) and “word” (tō logō) refer to Old Testament and Jesus’ saying, respectively, translated clearly.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “You,” “I” capitalized (ho Iēsous, autos, egō).
“Them,” “they” (autous, hoi Ioudaioi) gender-neutral for authorities.
“They” for disciples (hoi mathētai) gender-neutral.
23Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in His name when they saw His signs that He was doing.
24But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people
25and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He Himself knew what was in man.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Passover feast” (to pascha tē heortē) reiterates context, translated clearly.
“Believed in His name” (episteusan eis to onoma autou) indicates faith, with “name” (onoma) signifying authority, retained per VKJV.
“Signs” (sēmeia) links to 2:11, 18, emphasizing miracles.
“Did not entrust” (ouk episteuen, imperfect) mirrors “believed” (episteusan), a wordplay, rendered as “entrust” to convey caution.
“Knew all people” (ginōskōn pantas) and “what was in man” (ti ēn en tō anthrōpō) emphasize Jesus’ omniscience, with “man” (anthrōpō, masculine) contextually inclusive.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “Himself” capitalized (ho Iēsous, autos).
“They,” “them,” “many” (polloi, autous) gender-neutral for the crowd.
“All people,” “man,” “no one” (pantas, anthrōpos, oudeis) gender-neutral, referring to humanity.
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