Veritable King James Version
1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2(although Jesus Himself did not baptize, but only His disciples),
3He left Judea and departed again for Galilee.
4And He had to pass through Samaria.
5So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as He was from the journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink,”
8(for His disciples had gone away into the town to buy food).
9The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do You get that living water?
12Are You greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
13Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Pharisees” (Pharisaiōn) denotes religious leaders, lowercase per VKJV non-deity convention.
“Baptizing” (baptizei, present) indicates ongoing activity, translated as “baptizing” for continuity with John 3:22–26.
“Had to pass through” (edei dielthein) implies divine necessity, rendered as “had to” to convey purpose.
“Samaria” (Samareias) and “Sychar” (Sychar) retained for historical accuracy.
“Jacob’s well” (pēgē tou Iakōb) references Genesis 33:19, translated literally.
“Sixth hour” (hōra hōs hektē) about noon, retained without modern conversion for cultural context.
“Woman from Samaria” (gynē ek tēs Samareias, feminine) specifies ethnicity and gender, with pronouns feminine and lowercase.
“Living water” (hydōr zōn) double meaning (running water/spiritual life), retained for wordplay.
“Our father Jacob” (ho patēr hēmōn Iakōb) highlights Samaritan heritage, translated directly.
“Spring...welling up” (pēgē...hallomenon) metaphorical for eternal life, rendered vividly.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “I,” “Me,” “My,” “You,” “God” capitalized per VKJV deity convention (ho Iēsous, autos, egō).
“Her,” “she,” “woman” (autē, gynē, feminine) lowercase and gender-specific.
“They,” “them,” “us” for disciples/Jews/Samaritans (autoi, hēmeis) gender-neutral, as groups are inclusive.
“Everyone,” “whoever” (pas, hos an) gender-neutral for universal application.
16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
17The woman answered Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;
18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”
19The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.
24God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Go, call” (hypage phōnēson, imperative) initiates revelation, translated directly.
“I have no husband” (ouk echō andra) and “five husbands” (pente andras) literal, highlighting Jesus’ knowledge.
“Prophet” (prophētēs) title of insight, lowercase.
“This mountain” (tō orei toutō) refers to Gerizim, retained for Samaritan context.
“You say” (hymeis legete, plural) addresses Jewish belief, translated as “you” for directness.
“Worship the Father in spirit and truth” (proskynousin tō patri en pneumati kai alētheia) emphasizes spiritual worship, rendered literally.
“True worshipers” (alēthinoi proskynētai) contrasts external rituals, translated clearly.
“God is spirit” (pneuma ho theos) affirms divine nature, capitalized.
“Messiah” (Messias, Aramaic) glossed “Christ” (Christos), retained for cultural accuracy.
“I who speak to you am He” (egō eimi ho lalōn soi) is a divine self-revelation (egō eimi), translated to capture emphasis.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “I,” “Me,” “You,” “Father,” “God,” “Messiah,” “Christ” capitalized per VKJV deity convention.
“Her,” “she,” “woman” (autē, gynē, feminine) lowercase and gender-specific.
“Our fathers,” “you” (hoi pateres hēmōn, hymeis) gender-neutral for Samaritans/Jews as groups.
“We,” “us” (hēmeis) gender-neutral for Jesus and Jews.
“True worshipers,” “those,” “such people” (alēthinoi proskynētai, hoi proskynountes, toioutous) gender-neutral for all believers.
27Just then His disciples came back. They marveled that He was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You talking with her?”
28So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
29“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
30They went out of the town and were coming to Him.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Marveled” (ethaumazon, imperfect) indicates surprise, translated as “marveled” for emotional nuance.
“Talking with a woman” (meta gynaikos lalein) highlights cultural taboo, rendered directly.
“Water jar” (hydrian) symbolizes abandonment, retained for imagery.
“All that I ever did” (panta ha epoiēsa) literal, emphasizing Jesus’ omniscience.
“Can this be the Christ?” (mēti houtos estin ho Christos) expresses tentative belief, translated as question for doubt.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “You” capitalized (ho Iēsous, autos).
“Her,” “she,” “woman” (autē, feminine) lowercase and gender-specific.
“They,” “them,” “no one” (autoi, oudeis) gender-neutral for disciples/people.
“The one,” “whoever” (ho therizōn, hos) gender-neutral for workers/believers.
“Others” (alloi) gender-neutral for previous laborers (e.g., prophets/John).
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
32But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
33So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him something to eat?”
34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
35Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.
36Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.
37For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’
38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Rabbi” (rabbi, Aramaic) title, retained.
“Food to eat” (brōsin...brōma) plays on physical/spiritual, translated to preserve wordplay.
“Will of Him who sent Me” (thelēma tou pempsantos me) echoes Jesus’ mission (cf. John 4:34, 6:38), rendered clearly.
“Four months...harvest” (tetramēnos...therismos) proverbial, translated literally.
“Fields are white for harvest” (chorai leukai pros therismon) metaphorical for readiness, retained vividly.
“Sower and reaper” (ho speirōn...ho therizōn) agricultural imagery for ministry, translated directly.
“Saying holds true” (logos estin ho alēthēs) introduces proverb, rendered modernly.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “I,” “Me,” “You,” “My” capitalized (ho Iēsous, autos, egō).
“They,” “them,” “no one” (autoi, oudeis) gender-neutral for disciples/people.
“The one,” “whoever” (ho therizōn, hos) gender-neutral for workers/believers.
“Others” (alloi) gender-neutral for previous laborers (e.g., prophets/John).
39Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”
40So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days.
41And many more believed because of His word.
42They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Samaritans” (Samaritōn) denotes ethnic group, gender-neutral.
“Testimony” (martyrian) echoes John’s theme (cf. John 1:7), rendered consistently.
“All that I ever did” (panta ha epoiēsa) literal, emphasizing Jesus’ omniscience.
“Asked Him to stay” (ērōtōn auton meinai) implies invitation, translated as “asked...to stay.”
“His word” (ton logon autou) refers to Jesus’ teaching, retained for emphasis.
“Savior of the world” (sōtēr tou kosmou) christological title, capitalized per VKJV.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His” capitalized (ho Iēsous, auton).
“Her,” “she,” “woman” (autē, feminine) lowercase and gender-specific.
“They,” “them,” “we” (autoi, hēmeis) gender-neutral for Samaritans/disciples.
“Many,” “more” (polloi, pleiones) gender-neutral for believers.
43After the two days He departed for Galilee.
44(For Jesus Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)
45When He came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, having seen all that He had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
46So He came again to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill.
47When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
48Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
49The official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
51As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.
52So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
53The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household.
54This was now the second sign that Jesus did when He had come from Judea to Galilee.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Two days” (tas duo hēmeras) refers to stay in Samaria, translated directly.
“Prophet has no honor” (prophētēs timēn ouk echei) proverbial, rendered modernly (cf. Mark 6:4).
“Hometown” (patridi) refers to Nazareth/Galilee, translated as “hometown” for clarity.
“Galileans” (Galilaioi) gender-neutral for people.
“Official” (basilikos, literally “royal one”) likely a Herod’s courtier, translated as “official” for neutrality.
“Ill” (ēsthenei, imperfect) indicates ongoing sickness, translated simply.
“Sir” (kyrie, vocative) respectful address, translated as “Sir.”
“Child” (paidion, neuter) diminutive for son, translated as “child” for tenderness.
“Seventh hour” (hōra heptē) about 1 PM, retained without conversion.
“Second sign” (deuteron sēmeion) links to Cana miracle (2:11), with “sign” (sēmeion) retained for theme.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “You” capitalized (ho Iēsous, autos).
“He,” “him,” “his” for official/father (auton, masculine) lowercase and gender-specific.
“They,” “them” (autoi, autois) gender-neutral for Galileans/servants/household.
“All his household” (holē hē oikia autou) gender-neutral, inclusive family.
“Whoever,” “you” (hymeis, plural) gender-neutral for unbelievers.
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