Veritable King James Version
1After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
2Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand.
3So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works You are doing.
4For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”
5(For not even His brothers believed in Him.)
6Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.
7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
8You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”
9After saying this, He remained in Galilee.
10But after His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He also went up, not publicly but in private.
11The Jews were looking for Him at the feast, and saying, “Where is He?”
12And there was much muttering about Him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, He is leading the people astray.”
13Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of Him.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Went about” (periepaten, imperfect) indicates ongoing activity, translated as “went about” for continuity.
“Jews were seeking to kill Him” (hoi Ioudaioi ezētoun auton apokteinai) refers to authorities, with “Jews” gender-neutral in context per VKJV sensitivity.
“Feast of Booths” (heortē tōn Ioudaiōn hē skēnopēgia) Tabernacles, translated as “Feast of Booths” for clarity (cf. Leviticus 23:34).
“Brothers” (adelphoi) likely siblings, lowercase and gender-neutral in context (cf. Mark 3:31).
“Works” (erga) miracles, linking to “signs,” translated as “works.”
“My time” (ho kairos ho emos) divine timing, contrasting “your time” (ho kairos ho hymeteros), rendered as “time” for repetition.
“Testify...works are evil” (martyro...erga ponēra) judgment, translated directly.
“Not going up” (ouk anabainō, present) implies immediate, but He goes later; translated as “not going up” to reflect nuance (some MSS “not yet”).
“Muttering” (gongysmos) whispering debate, translated as “muttering” for tone.
“Leading...astray” (plana ton ochlon) deception, translated as “leading...astray.”
“Spoke openly” (elalei parrēsia) bold speech, translated as “spoke openly.”
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “I,” “Me,” “My,” “You” capitalized per VKJV deity convention (ho Iēsous, autos, egō).
“His brothers,” “they” (hoi adelphoi autou, autoi) lowercase; “brothers” gender-neutral in context.
“The world,” “it” (ho kosmos, autos) gender-neutral for creation/humanity.
“Some,” “others,” “no one” (tines, alloi, oudeis) gender-neutral for people.
14About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.
15The Jews marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when He has never studied?”
16So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
17If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on My own authority.
18The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of Him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill You?”
21Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it.
22Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
23If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with Me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well?
24Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Middle of the feast” (mesousēs tēs heortēs) midpoint of Booths, translated as “middle.”
“Temple” (hieron) complex, translated directly.
“Marveled” (ethaumazon, imperfect) surprise, translated as “marveled.”
“Has learning...never studied” (grammata oiden mē memathēkōs) formal education, translated as “has learning...never studied.”
“My teaching” (hē didachē hē emē) doctrine, translated as “teaching.”
“Anyone’s will...God’s will” (thelēma autou...thelēma tou theou) alignment, translated clearly.
“On his own authority” (aph’ heautou) self-promotion, translated as “on his own authority.”
“No falsehood” (adikia ouk estin) unrighteousness, translated as “no falsehood” for moral integrity.
“Moses...the law” (nomos) Torah, translated as “law.”
“You have a demon” (daimonion echeis) accusation, translated directly.
“One work” (hen ergon) refers to Sabbath healing (5:1–18), translated as “one work.”
“Circumcision...from the fathers” (peritomē...ek tōn paterōn) Abrahamic (Genesis 17:10), clarified in parenthetical.
“Made a man’s whole body well” (holon anthrōpon hygē epoiēsa) healing, translated as “made...well.”
“Judge by appearances...right judgment” (mē krinete kat’ opsin...krisin tēn dikaian) superficial vs. just, translated clearly.
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “I,” “Me,” “My,” “You” capitalized (*ho Iēsous*, *autos*, *egō*).
“The one,” “him,” “his,” “anyone” (ho, auton, masculine) gender-neutral in translation for speakers/worshipers.
“None of you” (oudeis ex hymōn) gender-neutral for Jews.
25Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?
26And here He is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to Him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
27But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from.”
28So Jesus proclaimed, as He taught in the temple, “You know Me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of My own accord. He who sent Me is true, and Him you do not know.
29I know Him, for I come from Him, and He sent Me.”
30So they were seeking to arrest Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
31Yet many of the people believed in Him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will He do more signs than this man has done?”
32The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Him.
33Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to Him who sent Me.
34You will seek Me and you will not find Me. Where I am you cannot come.”
35The 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?
36What does He mean by saying, ‘You will seek Me and you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“People of Jerusalem” (Ierosolymitōn) locals, gender-neutral.
“Speaking openly” (parrēsia lalei) bold speech, translated as “speaking openly.”
“Authorities” (archontes) rulers, lowercase.
“We know where this man comes from” (hēmeis oidamen pothen estin houtos) Nazareth origin, translated directly.
“Christ appears” (ho Christos erchētai) messianic expectation, with “Christ” capitalized.
“Proclaimed” (ekraxen, aorist) loud teaching, translated as “proclaimed.”
“He who sent Me is true” (ho pempsas me alēthēs estin) divine reliability, translated as “is true.”
“Seeking to arrest Him” (ezētoun auton piasai) intent, translated as “seeking to arrest.”
“His hour” (hē hōra autou) divine timing, retained (cf. 2:4).
“Dispersion among the Greeks” (diasporan tōn Hellēnōn) Jewish diaspora, translated as “Dispersion among the Greeks.”
“Teach the Greeks” (didaskei tous Hellēnas) Gentiles, translated as “teach the Greeks.”
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “I,” “Me,” “My,” “You” capitalized (*ho Iēsous*, *autos*, *egō*).
“They,” “them,” “we” for people/Jews (*autoi*, *hēmeis*) gender-neutral as groups.
“No one,” “many” (oudeis, polloi) gender-neutral.
“The one,” “this man” (houtos, masculine) lowercase for Jesus from skeptics’ view.
37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
39Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
40When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”
41Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee?
42Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
43So there arose a division among the crowd because of Him.
44Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
45The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”
46The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
47The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
48Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in Him?
49But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
50Nicodemus, who had gone to Him before, and who was one of them, said to them,
51“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”
52They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
53They went each to his own house.
Translation notes
Greek Terms and Choices:
“Last day, the great day” (tē eschatē hēmera tē megalē) climax of Booths, translated as “last...great day.”
“Stood up and cried out” (estē kai ekraxen, aorist) dramatic action, translated as “stood up and cried out.”
“If anyone thirsts...come to Me and drink” alludes to Isaiah 55:1, translated literally.
“As the Scripture has said” quotes composite (e.g., Isaiah 58:11, Ezekiel 47:1), rendered as is.
“Out of his heart” (ek tēs koilias autou) literally “belly,” translated as “heart” for modern idiom.
“Rivers of living water” (potamoi hydatos zōntos) metaphorical for Spirit, retained.
“Spirit...given...glorified” (pneuma...dedomenon...edoxasthē) post-resurrection, translated clearly.
“The Prophet” (ho prophētēs) Deuteronomy 18:15, capitalized.
“Christ” (ho Christos) title, capitalized.
“Offspring of David...Bethlehem” quotes Micah 5:2, retained for messianic expectation.
“Division” (schisma) schism, translated as “division.”
“Laid hands on Him” (epibalein tas cheiras ep’ auton) arrest attempt, translated as “laid hands.”
“Officers” (hypēretai) temple police, translated as “officers.”
“Chief priests and Pharisees” (archiereis kai Pharisaioi) authorities, lowercase.
“No one ever spoke like this man” (oudepotō elalēsen houtōs anthrōpos) admiration, translated as “no one ever spoke.”
“Accursed” (epikataratos) condemned, translated as “accursed.”
“Nicodemus” (Nikodēmos) from 3:1, retained.
“Law judge a man” (nomos...krinei ton anthrōpon) legal principle, translated clearly.
“Search and see” (eraunēson kai ide) challenge, translated as “search and see.”
Pronouns:
“Jesus,” “He,” “Him,” “His,” “I,” “Me,” “You,” “My” capitalized (*ho Iēsous*, *autos*, *egō*).
“They,” “them,” “some,” “others,” “no one” (autoi, tines, alloi, oudeis) gender-neutral for people/crowd.
“We” (*hēmeis*) gender-neutral for speakers.
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