John 7:1-17 ▼

1 After this, Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, because he didn't want to travel in Judea, since the Jewish leaders there were trying to kill him.

2 Now the Jewish Festival of Tents was approaching.

3 So his brothers told him, |You should leave this place and go to Judea, so that your disciples can see the actions that you're doing,

4 since no one acts in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you're going to do these things, you should reveal yourself to the world!|

5 Not even his brothers believed in him.

6 Jesus told them, |My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its actions are evil.

8 Go up to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival yet, because my time hasn't fully come yet.|

9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

10 But after his brothers had gone up to the festival, he went up himself, not openly but, as it were, in secret.

11 The Jewish leaders kept looking for him at the festival, asking, |Where is that man?|

12 And there was a great deal of discussion about him among the crowds. Some were saying, |He is a good man,| while others were saying, |No, he is deceiving the crowds!|

13 Nevertheless, no one would speak openly about him because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.

14 Halfway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began teaching.

15 The Jewish leaders were astonished and remarked, |How can this man be so educated when he has never gone to school?|

16 Jesus replied to them, |My teaching is not mine but comes from the one who sent me.

17 If anyone wants to do his will, he'll know whether this teaching is from God or whether I'm speaking on my own.