John 20 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved from the entrance.
1 Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἔρχεται πρωῒ σκοτίας ἔτι οὔσης εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ βλέπει τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου.
2 So she ran to tell Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, “They've taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they've put him.”
2 τρέχει οὖν καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον μαθητὴν ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἦραν τὸν Κύριον ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.
3 Then Peter and the other disciple went to the tomb.
3 ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς καὶ ἤρχοντο εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον.
4 The two of them were running together, but the other disciple ran faster and reached the tomb first.
4 ἔτρεχον δὲ οἱ δύο ὁμοῦ· καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς προέδραμε τάχιον τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ ἦλθε πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον,
5 He bent down, and looking in he saw the grave-clothes lying there, but he didn't go in.
5 καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει κείμενα τὰ ὀθόνια, οὐ μέντοι εἰσῆλθεν.
6 Then Simon Peter arrived after him and went right into the tomb. He saw the linen grave-clothes lying there,
6 ἔρχεται οὖν Σίμων Πέτρος ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ θεωρεῖ τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα,
7 and that the cloth that had been on Jesus' head wasn't with the other grave-clothes but had been folded and placed on its own.
7 καὶ τὸ σουδάριον, ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενον, ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον.
8 Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first went inside as well.
8 τότε οὖν εἰσῆλθε καὶ ὁ ἄλλος μαθητὴς ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ εἶδε καὶ ἐπίστευσεν·
9 He looked around and believed it was true—for up till then they hadn't understood the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
9 οὐδέπω γὰρ ᾔδεισαν τὴν γραφὴν ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι.
10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
10 ἀπῆλθον οὖν πάλιν πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς οἱ μαθηταί.
11 But Mary stayed outside the tomb crying. As she was crying, she bent down and looked into the tomb.
11 Μαρία δὲ εἱστήκει πρὸς τῷ μνημείῳ κλαίουσα ἔξω.
12 She saw two angels in white, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been lying.
12 ὡς οὖν ἔκλαιε, παρέκυψεν εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ θεωρεῖ δύο ἀγγέλους ἐν λευκοῖς καθεζομένους, ἕνα πρὸς τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ ἕνα πρὸς τοῖς ποσίν, ὅπου ἔκειτο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
13 “Why are you crying?” they asked her. She answered, “Because they've taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they've put him.”
13 καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῇ ἐκεῖνοι· γύναι, τί κλαίεις; λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὅτι ἦραν τὸν Κύριόν μου, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ ἔθηκαν αὐτόν.
14 After she'd said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't realize it was Jesus.
14 καὶ ταῦτα εἰποῦσα ἐστράφη εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ θεωρεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἑστῶτα, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστι.
15 “Why are you crying?” he asked her. “Who are you looking for?” Assuming he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you've taken him away, tell me where you've put him so I can go and get him.”
15 λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· γύναι, τί κλαίεις; τίνα ζητεῖς; ἐκείνη δοκοῦσα ὅτι ὁ κηπουρός ἐστι, λέγει αὐτῷ· κύριε, εἰ σὺ ἐβάστασας αὐτόν, εἰπέ μοι ποῦ ἔθηκας αὐτόν, κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἀρῶ.
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned to him and said, “Rabboni,” which means “Teacher” in Hebrew.
16 λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Μαρία. στραφεῖσα ἐκείνη λέγει αὐτῷ· ῥαββουνί, ὃ λέγεται, διδάσκαλε.
17 “Don't hold onto me,” Jesus said to her, “for I haven't yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.”
17 λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· μή μου ἅπτου· οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου· πορεύου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς· ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν, καὶ Θεόν μου καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν.
18 So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples, “I've seen the Lord,” and she explained to them what he had said to her.
18 ἔρχεται Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ ἀπαγγέλλουσα τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὅτι ἑώρακε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ.
19 That evening, on the first day of the week, as the disciples were meeting together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “May you have peace.”
19 Οὔσης οὖν ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ συνηγμένοι διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.
20 After this greeting he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were full of joy to see the Lord.
20 καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ. ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν Κύριον.
21 “May you have peace!” Jesus told them again. “In the same way the Father sent me, so I'm sending you.”
21 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέ με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς.
22 Saying this, he breathed on them, and told them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
22 καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον·
23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven; if you hold them unforgiven, unforgiven they remain.”
23 ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς· ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται.
24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas, who was called the Twin, wasn't with them when Jesus came.
24 Θωμᾶς δὲ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
25 So the other disciples told him, “We've seen the Lord.” But he replied, “I won't believe it unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger in them, and put my hand in his side.”
25 ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταί· ἑωράκαμεν τὸν Κύριον. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων, καὶ βάλω τὴν χεῖρά μου εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω.
26 One week later the disciples were together inside the house; and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, and Jesus came and stood among them. “May you have peace!” he said.
26 Καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ πάλιν ἦσαν ἔσω οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς μετ᾽ αὐτῶν. ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand in the wound on my side. Stop doubting and trust in me!”
27 εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ· φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε καὶ ἴδε τὰς χεῖράς μου, καὶ φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ βάλε εἰς τὴν πλευράν μου, καὶ μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος, ἀλλὰ πιστός.
28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas responded.
28 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου.
29 “You trust in me because you've seen me,” Jesus told him. “Happy are those that haven't seen me yet still trust in me.”
29 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ὅτι ἑώρακάς με, πεπίστευκας· μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες.
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs while he was with his disciples that are not recorded in this book.
30 Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, ἃ οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ·
31 But these are written down here so that you may trust that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by trusting in him as he is you will have life.
31 ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Thomas
One of the Twelve, called Didymus, who said 'Let us also go, so that we may die with Him', was absent when Jesus first appeared, and was among those who fished with the disciples…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; John 11:16; John 20:24
Cross references (31)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Mark 16:9; Matthew 27:60; Revelation 1:10; John 19:25; Luke 24:1–10
- 2 John 13:23; John 20:13; John 21:24; John 19:26; John 21:20
- 3 Luke 24:12
- 4 2 Samuel 18:23; 1 Corinthians 9:24
- 5 John 19:40; John 11:44; John 20:11
- 6 Luke 22:31–32; John 21:15–17; John 21:7; Matthew 16:15–16; John 18:17
- 7 John 11:44
- 8 John 20:25; John 20:4; John 1:50; John 20:29
- 9 Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 53:10–12; Isaiah 26:19; Luke 24:44–46
- 10 John 16:32; John 7:53
- 11 John 20:5
- 12 Luke 24:3–7; Revelation 3:4; Mark 16:5–6; Revelation 7:14; Daniel 7:9
- 13 John 20:15; John 16:20–22; John 14:27–28; Psalm 43:3–5; John 2:4
- 14 Luke 24:16; John 21:4; Mark 16:9; Song of Songs 3:3–4; Matthew 28:9
- 15 John 18:7; John 20:13; John 1:38; Song of Songs 3:2; 1 Samuel 1:16
- 16 John 10:3; John 1:38; Exodus 3:4; 1 Samuel 3:10; John 1:49
- 17 John 16:28; Ephesians 4:8–10; 1 Peter 1:3; Galatians 4:6–7; John 17:11
- 18 Luke 24:10; Matthew 28:10; Mark 16:10–13; Luke 24:22–23; John 20:1
- 19 John 20:26; John 14:27; Luke 24:36–49; John 20:21; 2 Thessalonians 3:16
- 20 John 16:22; 1 John 1:1; Luke 24:39–41; John 20:27; John 16:20
- 21 John 17:18–19; Matthew 28:18–20; John 13:20; John 3:17; Mark 16:15–18
- 22 Job 33:4; Genesis 2:7; John 7:39; Acts 2:38; Acts 19:2
- 23 Matthew 18:18; Matthew 16:19; Acts 13:38–39; Mark 2:5–10; Acts 10:43
- 24 John 11:16; Hebrews 10:25; John 6:66–67; John 14:5; John 21:2
- 25 John 6:30; Mark 16:11; Hebrews 3:18–4:2; Psalm 78:32; Hebrews 3:12
- 26 John 20:19; Isaiah 54:10; Matthew 17:1; Isaiah 26:12; John 14:27
- 27 John 20:25; Psalm 103:13–14; 1 John 1:1–2; John 20:20; 1 Timothy 1:14–16
- 28 John 1:1; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 7:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 14:33
- 29 1 Peter 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:1; Hebrews 11:27; Luke 1:45
- 30 John 21:25; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 John 5:13; 1 Corinthians 10:11
- 31 Acts 10:43; John 3:15–16; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 4:15; John 3:36
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Mary Magdalene had brought the news to His disciples, Peter and John, that the Lord was taken away from the sepulchre; and they, when they came thither, found only the linen clothes wherewith the body had been shrouded; and what else could they believe but what she had told them, and what she had herself also believed?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
Full of feeling somehow is the female sex, and more inclined to pity. I say this, lest thou shouldest wonder how it could be that Mary wept bitterly at the tomb, while Peter was in no way so affected. For, "The disciples," it saith, "went away unto their own home"; but she stood shedding tears.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… and that this same suffered and rose again, as John, the disciple of the Lord, verifies, saying: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have eternal life in His name," --foreseeing these blasphemous systems which divide the Lord, as far as lies in their power, …
They are encouraged in this supposition by the fact that the Lord Jesus after His resurrection breathed on His disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." From this they suppose that the same thing was effected in either case, as if the evangelist had gone on to say, And they became living souls.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
But lest any one from simplicity or perverse ingenuity should suppose that Christ is but equal in honour to righteous men, from His saying, I ascend to My Father, and your Father, it is well to make this distinction beforehand, that the name of the Father is one, but the power of His operation manifold.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)