John 21 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened.
1 Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν πάλιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος· ἐφανέρωσε δὲ οὕτως.
2 Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and Zebedee's sons, and two other disciples were together.
2 ἦσαν ὁμοῦ Σίμων Πέτρος, καὶ Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, καὶ Ναθαναὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ Κανᾶ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου, καὶ ἄλλοι ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο.
3 “I'm going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We'll come with you,” they replied. So they left and went out in the boat, but all night they caught nothing.
3 λέγει αὐτοῖς Σίμων Πέτρος· ὑπάγω ἁλιεύειν. λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ἐρχόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν σοί. ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἐνέβησαν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον εὐθύς, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ ἐπίασαν οὐδέν.
4 When dawn came Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples didn't know it was him.
4 πρωΐας δὲ ἤδη γενομένης ἔστη ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν· οὐ μέντοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ μαθηταὶ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστι.
5 Jesus called to them, “My friends, haven't you caught anything?” “No,” they replied.
5 λέγει οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· παιδία, μή τι προσφάγιον ἔχετε; ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ· οὔ.
6 “Throw the net out on the right side of the boat, and you'll find some,” he told them. So they threw out the net, and they weren't able to haul it in because it had so many fish.
6 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· βάλετε εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μέρη τοῦ πλοίου τὸ δίκτυον, καὶ εὑρήσετε. ἔβαλον οὖν, καὶ οὐκέτι αὐτὸ ἑλκύσαι ἴσχυσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἰχθύων.
7 The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It's the Lord.” When Peter heard it was the Lord, he put some clothes on because he was undressed, and jumped into the sea.
7 λέγει οὖν ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος, ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς, τῷ Πέτρῳ· ὁ Κύριός ἐστι. Σίμων οὖν Πέτρος ἀκούσας ὅτι ὁ Κύριός ἐστι, τὸν ἐπενδύτην διεζώσατο· ἦν γὰρ γυμνός· καὶ ἔβαλεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν·
8 The other disciples followed in the boat, pulling the net full of fish, because they were not far from the shore, only about a hundred yards.
8 οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ τῷ πλοιαρίῳ ἦλθον· οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων, σύροντες τὸ δίκτυον τῶν ἰχθύων.
9 Once they'd landed they saw a fire with fish cooking on it, and some bread.
9 ὡς οὖν ἀπέβησαν εἰς τὴν γῆν, βλέπουσιν ἀνθρακιὰν κειμένην καὶ ὀψάριον ἐπικείμενον καὶ ἄρτον.
10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you've just caught.”
10 λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐνέγκατε ἀπὸ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὧν ἐπιάσατε νῦν.
11 Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net full of fish ashore. There were 153 large fish, yet even so the net hadn't torn.
11 ἀνέβη Σίμων Πέτρος καὶ εἵλκυσε τὸ δίκτυον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μεστὸν ἰχθύων μεγάλων ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα τριῶν· καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων οὐκ ἐσχίσθη τὸ δίκτυον.
12 “Come and eat some breakfast,” Jesus said to them. None of the disciples was brave enough to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
12 λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· δεῦτε ἀριστήσατε. οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐτόλμα τῶν μαθητῶν ἐξετάσαι αὐτὸν σὺ τίς εἶ, εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν.
13 Jesus took the bread and gave it to them and the fish as well.
13 ἔρχεται οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ λαμβάνει τὸν ἄρτον καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ ὀψάριον ὁμοίως.
14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to the disciples after being raised from the dead.
14 Τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον ἐφανερώθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν.
15 After breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he replied, “you know I love you.” “Take care of my lambs,” Jesus told him.
15 Ὅτε οὖν ἠρίστησαν, λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με πλεῖον τούτων; λέγει αὐτῷ· ναί, Κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. λέγει αὐτῷ· βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου.
16 “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” he asked for the second time. “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “you know I love you.” “Look after my sheep,” Jesus said to him.
16 λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν δεύτερον· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με; λέγει αὐτῷ· ναί, Κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. λέγει αὐτῷ· ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου.
17 “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” he asked a third time. Peter was hurt that Jesus had asked him for the third time if he loved him. “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you,” Peter told him. “Take care of my sheep,” said Jesus.
17 λέγει αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, φιλεῖς με; ἐλυπήθη ὁ Πέτρος ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον, φιλεῖς με, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Κύριε, σὺ πάντα οἶδας, σὺ γινώσκεις ὅτι φιλῶ σε. λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου.
18 “I tell you the truth,” said Jesus, “when you were young, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted. But when you're old, you'll hold out your hands and someone will dress you and take you where you don't want to go.”
18 ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ὅτε ἦς νεώτερος, ἐζώννυες σεαυτὸν καὶ περιεπάτεις ὅπου ἤθελες· ὅταν δὲ γηράσῃς, ἐκτενεῖς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ ἄλλος σε ζώσει, καὶ οἴσει ὅπου οὐ θέλεις.
19 Jesus said this to explain the kind of death by which he would glorify God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me.”
19 τοῦτο δὲ εἶπε σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ δοξάσει τὸν Θεόν. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι.
20 As Peter turned round, he saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned over to Jesus during the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”
20 ἐπιστραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος βλέπει τὸν μαθητὴν ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀκολουθοῦντα, ὃς καὶ ἀνέπεσεν ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδιδούς σε;
21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
21 τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ· Κύριε, οὗτος δὲ τί;
22 Jesus told him, “If I want him to remain alive here until I return, why is that your concern? You follow me!”
22 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σέ; σὺ ἀκολούθει μοι.
23 This is why the saying spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus didn't say to him that he wouldn't die, just that “If I want him to remain alive here until I return, why is that your concern?”
23 ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ λόγος οὗτος εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀποθνήσκει· καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι οὐκ ἀποθνήσκει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σέ;
24 This disciple confirms what happened and wrote all this down. We know that what he says is true.
24 Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μαθητὴς ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ τούτων καὶ γράψας ταῦτα, καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτοῦ.
25 Jesus did many other things as well, and if it all was written down, I doubt the whole world could hold all the books that would be written.
25 ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἅτινα ἐὰν γράφηται καθ᾽ ἕν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία. ἀμήν.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jonah
The father of Simon Peter, named Jonah in Matthew 16:17 and John in John 1:42 and 21:15.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 16:17; John 1:42; John 21:15
Places
Sea of Galilee
This harp-shaped lake (~13 miles long) lies in the Jordan Rift Valley. Cool air dropping onto the warm water spawns sudden storms — the setting of several Gospel miracles.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:18; Mark 4:39; John 21:1
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 John 6:1; Matthew 28:16; John 6:23; Mark 16:7; John 20:19–29
- 2 Matthew 4:21–22; John 4:46; John 11:16; John 1:45–2:1; John 20:28
- 3 Luke 5:5; Matthew 4:18–20; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9; Luke 5:10–11; 1 Thessalonians 2:9
- 4 John 20:14; Mark 16:12; Luke 24:15–16; Luke 24:31
- 5 Philippians 4:19; Philippians 4:11–13; Psalm 37:3; Luke 24:41–43; 1 John 2:13
- 6 Luke 5:4–7; Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4; John 2:5; Hebrews 2:6–9
- 7 John 13:23; John 21:24; Matthew 14:28–29; John 19:26; John 20:2
- 9 1 Kings 19:5–6; John 21:10; John 21:13; John 18:18
- 11 Luke 5:6–8; Acts 2:41
- 12 Acts 10:41; John 16:19; Luke 9:45; John 21:15; Genesis 32:29–30
- 13 John 21:9; Acts 10:41; Luke 24:42–43
- 14 John 20:26; John 20:19
- 15 1 John 4:19; Isaiah 40:11; Romans 15:1; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; 1 Peter 1:8
- 16 Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2; 1 Peter 2:25; Psalm 100:3; John 10:11–16
- 17 John 13:38; John 16:30; Mark 14:72; John 15:10; John 14:15
- 18 John 13:36; Acts 12:3–4; Acts 21:11
- 19 2 Peter 1:14; John 21:22; Matthew 10:38; Philippians 1:20; Mark 8:33–38
- 20 John 21:7; John 20:2; John 21:24; John 13:23–26
- 21 Luke 13:23–24; Acts 1:6–7; Matthew 24:3–4
- 22 Revelation 2:25; Revelation 3:11; Mark 9:1; Matthew 16:27–28; 1 Corinthians 4:5
- 23 Deuteronomy 29:29; Job 33:13; Daniel 4:35; Acts 1:15; Job 28:28
- 24 John 15:27; John 19:35; 1 John 1:1–2; 1 John 5:6; 3 John 12
- 25 Psalm 40:5; John 20:30–31; Psalm 71:15; Job 26:14; Hebrews 11:32
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).
Ye have observed, beloved, that in to-day's lesson it was said by the Lord to Peter in a question, "Lovest thou Me?" To whom he answered, "Thou knowest, Lord, that I love thee." This was done a second, and a third time; and at each several reply, the Lord said, "Feed My lambs." To Peter did Christ commend His lambs …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
With this third manifestation of Himself by the Lord to His disciples after His resurrection, the Gospel of the blessed Apostle John is brought to a close, of which we have already lectured through the earlier part as we were able, on to the place where it is related that an hundred and fifty-three fishes were taken by the disciples …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
There are indeed many other things which are able to give us boldness towards God, and to show us bright and approved, but that which most of all brings good will from on high, is tender care for our neighbor. Which therefore Christ requireth of Peter.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… from which we gather that, even when the Lord said "diligis," He used an equivalent for "amas." Peter, too, throughout used one word for the one thing, and the third time also replied, "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love (amo) Thee." I have judged it right to mention this, because some are of opinion that charity …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." And to Peter again He said not, "If thou lovest me," "do miracles," but "feed my sheep." And whereas He everywhere distinguishes him with James and John above all the rest, for what, I pray thee, did He distinguish …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)