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JOHN · Trinity Bible Version

John 12

The full text of John 12 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.

All of John KJV

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, the one Jesus had raised from the dead.

2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him.

3 So Mary took a pound of pure nard, an expensive perfume, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair; and the fragrance of the perfume filled the house.

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples—the one about to betray him—said,

5 Why wasn't this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?

6 He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he would pilfer what was put in.

7 Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She was meant to keep this perfumeᵃ for the day of my burial preparation.ᵇ

8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.

9 So a large crowd of the Jewish people found out that Jesus was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

10 So the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,

11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going over and believing in Jesus.

12 The next day the large crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and kept shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD, the King of Israel!"

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:

15 Do not be afraid, Daughter of Zion; look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt.

16 His disciples didn't understand these things at first, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things for him.

17 So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept testifying about it.

18 This is also why the crowd went out to meet him—because they heard he had done this sign.

19 So the Pharisees said among themselves, "You see, you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!"

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.

21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and they asked him, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."

22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 The one who loves his life destroys it, but the one who hates his life in this world will guard it for eternal life.

26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will be there too. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

27 Now my soul is in turmoil. And what should I say—'Father, save me from this hour'? No—this is why I came to this hour.

28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have already glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

29 So the crowd standing there, when they heard it, said it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."

30 Jesus answered, "This voice came for your sake, not mine.

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.

32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself.

33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

34 Then the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How then can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?"

35 So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so the darkness does not overtake you. Whoever walks in the darkness does not know where they are going.

36 As long as you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After saying this, Jesus went away and hid himself from them.

37 Even though he had done so many signs before their eyes, they still did not believe in him.

38 This was to fulfill what Isaiah the prophet had said:
"Lord, who has believed what we heard?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"

39 This is why they could not believe—because Isaiah said again,

40 "He has blinded their eyes and dulled their hearts, so they cannot see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I will heal them."

41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

42 Even so, many even of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not acknowledge him openly, for fear of being put out of the synagogue—

43 For they loved the glory that comes from people more than the glory that comes from God.

44 Jesus called out, "Whoever believes in me does not believe in me alone,a but in the one who sent me.

45 And the one who sees me sees the one who sent me.

46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me will not stay in the darkness.

47 If anyone listens to my words and does not keep them, I myself do not judge them. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

48 Whoever rejects me and does not receive my sayings already has a judge: the word I have spoken—that is what will judge them on the last day.

49 For I have not spoken on my own; the Father who sent me has himself commanded me what to say and what to speak.

50 And I know that his command is eternal life. So what I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.

Translation notes (54)
  1. John 12:3a The Greek word litra refers to a Roman pound, which is about 327 grams or 11–12 ounces by weight.
  2. John 12:3b The meaning of the Greek word pistikes is debated, but it most likely means 'pure' or 'genuine'; it could also possibly be a term referring to a trade or a place.
  3. John 12:5a Three hundred denarii was approximately a year's wages for a laborer.
  4. John 12:6a The Greek word glossokomon refers to a small portable chest or box for valuables; it appears in the New Testament only here and in John 13:29.
  5. John 12:6b The Greek word ebastazen primarily means 'carry' or 'bear'; however, in this context with the word kleptes ('thief'), it implies the sense of pilfering. A minority of manuscripts read it as simply 'carried.'
  6. John 12:7a The critical Greek text reads terese (a verb form indicating a purpose, 'that she may keep'); however, a later Byzantine manuscript variant reads teterēken ('she has kept'), which is reflected in the King James Version. The critical text supports a forward-looking purpose, meaning she was to save the perfume for this day.
  7. John 12:7b The Greek word entaphiasmos refers to the preparation of the body for burial, such as anointing and laying out, rather than the burial itself. Mary's anointing is the specific act being named here.
  8. John 12:8a This echoes Deuteronomy 15:11, where God commands generous care for the poor, who will always be present in the land. Jesus here assumes this command, rather than dismissing it.
  9. John 12:9a The Greek phrase ton Ioudaion means 'of the Jews.' In this scene set near Jerusalem, the term refers to the Judean people who were sympathetic to Lazarus's family (compare John 11:19, 45), and it is distinct from the chief priests mentioned in verse 10.
  10. John 12:13a "Hosanna" transliterates Greek ὡσαννά, from Hebrew הוֹשִׁיעָה־נָּא ("save now"; Ps 118:25); by this period it functions as a shout of acclamation.
  11. John 12:13b The acclamation cites Ps 118:26, where the underlying Hebrew is YHWH; rendered "the LORD" per TBV's standard treatment of YHWH-texts.
  12. John 12:13c The Greek text reads 'and the King of Israel,' which can be understood either as a new acclamation or as a descriptive phrase placed next to 'the one who comes.' The comma here allows for both interpretations, just as the Greek does.
  13. John 12:15a This can also be translated 'Daughter Zion.' The Greek phrase thugater Sion is an appositional phrase, meaning Zion is personified as the daughter, reflecting the Hebrew bat-tsiyon.
  14. John 12:15b John's citation conflates and abbreviates Zech 9:9 (source of 'your king is coming... on a donkey's colt') with the 'Do not be afraid' formula of Isa 40:9 / Zeph 3:16, omitting Zechariah's 'righteous and having salvation, gentle.'
  15. John 12:15c The Greek phrase pōlon onou literally means 'a colt of a donkey.' The Greek word pōlos can refer to any young animal, with onou specifying the species, meaning a young donkey.
  16. John 12:23a The Greek word hōra, meaning 'hour,' is used throughout the Gospel of John to refer to the appointed moment of the cross and Jesus's exaltation (compare John 2:4; 7:30; 12:27; 17:1).
  17. John 12:24a The Greek phrase 'Amen, amen' is a solemn affirmation formula that is distinctive to the Gospel of John.
  18. John 12:24b The Greek phrase autos monos is used to strongly emphasize 'it itself, alone,' meaning the seed stays solitary and unmultiplied. It is rendered 'just a single seed' to capture this numeric sense.
  19. John 12:25a The Greek word psychē can mean 'life,' 'self,' or 'soul.' While the contrast with 'this world' here favors 'life,' its use in the Gospel of John often carries the fuller sense of 'self.'
  20. John 12:26a The Greek words diakoneō and diakonos mean 'serve' and 'servant.' Some traditions translate these as 'minister' and 'ministrant' to convey dedicated attendance on a master.
  21. John 12:26b The Greek word akoloutheitō is a command in the third person, meaning 'he must follow,' rather than a permission, 'let him follow.'
  22. John 12:27a This can also be translated 'is shaken.' The Greek verb tetaraktai is in the perfect tense, which describes a resultant state of agitation; the same verb describes Jesus at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:33) and before the betrayal (John 13:21).
  23. John 12:27b The clause 'Father, save me from this hour' may be read as a rhetorical question Jesus rejects, or as a genuine petition immediately self-corrected (cf. Heb 5:7). NA28 punctuates as a question; commentators are divided.
  24. John 12:29a This can also be translated 'a messenger.' The Greek word angelos refers to both human and divine messengers; the crowd is interpreting what they heard.
  25. John 12:31a This can also be translated 'Now is the time of judgment for this world.' The Greek word krisis carries both the sense of a 'verdict' and a 'decisive moment.'
  26. John 12:31b The Greek word archōn, meaning 'ruler' or 'prince,' refers to Satan here (compare John 14:30; 16:11).
  27. John 12:32a Some early manuscripts (including 𝔓66*, ℵ*, D, W, and others) read panta, meaning 'all things,' instead of pantas, meaning 'all.' The masculine form, pantas, is read by 𝔓75, ℵ², A, B, and most manuscripts.
  28. John 12:32b The phrase 'lifted up' (Greek hypsōthō) carries a deliberate double meaning in the Gospel of John: it refers to both Jesus's physical lifting on the cross and his exaltation in glory (compare John 3:14; 8:28).
  29. John 12:32c The Greek word 'draw' (helkysō) carries a strong force in common Greek; the same verb is used for drawing a sword (John 18:10), hauling in a net (John 21:6, 11), and dragging (Acts 16:19; 21:30). This is the same verb used in John 6:44.
  30. John 12:34a 'The Law' (ὁ νόμος) here is used in the broad sense of Scripture, not strictly the Pentateuch; the crowd likely has texts like Ps 89:36–37, Ps 110:4, Isa 9:7, and Dan 7:14 in mind.
  31. John 12:34b The phrase 'lifted up' (Greek hypsōthēnai) carries a deliberate double meaning in the Gospel of John: it refers to both Jesus's physical lifting on the cross and his exaltation (compare John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32).
  32. John 12:35a This can also be translated 'so the darkness does not overcome you.' The Greek verb katalambanō carries both the sense of catching up to (overtaking) and seizing or mastering (overcoming). The Gospel of John uses this same verb in John 1:5 when speaking of darkness and light.
  33. John 12:36a The Greek phrase 'sons of light' (huioi phōtos) is a Semitic idiom, a common expression from the ancient Near East, used to describe those who belong to the light.
  34. John 12:36b This can also be translated 'was hidden from them.' The Greek verb is structured as a passive verb but functions reflexively here, meaning Jesus deliberately withdraws himself, as in John 8:59.
  35. John 12:38a This verse quotes Isaiah 53:1 verbatim from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament. The Septuagint adds the direct address 'Lord' (kyrie), which is absent in the standard Hebrew text.
  36. John 12:38b The Greek word akoē means 'what is heard'—referring to the report received by the audience, not the message that was issued. Romans 10:17 uses this receptive sense when it says, 'faith comes from hearing.'
  37. John 12:38c The phrase 'Arm of the LORD' translates the Greek word kyriou, which here represents the divine name YHWH (יהוה) in the Hebrew of Isaiah 53:1. Following the Trinity Bible Version convention, YHWH is rendered as LORD in small capital letters.
  38. John 12:40a This verse is quoting Isaiah 6:10. The one who performs the action of 'he has blinded' is not specified, and John's wording differs from both the Hebrew text and the Septuagint translation of Isaiah.
  39. John 12:40b The Greek word epōrōsen means 'made callous' or 'dulled.' A few early manuscripts read epērōsen, which means 'maimed.'
  40. John 12:40c The Greek text shifts from the subjunctive verb forms ('see, understand, turn,' expressing possibility or desire) to the future indicative verb iasomai ('I will heal,' expressing a future fact)—this shift is preserved in the translation here.
  41. John 12:41a This can also be translated 'when he saw'; the Greek word hoti can mean either 'because' or 'when.' The word 'his' does not have a clearly specified grammatical reference, but John links this quotation to both Isaiah 53:1 (verse 38) and Isaiah 6:10 (verse 40), and the verse is understood as a witness to seeing the pre-incarnate Christ.
  42. John 12:42a This can also be translated 'would not confess him.' The Greek word hōmologoun here means to publicly declare allegiance to Jesus, not merely to admit a fact.
  43. John 12:42b The phrase "put out of the synagogue" (aposynagōgoi) means to be excluded from the worshiping community; this is the same phrase used in John 9:22.
  44. John 12:43a This can also be translated 'praise from people … praise from God.' The Greek word doxa can mean 'glory,' 'honor,' or 'praise'; using 'glory' here preserves a key term used by John that links this verse to John 12:41 and 5:44.
  45. John 12:44a The Greek idiom ou...alla means a relative, not absolute, negation—it implies 'not [merely] in me, but in...' rather than 'not in me at all.' This construction is common in John (5:30; 7:16; 12:49).
  46. John 12:45a The Greek word theōrōn means to look at, perceive, or contemplate, which is a stronger sense than mere visual sight. It pairs with the word pisteuōn ('believes') in verse 44.
  47. John 12:46a The Greek phrase hē skotia (which includes the definite article 'the') is John's recurring term for the realm that is opposed to the light (compare John 1:5; 8:12; 12:35).
  48. John 12:47a This can also be translated 'does not obey them.' The Greek word phylassō carries the sense of guarding or observing, not merely remembering.
  49. John 12:48a The Greek word athetōn means 'sets aside,' 'nullifies,' or 'refuses to recognize.' While 'rejects' captures the main meaning, the term also implies treating an authoritative claim as void.
  50. John 12:48b The Greek text shifts from rhēmata (referring to individual sayings) to ho logos (referring to the singular message or word)—indicating that the very utterance itself becomes the judge at the final judgment.
  51. John 12:49a The Greek phrase ti emautou literally means 'from myself,' which implies acting on one's own initiative or authority.
  52. John 12:49b The Greek text pairs two verbs of speaking, eipō ('say') and lalēsō ('speak'), both of which are governed by the word ti ('what'). This pairing is deliberate for emphasis, not meaning 'what and how.'
  53. John 12:50a This can also be translated 'his command brings eternal life'; the Greek verb 'to be' (the copula) leaves the exact relationship between the command and life unspecified.
  54. John 12:50b The Greek word eirēken is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action with continuing results—meaning that what the Father has spoken stands as a permanent truth, and what the Son speaks now flows from it.
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