John 7:5-27

⁵They said this critically, because even though they were his own younger brothers, they did not believe he was from God.

⁶So Jesus said to them, “It is not yet time for me MTY to go to the celebration. For you, any time is right to go to the celebration.

⁷The people MTY who ◄ do not believe in me/do not belong to God► cannot hate you, but they hate me because I tell them that what they are doing is evil.

⁸You (pl) go ahead to the celebration. I am not going up to Jerusalem to the celebration yet, because now is not the right time for me to go.”

⁹After he said that, Jesus stayed a little longer in Galilee.

¹⁰However, a few days after his younger brothers left to go up to the celebration, he went also. He went, along with us disciples, but no others went with us.

¹¹At the celebration, the Jewish leaders were looking for him. They were asking people, “Has Jesus come?”

¹²Among the crowds, many people were whispering about Jesus. Some were saying, “He is a good man!” But others were saying instead, “No! He is deceiving the crowds!”

¹³But no one was speaking so that others could hear them, because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders SYN.

¹⁴In the middle of the days of the celebration, Jesus went to the Temple courtyard and began to teach people.

¹⁵The Jewish elders were amazed at what he was saying. They said, “This man never studied in one of our religious schools! So ◄how can he have learned so much about Scripture?/it is difficult for us to believe that he has learned so much about Scripture!► RHQ”

¹⁶Jesus replied to them, “What I teach does not come from myself. It comes from God, the one who sent me.

¹⁷Those who choose to do what God wants will find out whether what I teach comes from God or whether I am speaking with only my own authority.

¹⁸Those who speak with only their own authority do that only so that others will honor them. But I am doing things so that others will honor the one who sent me, and I am someone who speaks the truth. I never lie.

¹⁹Think about the laws that Moses gave you RHQ. None of you completely obeys those laws. So why are you trying to kill me, saying I do not obey the laws concerning ◄ the Sabbath/the Jewish day of rest►?”

²⁰Someone in the crowd answered, “ By saying this you show that you are crazy (OR, A demon is controlling you)! Certainly no one is trying to kill you!”

²¹Jesus replied to them, “Because I did a miracle of healing someone ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►, you are all shocked.

²²Moses gave you a law that you must circumcise the male children and that you must do that exactly seven days after they are born. Actually, it was your ancestors, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, not Moses, who started that ritual. But because of that law, you sometimes circumcise them ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day►, but that is working, too

²³You sometimes circumcise boys ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► so that the law of Moses is not disobeyed { you do not disobey the law of Moses}, so ◄it is ridiculous that you are angry with me, saying I worked ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► by healing a man!/why are you angry with me, saying I worked ◄on the Sabbath/on the Jewish rest day► by healing a man?► RHQ Healing someone is far more helpful than circumcising a baby boy!

²⁴Stop deciding whether my healing this man is wrong according to what you see! Instead, decide according to what is really the right action to help people”!

²⁵Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “◄This is the man that they are trying to kill!/Isn't this the man that they are trying to kill?► RHQ

²⁶He is saying these things ◄publicly/in front of many people►, but our Jewish rulers are not saying anything to oppose him. Is that because they have decided that he is truly ◄the Messiah/God's chosen king►?

²⁷But he cannot be the Messiah, because we know where this man came from. When the Messiah really comes, no one will know where he comes from.”