January 17th, 2026

The season of Epiphany continues. This Sunday is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. And this Sunday is traditionally a text from the Gospel according to John. This year, since it is a Series A year, the text is the earliest of the three, from the so-called first chapter of that Gospel account (1:29-42a). It should be noted that the text ends with only a few of the first words of what is called verse 42: “He (Andrew) brought him (Simon) to Jesus.” That is a nice ending. It is also a great beginning.

Many nice things could be said about many great things within the Gospel according to John. As was mentioned in the other writings of this website, the living creature connected to this account is the eagle, and the eagle has, quite literally, an eagle eye. Many details are noted that turn out to be important. The more important verbs, the ones that have continuing ramifications, those verbs are in capital letters in the translation below, and those are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. That is where a verb in the past tense is expected, but one in the present tense is given.

In last week’s writing of this website, a study was made of an extremely short text, John 4:1-3. Its importance was significant since it was in the center of the two clearly designated “signs” at the beginning of this Gospel account. The numbers of words between those two signs can be easily forgotten, so they will be given again. It was laid out that between the word “signs” in John 2:11 and the word “the-One” in John 4:1 there are 925 words.  And between the word “the-One, Lord” and the word “sign” in John 4:54 there are 921 words. (You may wish to look at that writing again for more details.) The second part of that “pair” of signs will be studied in this writing.

The following is a description of the type of analysis of the biblical text. If you are familiar with these writings, you may wish to skip the next several paragraphs. These writings are meant to be helpful in making a deeper study of the biblical text. You may wish to use your own bible as well to give you a slightly different perspective than this text and one that is more familiar to you.

The translation given of the text below is quite unique. It is also EXTREMELY literal. That is why another translation may be helpful to understand what is being given. Such a literal translation may be helpful to see the original language of the ancient Greek still within the text.

How can this happen? It should be noted, first of all, that such a translation does not include the chapter and verse divisions. These two things were added later, and they may be distracting when it comes to the what is being given.

It should be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages.

Something important to point out is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. (The exception to this is that there are a couple of words that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated.) It also is true that in general, the verbs appear slightly earlier in the sentence than we have in English. The verbs are in such a special form that they do not need the subject before them in the sentence, as we usually have in English. And generally speaking, the earlier in the sentence, the more important the word is. The final thing to be mentioned should be obvious, but it should be made clear that a word which is repeated is important. Hopefully these points been helpful.

So much for an introduction. The amount of translation this week is significant. And, for the most part, it is what is usually termed “chapter four” of the Gospel according to John.

So as was promised, what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what comes after the middle of what was between the two signs of the Gospel according to John (John 4:4-54):

Now  it-was-necessary,  him,  to-come-through,  through  the  Samaria.  Therefore  HE-COMES  into  a-city  of-the  Samaria  being-called  Sychar,  near  the  piece-of-land  which  he-gave,  Jacob,  to-the  Joseph,  the  son  of-him;  now  it-was  there,  a-well  of-the  Jacob.

Therefore,  the  Jesus,  having-become-wearied  from  the  journey,  he-was-sitting  thus  upon  the  well;  hour  was  about  sixth.

SHE-COMES,  a-woman,  from  the  Samaria,  to-draw  water.  HE-SAYS  to-her,  the  Jesus,  “Give  to-me  to-drink.”  For  the  disciples  of-him,  they-had-come-away  into  the  city,  in-order-that  foods  they-might-agora.

Therefore,  SHE-SAYS  to-him,  the  woman,  the  Samaritan,  “How  you,  a-Jew  being,  from  me,  to-drink,  you-ask,  a-woman,  a-Samaritan,  being?”  For  not  they-associate,  Jews  with-Samaritans.

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-her,  “If  you-knew  the  gift  of-the  God,  and  who  is  the-one  saying  to-you,  ‘Give  to-me  to-drink,’  you  would  have-asked  him,  and  he-would-given,  have,  to-you  water,  living.”
SHE-SAYS  to-him,  the  woman,  “Lord,  no  container  you-have,  and  the  cistern  is  deep;  therefore,  from-where  you-have  the  water,  the  living?  Not  you,  greater,  are-you  of-the  father  of-us,  Jacob,  who  he-gave  to-us  the  cistern,  and  himself  from  it  he-drank,  and  the  sons  of-him,  and  the  domesticated-animals  of-him?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-her,  “Every  the-one  drinking  from  the  water,  this,  he-will-thirst  again;  now  who  ever  drinks  from  the  water  which  I,  I-will-give  to-him,  certainly  not  he-will-thirst  into  the  age,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  water  which  I-will-give  to-him,  it-will-become  in  him  a-well  of-water,  springing  into  life  eternal.”

SHE-SAYS  toward  him,  the  woman,  “Lord,  give  to-me  this,  the  water,  in-order-that  not  I-thirst  nor  come-through  in-this-place  to-draw.”

HE-SAYS  to-her,  “Go,  sound  the  husband  of-you,  and  come  in-this-place.”

She-answered,  the  woman,  and  she-said  to-him,  “Not  I-have  a-husband.”

HE-SAYS  to-her,  the  Jesus,  “Well  you-said  that,  ‘A-husband  not  I-have’,  for  five  husbands  you-had,  and  currently,  he-whom  you-have,  not  is  of-you  a-husband;  this,  truly,  you-have-said.”

SHE-SAYS  to-him,  the  woman,  “Lord,  I-behold  that  a-prophet  you-are,  you.  The  fathers  of-us  in  the  mountain,  this,  they-worshiped;  and  you,  you-say  that  in  Jerusalem  is  the  place  where  to-worship  it-is-necessary.”

HE-SAYS  to-her,  the  Jesus,  “Believe  me,  woman,  that  it-is-coming,  an-hour,  when  neither  in  the  mountain,  this,  nor  in  Jerusalem,  you-will-worship  the  Father.  You,  you-worship  what  not  you-know;  we,  we-worship  what  we-know,  because  the  salvation,  from  the  Jews  it-is;  but-on-the-contrary,  it-is-coming,  an-hour,  and  currently  is,  when  the  true  worshipers  will-worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  truth;  for  also  the  Father,  such  he-is-seeking,  the-ones  worshipping  him;  spirit,  the  God,  and  the-ones  worshiping  him  in  spirit  and  in-truth,  it-is-necessary  to-worship.”

SHE-SAYS  to-him,  the  woman,  “I-know  that  Messiah  is-coming,  the-one  being-called  ‘Christ’;  when  he-comes,  that-one,  he-will-announce  to-us  all-things.”

HE-SAYS  to-her,  the  Jesus,  “I,  I-am,  the-one  talking  to-you.”

And  upon  this,  they-came,  the  disciples  of-him,  and  they-were-marveling  that  with  a-woman  he-was-talking;  no-one  however  said,  “What  are-you-seeking  or  why  are-you-talking  with  her?”  Therefore  she-left  the  waterpot  of-her,  the  woman,  and  she-came-away  into  the  city,  and  SHE-SAYS  to-the  men,  “Come,  see  a-man  who  said  to-me  all-things  which  I-did;  is-it-not,  this  is  the  Christ?”  They-came-out,  out-of  the  city,  and  they-were-coming  toward  him. 

In  the  meantime  they-were-asking  him,  the  disciples,  saying,  “Rabbi,  eat.”

Now  the-one  said  to-them,  “I,  food,  I-have  to-eat,  which  you,  not  you-know.”

Therefore  they-were-saying,  the  disciples,  toward  one-another,  “Not  anyone  did-bring  him  to-eat?”

HE-SAYS  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “My  food  is  in-order-that  I-may-do  the  will  of-the-one  having-sent  me,  and  I-may-finish  of-him  the  work.  Not  you,  you-say  that  yet  four-months  it-is,  and  the  harvest  comes?  Look,  I-am-saying  to-you,  lift-up  the  eyes  of-you  and  behold  the  fields,  that  white  they-are  toward  harvest.  Already  the-one  harvesting,  a-wage  he-receives,  and  he-gathers  fruit  into  life  eternal,  in-order-that  the-one  sowing,  together  he-may-rejoice,  and  the-one  harvesting. For  in  this,  the  word,  is  true,  that  another-one  is  the-one  sowing,  and  another,  the-one  harvesting.  I,  I-sent-out  you,  to-harvest  what  not  you,  you-have-toiled;  others  they-have-toiled,  and  you,  into  the  toil  of-them  you-have-come-into.”

Now  out-of  the  city,  that,  many  believed  into  him,  of  the  Samaritans,  because-of  the  word  of-the  woman  witnessing,  that,  “He-told  me  all-things  which  I-did.”  Therefore,  as  they-came  toward  him,  the  Samaritans,  they-were-asking  him  to-remain  alongside  them,  and  he-remained  there  two  days.  And  more,  many,  they-believed  on-account-of  the  word  of-him,  &  to-the  woman  they-were-saying  that,  “No-longer  on-account-of  the,  your,  talk  we-believe,  for  ourselves,  we-have-heard,  and  we-know  that  this-man  is  truly  the  Savior  of-the  cosmos.”

Now  after  the  two  days,  he-came-out  from-there  into  the  Galilee.  For  he-himself,  Jesus,  witnessed  that  a-prophet,  in  the  own  native-place,  honor  not  he-has.  Therefore  when  he-came  into  the  Galilee,  they-received  him,  the  Galileans,  all-things  having-seen  as-much-as  he-did  in  Jerusalem  in  the  feast;  for  also  they,  they-came  into  the  feast.

Therefore  he-came  again  into  the  Cana  of-the  Galilee,  where  he-made  the  water  wine.  And  he-was  a-certain  basilicas  of-whom  the  son,  he-was-without-strength  in  Capernaum;  this-man,  having-heard  that  Jesus,  he-has-come  out-of  the  Judea,  into  the  Galilee,  he-came-away  toward  him,  and  he-was-asking  in-order-that  he-would-come-down  and  he-would-cure  of-him  the  son,  for  he-was-about  to-die.

Therefore  he-said,  the  Jesus,  toward  him,  “If  not  signs  and  wonders  you-see,  certainly  not  you-will-believe.”

HE-SAYS  toward  him,  the  basilicas,  “Lord,  come-down  before  to-die,  the  child  of-me.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “Go,  the  son  of-you,  he-lives.”  He-believed,  the  man,  the  word  which  he-said  to-him,  the  Jesus,  and  he-was-going.  Now  already,  he,  going-down,  the  servants  of-him,  they-met  him  saying  that,  “The  child  of-him  lives.”  Therefore  he-inquired  the  hour  from  them  in  which  better  he-had;  therefore  they-said  to-him  that,  “Yesterday,  hour  seventh,  it-left  him,  the  fever.”

Therefore  he-knew,  the  father,  that  in  that,  the  hour,  in  which  he-said  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “The  son  of-you  lives,”  and  he-believed,  he  and  the  house  of-him,  whole.  Now  this,  again,  a-second  sign  he-did,  the  Jesus,  having-come  out-of  the  Judea  into  the  Galilee.​

That was a long text. Thank you for reading this far. Blessings to you!