Thomas

7After that he said to his followers, "Let us go back to Judea."

Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

NoteJudea was the part of the country around Jerusalem. Jesus was far away in the north.

8They said, "Teacher, people there just tried to kill you with stones. Are you going back?"

His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

NoteThrowing stones was how people killed someone they thought had done a terrible wrong.

9Jesus answered, "There are twelve hours of daylight in a day. If someone walks in the daytime, he does not trip. He can see by the light of this world."

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

NotePeople counted the daylight as twelve hours long. There were no lights outside, so night was very dark.

10"But if someone walks at night, he trips. He has no light to see by."

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

11Then Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep. I am going there to wake him up."

These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

NotePeople often said "asleep" when they meant someone had died. It was a gentler way to say it.

12His followers said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better."

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13Jesus meant that Lazarus had died. But they thought he meant ordinary sleep.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14So Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead."

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15"I am glad for you that I was not there. It is so that you may believe. Let us go to him."

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16Thomas, who was also called Didymus, spoke to the other followers. He said, "Let us go too. Then we can die with him."

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

NoteDidymus means "twin." Thomas had a twin brother or sister.

1Do not let your hearts be worried. You trust God. Trust me too.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

NoteJesus said all of this on his last night with his friends. They had just eaten supper together in a room. "Ye" is an old word for "you" when it means more than one person.

2In my Father's house there are many rooms. If that were not true, I would have told you. I am going there to get a place ready for you.

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

NoteJesus called God his Father, so "my Father's house" means God's home. "Mansions" here does not mean huge fancy houses. In 1611 the word meant rooms, or places to stay.

3I will go and get that place ready. Then I will come back and take you to myself. Then you will be where I am.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4And you know where I am going. You know the way too.

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Note"Whither" is an old word that means "where to."

5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. So how can we know the way?"

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

NoteThomas was one of Jesus' twelve close friends, called disciples. "Lord" was a respectful name, a little like "master" or "sir."

6Jesus said to him, "I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Note"No man" in this old English means "no one at all." It means every person, women and children too.

7If you had known me, you would know my Father too. From now on you do know him. You have seen him."

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Note"Henceforth" is an old word meaning "from now on."

19That evening, the same first day of the week, the followers were together. The doors were locked, because they were afraid of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, "Peace be with you."

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Note"The Jews" here means the leaders in Jerusalem. Those leaders had sent men to arrest Jesus. Jesus and his followers were Jewish too.

20Then he showed them his hands and his side. The followers were full of joy to see the Lord.

And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD.

NoteJesus had been nailed to a cross. A soldier had cut his side with a spear. The marks showed his followers it was really him.

21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. My Father sent me. Now I am sending you."

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

22Then he breathed on them. He said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

NoteIn their language, one word meant both breath and spirit. The Holy Spirit is God's own Spirit, who helps people.

23"If you forgive people their sins, their sins are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

NoteTo forgive a sin means you stop holding a wrong against someone.

24Thomas was one of the twelve close followers. He was also called Didymus. He was not there when Jesus came.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

NoteThe twelve were the men Jesus chose to stay closest to him. Didymus is a Greek word. It means "twin."

25The other followers told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But Thomas said, "I must see the nail marks in his hands. I must put my finger where the nails were. I must put my hand into his side. Until then I will not believe."

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

26Eight days later the followers were inside again. Thomas was with them this time. The doors were locked. Jesus came and stood among them. He said, "Peace be with you."

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

NoteThey counted the first day as day one. So "eight days later" means the next Sunday.

27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.

29Jesus said to him, "Thomas, you believe because you have seen me. Blessed are the people who believe without seeing me."

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

NoteBlessed means truly happy, because good has come to you.

1Later, Jesus let his followers see him again. This happened by the Sea of Tiberias. Here is how it went.

After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

NoteThe Sea of Tiberias is a big lake in the land of Galilee. It is also called the Sea of Galilee. Many people caught fish there for their work. His followers were the people who learned from him.

2Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and Zebedee's sons were together. Two other followers were with them.

There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

NoteDidymus means "twin." It was a second name for Thomas. Zebedee's sons were two brothers named James and John.

3Simon Peter said, "I am going fishing." They said, "We will come with you." They got into the boat right away. All that night they caught nothing.

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

NoteFishermen often worked all night, because night was a good time to catch fish. They dropped big nets into the water from the boat.

4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. But his followers did not know it was Jesus.

But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5Jesus called to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered, "No."

Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

Note"Children" here is a warm word, like saying "boys" or "friends." Jesus was speaking to grown men he knew well.

6He said, "Throw your net out on the right side of the boat. Then you will find some." They threw the net out. So many fish went in that they could not pull it up.

And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7The follower Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Peter heard that, he pulled on his coat, because he had nothing on. Then he jumped into the water.

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

NoteThe man who wrote this book calls himself "the follower Jesus loved." He never writes his own name. Men took their coats off to work in a boat. Peter pulled his coat back on before he jumped in.

8The other followers came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. They were not far from land, only about a hundred yards.

And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

NoteThe King James says "two hundred cubits." A cubit was the length of a grown-up's arm, from the elbow to the fingertips.

9When they got to land, they saw a fire of hot coals. Fish were laid on it, and there was bread.

As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

NoteCoals are pieces of wood that have burned down. They stay hot for a long time. People cooked food on them.

10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."

Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11Simon Peter went and pulled the net onto the land. It was full of big fish, 153 of them. Even with so many, the net did not tear.

Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12Jesus said, "Come and eat." No one dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. He gave them the fish too.

Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

14This was the third time Jesus let his followers see him. It was after he rose from the dead.

This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

NoteJesus had died a few days before this. Then he came back to life. This was the third time his friends saw him after that.