VERSE STUDY • KJV

John 4:31-38

³¹ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. ³² But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. ³³ Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him [ought] to eat? ³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. ³⁵ Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. ³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. ³⁷ And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. ³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

³¹ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. ³² But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. ³³ Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him [ought] to eat? ³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. ³⁵ Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. ³⁶ And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. ³⁷ And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. ³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

³¹ Meanwhile the disciples urged Him, “Rabbi, eat something.” ³² But He told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” ³³ So the disciples asked one another, “Could someone have brought Him food?” ³⁴ Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. ³⁵ Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”

WEB World English Bible

³¹ In the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” ³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” ³³ The disciples therefore said one to another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already. ³⁶ He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

ASV American Standard Version

³¹ In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat. ³² But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not. ³³ The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat? ³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work. ³⁵ Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest. ³⁶ He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. ³⁷ For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. ³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

³¹ And in the meanwhile his disciples were asking him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat;’ ³² and he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that ye have not known.’ ³³ The disciples then said one to another, ‘Did any one bring him anything to eat?’ ³⁴ Jesus saith to them, ‘My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work; ³⁵ do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already. ³⁶ ‘And he who is reaping doth receive a reward, and doth gather fruit to life age-during, that both he who is sowing and he who is reaping may rejoice together; ³⁷ for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper. ³⁸ I sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others laboured, and ye into their labour have entered.

Surrounding context — John 4

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him [ought] to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of his own word;

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