John 21
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
John chapter 21 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 3 Fathers — Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine, and Saint Augustine of Hippo.
John 21
1After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this manner He showed Himself:Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν πάλιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος· ἐφανέρωσε δὲ οὕτως.
2Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.Ἦσαν ὁμοῦ Σίμων Πέτρος, καὶ Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, καὶ Ναθαναὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ Κανᾶ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου, καὶ ἄλλοι ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο.
3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are coming with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.Λέγει αὐτοῖς Σίμων Πέτρος, Ὑπάγω ἁλιεύειν. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ἐρχόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν σοί. Ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἐνέβησαν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον εὐθύς, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ ἐπίασαν οὐδέν.
4But as daybreak had already come, Jesus stood upon the shore; however the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.Πρωΐας δὲ ἤδη γενομένης ἔστη ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν· οὐ μέντοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ μαθηταὶ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστι.
5Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”Λέγει οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Παιδία, μή τι προσφάγιον ἔχετε; Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ, Οὔ.
6And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” Therefore they cast, and they were not able to haul it in because of the multitude of fish.Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Βάλετε εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μέρη τοῦ πλοίου τὸ δίκτυον, καὶ εὑρήσετε. Ἔβαλον οὖν, καὶ οὐκέτι αὐτὸ ἑλκύσαι ἴσχυσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἰχθύων.
7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and he threw himself into the sea.Λέγει οὖν ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ Πέτρῳ, Ὁ Κύριός ἐστι. Σίμων οὖν Πέτρος, ἀκούσας ὅτι ὁ Κύριός ἐστι, τὸν ἐπενδύτην διεζώσατο—ἦν γὰρ γυμνός—καὶ ἔβαλεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν.
8But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.Οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ τῷ πλοιαρίῳ ἦλθον—οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων—σύροντες τὸ δίκτυον τῶν ἰχθύων.
9Then as they got off onto the land, they saw a charcoal fire laid there, and fish placed on it, and bread.Ὡς οὖν ἀπέβησαν εἰς τὴν γῆν, βλέπουσιν ἀνθρακιὰν κειμένην καὶ ὀψάριον ἐπικείμενον, καὶ ἄρτον.
10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐνέγκατε ἀπὸ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὧν ἐπιάσατε νῦν.
11Simon Peter went up and hauled the net onto the land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.Ἀνέβη Σίμων Πέτρος, καὶ εἵλκυσε τὸ δίκτυον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μεστὸν ἰχθύων μεγάλων ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα τριῶν· καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων, οὐκ ἐσχίσθη τὸ δίκτυον.
12Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Δεῦτε ἀριστήσατε. Οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐτόλμα τῶν μαθητῶν ἐξετάσαι αὐτόν, Σὺ τίς εἶ; εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν.
13Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.Ἔρχεται οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ λαμβάνει τὸν ἄρτον, καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ ὀψάριον ὁμοίως.
14This was now the third time Jesus was manifested to His disciples, having been raised from the dead.Τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον ἐφανερώθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν.
15So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I care for You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”Ὅτε οὖν ἠρίστησαν, λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με πλεῖον τούτων; Λέγει αὐτῷ, Ναὶ Κύριε· σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ, Βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου.
16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I care for You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”Λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν δεύτερον, Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με; Λέγει αὐτῷ, Ναὶ Κύριε· σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ, Ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου.
17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you care for Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you care for Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I care for You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.Λέγει αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον, Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, φιλεῖς με; Ἐλυπήθη ὁ Πέτρος ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ τρίτον, Φιλεῖς με; Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Κύριε, σὺ πάντα οἶδας· σὺ γινώσκεις ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου.
18Most assuredly I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and used to walk where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and will carry you where you do not wish.”Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, ὅτε ἦς νεώτερος, ἐζώννυες σεαυτόν, καὶ περιεπάτεις ὅπου ἤθελες· ὅταν δὲ γηράσῃς, ἐκτενεῖς τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ ἄλλος σε ζώσει, καὶ οἴσει ὅπου οὐ θέλεις.
19But this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπε, σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ δοξάσει τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν λέγει αὐτῷ, Ἀκολούθει μοι.
20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had reclined on His chest at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”Ἐπιστραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος βλέπει τὸν μαθητὴν ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀκολουθοῦντα, ὃς καὶ ἀνέπεσεν ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπε, Κύριε, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδιδούς σε;
21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”Τοῦτον ἰδὼν ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ, Κύριε, οὗτος δὲ τί;
22Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σέ; Σὺ ἀκολούθει μοι.
23Therefore this saying went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ λόγος οὗτος εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ὅτι ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκει· καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκει· ἀλλ᾽, Ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σέ;
24This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μαθητὴς ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ τούτων, καὶ γράψας ταῦτα· καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτοῦ.
25And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that not even the world itself would have room for the books which would be written. Amen.Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἅτινα ἐὰν γράφηται καθ᾽ ἕν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν οἶμαι τὸν κόσμον χωρῆσαι τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία. Ἀμήν.
The Fathers on John 21
Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Augustine, and Saint Augustine of Hippo comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On John 21:15Saint John Chrysostom“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.”
Read Homilies on the Gospel of John →
On John 21:15Saint AugustineYe remember that the Apostle Peter, the first of all the Apostles, was disturbed at the Lord’s Passion.
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On John 21:12–19Saint Augustine of Hippo1. With this third manifestation of Himself by the Lord to His disciples after His resurrection, the Gospel of the blessed Apostle John is brought to a close, of which we have already lectured through the earlier part as we were able, on to the place where it is related that an hundred and fifty-three fishes were...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 21:16Saint AugustineYe have observed, beloved, that in to-day’s lesson it was said by the Lord to Peter in a question, “Lovest thou Me?” To whom he answered, “Thou knowest, Lord, that I love thee.” This was done a second, and a third time; and at...
Read Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament →
On John 21:24Saint AugustineMoreover, Matthew makes up his account of John in the following manner:—Now in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Read The Harmony of the Gospels →
On John 21:19–25Saint Augustine of Hippo1. It is no unimportant question why the Lord, when He manifested Himself for the third time to the disciples, said to the Apostle Peter, “Follow me;” but of the Apostle John, “Thus I wish him to remain till I come, what is that to you?” To the discussion or solution of this question, according as the Lord shall grant...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →
On John 21:1–11Open John 21 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo1. After telling us of the incident in connection with which the disciple Thomas had offered to his touch the places of the wounds in Christ's body, and saw what he would not believe, and believed, the evangelist John interposes these words, and says: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His...
Read Tractates on the Gospel of John →