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John 2:13-25

John 2:13-25 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And in the temple [enclosure] He found the people who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at their tables. [Matt 21:12ff; Mark 11:15, 17] He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; then to those who sold the doves He said, “Take these things away! Stop making My Father’s house a place of commerce!” [Ps 93:5] His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Scriptures], “ZEAL (love, concern) FOR YOUR HOUSE [and its honor] WILL CONSUME ME.” [Ps 69:9] Then the Jews retorted, “What sign (attesting miracle) can You show us as [proof of] your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple which was His body. So when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered what He had said. And they believed and trusted in and relied on the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. [Ps 16:10] Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in His name [identifying themselves with Him] after seeing His signs (attesting miracles) which He was doing. But Jesus, for His part, did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people [and understood the superficiality and fickleness of human nature], and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man [and human nature], for He Himself knew what was in man [in their hearts—in the very core of their being]. [1 Sam 16:7]

John 2:13-25 The Message (MSG)

When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for your house consumes me.” But the Jews were upset. They asked, “What credentials can you present to justify this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.” They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said. During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn’t entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn’t need any help in seeing right through them.

John 2:13-25 New Century Version (NCV)

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast, Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging different kinds of money. Jesus made a whip out of cords and forced all of them, both the sheep and cattle, to leave the Temple. He turned over the tables and scattered the money of those who were exchanging it. Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!” When this happened, the followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures: “My strong love for your Temple completely controls me.” Some of his people said to Jesus, “Show us a miracle to prove you have the right to do these things.” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days.” They answered, “It took forty-six years to build this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three days?” (But the temple Jesus meant was his own body. After Jesus was raised from the dead, his followers remembered that Jesus had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus had said.) When Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, many people believed in him because they saw the miracles he did. But Jesus did not believe in them because he knew them all. He did not need anyone to tell him about people, because he knew what was in people’s minds.

John 2:13-25 New Living Translation (NLT)

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.” “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

John 2:13-25 The Passion Translation (TPT)

When the time was close for the Jewish Passover to begin, Jesus walked to Jerusalem. As he went into the temple courtyard, he noticed it was filled with merchants selling oxen, lambs, and doves for exorbitant prices, while others were overcharging as they exchanged currency behind their counters. So Jesus found some cords and made them into a whip. Then he drove out every one of them and their animals from the courtyard of the temple, and he kicked over their tables filled with money, scattering it everywhere! And he told the merchants, “Get these things out of here! Don’t you dare commercialize my Father’s house!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture: “I am consumed with a fiery passion to keep your house pure!” Then the Jewish religious leaders challenged Jesus, “What authority do you have to do this sort of thing and what supernatural sign will you show us to prove it?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days.” Then the Jewish leaders sneered at Jesus’ answer, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and you mean to tell us that you will raise it up in three days?” But they failed to understand that Jesus was speaking of the “temple” of his body. The disciples remembered his prophecy after Jesus rose from the dead, and believed both the Scripture and what Jesus had said. While Jesus was at the Passover Feast, the number of his followers began to grow, and many gave their allegiance to him because of all the miraculous signs they had seen him doing! But Jesus did not yet entrust himself to them, because he knew how fickle human hearts can be. He needed no one to tell him about human nature, for he fully understood what man was capable of doing.