Celtic Odyssey

John 4.5-42 (TIB [1] ; adapted): [Jesus] stopped at Sychar, a town in Samaria, near the tract of land Jacob had given to his son Joseph, 6 and Jacob’s Well was there. Jesus, weary from the journey, came and sat by the well. It was around noon. 7 When [Photini], a Samaritan woman, came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 The disciples had gone off to the town to buy provisions. 9 [Photini] replied, “You’re a Jew. How can you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?” — since Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered, “If only you recognized God’s gift, and who it is that’s asking you for a drink, you would have asked him for a drink instead, and he would have given you living water.” 11 “If you please,” [Photini] challenged Jesus, “you don’t have a bucket and this well is deep. Where do you expect to get this ‘living water’? 12 Surely you don’t pretend to be greater than our ancestors Leah and Rachel and Jacob, who gave us this well and drank fr...

John 3.1-17 (TIB [1] ; adapted): A certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, 2 came to Jesus at night. “Rabbi,” he said, “we know you’re a teacher come from God, for no one can perform the signs and wonders you do, unless by the power of God.” 3 Jesus gave Nicodemus this answer: “The truth of the matter is, unless one is born from above, one cannot see the [Realm] of God.” 4 Nicodemus said, “How can an adult be born a second time? I can’t go back into my mother’s womb to be born again!” 5 Jesus replied: “The truth of the matter is, no one can enter God’s [Realm] without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is Spirit. 7 So don’t be surprised when I tell you that you must be born from above. 8 The wind blows where it will. You hear the sound it makes, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 “How can this be possible?” asked ...