John 21:1-25, NLT
John 21
Epilogue: Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples
1Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.*21:1 Greek Sea of Tiberias, another name for the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened.
3Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was.
“No,” they replied.
6Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.
10“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said.
12“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
15After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?*21:15 Or more than these others do?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
18“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others*21:18 Some manuscripts read and another one. will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”
20Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?”
22Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
24This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.
25Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.