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John 20

1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2She ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they laid him.” 3So Peter and the other disciple went out and headed for the tomb. 4The two ran together, but the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. 5Stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up separately in one place. 8Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. He saw and believed. 9For they did not yet understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples went back to their homes.

11But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she stooped to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and one at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they laid him.” 14After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but did not know it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”—which means Teacher. 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.’” 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and told them what he had said to her.

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors where the disciples were staying were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” 20After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you. Just as the Father has sent me, I too send you.” 22After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven them; if you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.”

24Thomas, one of the Twelve, who was called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26Eight days later his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came while the doors were shut, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Bring your finger here and see my hands. Bring your hand and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

30Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples that are not written in this book. 31But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, God's Son, and so that by believing you may have life in his name.

Translation notes 2

20:2, 7–9, 17 — We, cloth, belief, and holding on. Mary's “we” remains even though the narrative has introduced her alone. The head cloth was separately rolled or wrapped; the text does not explain this through a supposed dining custom. What the disciple believed in verse 8 is not given an explicit object. “Do not hold on to me” is a defensible contextual rendering of a verb that can mean touch or grasp; the precise reason for the prohibition is debated. The draft does not turn it into a general ban on touching a risen body.

20:22–23, 26–31 — Spirit, forgiveness, and belief. Jesus' breathing and the command to receive the Spirit remain without being rewritten as a mere symbol of Acts 2. “On them” is supplied with “breathed.” The forgiveness and retention statements use Greek perfect forms, presenting resultant states; the draft does not add “merely announce” or infer a complete church doctrine from tense alone. “Eight days later” uses inclusive counting, commonly equivalent to a week later. Verse 27 contrasts unbelieving and believing, not simply doubting and certainty. Thomas addresses “My Lord and my God” to Jesus. Verse 29 can be a statement rather than a question. At verse 31, the present/aorist manuscript variation does not by itself settle whether the intended readers are existing believers or potential converts.