14. But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.”
15. The woman said to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to get more water.”
16. Jesus told her, “Go get your husband and come back.”
17. The woman answered, “But I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right to say you have no husband.
18. That’s because, although you have had five husbands, the man you live with now is not your husband. That much was the truth.”
19. The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet.
20. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.”
21. Jesus said, “Believe me, woman! The time is coming when you will not have to be in Jerusalem or on this mountain to worship the Father.
22. You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand. We Jews understand what we worship, since salvation comes from the Jews.
23. But the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. In fact, that time is now here. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers.
24. God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25. The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (He is the one called Christ.) “When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26. Then Jesus said, “He is talking to you now—I am the Messiah.”
27. Just then Jesus’ followers came back from town. They were surprised because they saw Jesus talking with a woman. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28. Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She told the people there,
29. “A man told me everything I have ever done. Come see him. Maybe he is the Messiah.”
30. So the people left the town and went to see Jesus.
31. While the woman was in town, Jesus’ followers were begging him, “Teacher, eat something!”
32. But Jesus answered, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
33. So the followers asked themselves, “Did someone already bring him some food?”