John 21

¹After these things, Jesus made himself known once again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way: ²Simon Peter, Thomas (who was called "the Twin"), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³Simon Peter said to them, “I am going out to fish.” They told him, “We are coming with you, too.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴When morning had already broken, Jesus stood on the shore; however, the disciples did not realize it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Lads, do you have any fish to eat with your bread?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they cast it, and they were no longer strong enough to haul it in because of the sheer quantity of fish.

⁷Then that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his outer garment and tied his belt—for he had stripped for work—and threw himself into the sea. ⁸But the other disciples came in the small boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards away.

⁹When they stepped out onto the land, they saw a charcoal fire burning there with a small fish lying on it, and some bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” ¹¹Simon Peter went up and hauled the net onto the land, full of large fish—one hundred fifty-three of them. And even though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead.

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me with a greater devotion than these others do?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you as a friend.” Jesus said to him, “Graze my lambs.” ¹⁶He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me with total devotion?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you as a friend.” Jesus said to him, “Shepherd my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, are you my friend?” Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him the third time, “Are you my friend?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know all things; you perceive that I love you as a friend.” Jesus said to him, “Graze my sheep. ¹⁸Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹(He said this to signify by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.) After saying this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

²⁰Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them—the one who had leaned back against Jesus’s chest at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one betraying you?” ²¹Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²²Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” ²³So the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

²⁴This is the disciple who is testifying about these things and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. ²⁵But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself would not have room for the books that would be written.