THE PEOPLE ARE DIVIDED OVER JESUS

40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This truly is the Prophet.”as 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Doesn’t the Scriptureat say that the Messiah comes from David’sau offspringF and from the town of Bethlehem,av where David lived?” 43 So the crowd was dividedaw because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize him,ax but no one laid hands on him.

DEBATE OVER JESUS’S CLAIMS

45 Then the servantsay came to the chief priestsaz and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him?”

46 The servants answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”G,ba

47 Then the Pharisees responded to them, “Are you fooledbb too? 48 Have any of the rulersbc or Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed.”

50 Nicodemusbd—the one who came to him previously and who was one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”a

52 “You aren’t from Galileeb too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”c

[The earliest * do not include 7:53–8:11.]*