The Woman at the Well
Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, offering her living water and revealing that He is the Messiah.
John 4:1-42
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The Story
Jesus left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?' (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?' (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.'
'Sir,' the woman said, 'you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?'
Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'
The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'
Jesus revealed that He knew about her past—she had had five husbands. The woman said, 'I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.'
Then Jesus declared, 'I, the one speaking to you—I am he.'
The woman left her water jar, went back to the town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?' Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.
The Woman at the Well
Kids Version
Jesus was walking through an area called Samaria. He was tired and sat down by an old well to rest.
A woman came to get water from the well. This was unusual—women usually came in groups, not alone, and not in the heat of the day.
Jesus said, 'Will you give Me a drink?'
The woman was SHOCKED. Jewish people didn't talk to Samaritans! And men didn't usually talk to women they didn't know!
'Why are YOU asking ME for water?' she asked.
Jesus said something mysterious: 'If you knew who I am, YOU would ask ME for water. And I would give you LIVING water!'
'Living water? What do you mean? You don't even have a bucket!'
Jesus explained: 'Everyone who drinks regular water gets thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give will NEVER be thirsty. My water becomes a spring inside you, bubbling up to eternal life!'
'Sir! Give me this water!' the woman said.
Then Jesus showed her that He knew all about her life—her mistakes, her past, everything. The woman was amazed.
'You must be a prophet!' she said. 'I know the Messiah is coming someday...'
Jesus said, 'I am He. The one talking to you right now.'
The woman dropped her water jar and ran to town! 'Come see a man who knew everything about me! Could He be the Messiah?'
The whole town came out to meet Jesus. Many believed in Him!
Jesus offers living water—His love and eternal life—to everyone, no matter who they are or what they've done.
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Characters in This Story
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Scripture — John 4:1-42 (KJV)
1When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4And he must needs go through Samaria.
5Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh , when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33Therefore said the disciples one to another , Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37And herein is that saying true, One soweth , and another reapeth.
38I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41And many more believed because of his own word;
42And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Memory Verse
“When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,”
— John 4:1 (KJV)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of “The Woman at the Well” in the Bible?
Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, offering her living water and revealing that He is the Messiah. This story is found in John 4:1-42.
Where is “The Woman at the Well” found in the Bible?
“The Woman at the Well” is found in John 4:1-42, in the book of John.
What can children learn from “The Woman at the Well”?
This story teaches children about Living water, Worship in spirit and truth, Salvation for all, Jesus as Messiah. Jesus talked to a woman at a well and offered her 'living water' that would satisfy her forever. She ran and told her whole town about Jesus!