1 Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.* This is how it happened.1
2 Several of the disciples were there--Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin*), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.2
3 Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
4 At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was.
5 He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied.
6 Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore.
8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet.*3
9 When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.
10 "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said.
11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn.
12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it.
13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.
14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
15 After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you." "Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.
17 Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.
18 The truth is, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked and go wherever you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will direct you and take you where you don't want to go."
19 Jesus said this to let him know what kind of death he would die to glorify God. Then Jesus told him, "Follow me."
20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them--the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, "Lord, who among us will betray you?"
21 Peter asked Jesus, "What about him, Lord?"
22 Jesus replied, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You follow me."
23 So the rumor spread among the community of believers* that that disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"4
24 This is that disciple who saw these events and recorded them here. And we all know that his account of these things is accurate.
25 And I suppose that if all the other things Jesus did were written down, the whole world could not contain the books.
