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Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew[a] Beth-zatha,[b] which has five porticoes.(A) In these lay many ill, blind, lame, and paralyzed people.[c] One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The ill man answered him, “Sir,[d] I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am making my way someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.”(B) At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a Sabbath.(C) 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”(D) 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in[e] the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”(E) 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.”(F) 18 For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.(G)

The Authority of the Son

19 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own but only what he sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father[f] does, the Son does likewise.(H) 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished.(I) 21 Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.(J) 22 The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son,(K) 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.(L) 24 Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.(M)

25 “Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.(N) 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and he has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man.(O) 28 Do not be astonished at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out: those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.(P)

Witnesses to Jesus

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.(Q)

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(R) 32 There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true.(S) 33 You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth.(T) 34 Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.(U) 36 But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.(V) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form,(W) 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.(X)

39 “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that testify on my behalf.(Y) 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 I do not accept glory from humans. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God in[g] you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?[h](Z) 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.(AA) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(AB) 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Footnotes

  1. 5.2 That is, Aramaic
  2. 5.2 Other ancient authorities read Bethesda or Bethsaida
  3. 5.3 Other ancient authorities add, wholly or in part, waiting for the stirring of the water, for an angel of the Lord went down from time to time into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well from whatever disease that person had.
  4. 5.7 Or Lord
  5. 5.13 Or had left because of
  6. 5.19 Gk that one
  7. 5.42 Or among
  8. 5.44 Other manuscripts read the Only One

The Healing at the Pool

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate(A) a pool, which in Aramaic(B) is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”(C) At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,(D) 10 and so the Jewish leaders(E) said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”(F)

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’

12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning(G) or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders(H) that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father(I) is always at his work(J) to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;(K) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.(L)

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself;(M) he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son(N) and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these,(O) so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,(P) even so the Son gives life(Q) to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,(R) 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.(S)

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me(T) has eternal life(U) and will not be judged(V) but has crossed over from death to life.(W) 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come(X) when the dead will hear(Y) the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life(Z) in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge(AA) because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming(AB) when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.(AC) 30 By myself I can do nothing;(AD) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,(AE) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(AF)

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(AG) 32 There is another who testifies in my favor,(AH) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified(AI) to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony;(AJ) but I mention it that you may be saved.(AK) 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,(AL) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John.(AM) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing(AN)—testify that the Father has sent me.(AO) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.(AP) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(AQ) 38 nor does his word dwell in you,(AR) for you do not believe(AS) the one he sent.(AT) 39 You study[c] the Scriptures(AU) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.(AV) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,(AW) 40 yet you refuse to come to me(AX) to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,(AY) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[d]?(AZ)

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(BA) on whom your hopes are set.(BB) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(BC) 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”(BD)

Footnotes

  1. John 5:2 Some manuscripts Bethzatha; other manuscripts Bethsaida
  2. John 5:4 Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, paralyzed—and they waited for the moving of the waters. From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had.
  3. John 5:39 Or 39 Study
  4. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One