Yesu Amponya Mtu Penye Bwawa La Bethzatha

Baada ya haya, Yesu alikwenda tena Yerusalemu kuhudhuria sikukuu mojawapo ya Wayahudi. Huko Yerusalemu, karibu na mlango uitwao Mlango wa Kondoo, pana bwawa moja ambalo kwa Kiebrania linaitwa Bethzatha ambalo lina baraza tano zenye safu za matao. Wagonjwa wengi sana, vipofu, viwete, na waliopooza walingojea kwenye baraza hizo. Walikuwa wakisubiri maji yatibuliwe, [ kwa maana malaika wa Bwana alikuja mara kwa mara akayatibua maji na yule aliyekuwa wa kwanza kuingia bwawani baada ya maji kutibuliwa alipona ugonjwa wo wote aliokuwa nao.]

Mmoja wa wagonjwa waliokuwepo alikuwa ameugua kwa muda wa miaka thelathini na minane. Yesu alipomwona amelala hapo, na akijua kwamba amekuwa katika hali hiyo kwa muda mrefu, alimwul iza, “Unataka kupona?” Yule mgonjwa akajibu, “Bwana, sina mtu wa kuniingiza bwawani maji yanapotibuliwa. Ninapoanza kwenda bwawani, mgonjwa mwingine huniwahi akaingia kabla yangu.” Yesu akamwambia, “Simama, chukua mkeka wako, utembee!” Mara moja yule mtu akapona, akachukua mkeka wake, akaanza kutembea! Jambo hili lilitokea siku ya sabato. 10 Kwa hiyo Wayahudi wakamwambia yule mtu aliyeponywa, “Leo ni sabato. Huruhusiwi kubeba mkeka wako.”

11 Yeye akawajibu, “Yule mtu aliyeniponya aliniambia, ‘Chu kua mkeka wako utembee.”’

12 Wakamwuliza, “Ni mtu gani huyo aliyekuambia uchukue mkeka wako utembee?”

13 Yule mtu aliyeponywa hakufahamu ni nani aliyemponya kwa sababu palikuwa na umati mkubwa wa watu na Yesu alikuwa amepe nyezea humo akaondoka.

14 Baadaye Yesu alimkuta yule aliyemponya Hekaluni akamwam bia, “Sasa umepona. Angalia usitende dhambi tena usijepatwa na jambo baya zaidi.”

15 Yule mtu akaenda, akawaambia wale Wayahudi kuwa ni Yesu aliyemponya.

16 Kwa sababu Yesu alikuwa amemponya siku ya sabato, wal ianza kumsumbua. 17 Yesu akawaambia, “Baba yangu anafanya mema siku zote. Mimi pia sina budi kufanya mema.” 18 Maneno haya yaliwaudhi sana viongozi wa Wayahudi. Wakajaribu kila njia wapate kumwua, kwa sababu, zaidi ya kuvunja sheria za sabato, alikuwa akijifanya sawa na Mungu kwa kujiita Mwana wa Mungu.

Mamlaka Ya Mwana

19 Yesu akawajibu, “Ninawaambia hakika, Mwana hawezi kufa nya jambo lo lote mwenyewe isipokuwa lile alilomwona Baba yake akifanya; na lo lote alifanyalo Baba, Mwana pia hulifanya. 20 Kwa kuwa Baba anampenda Mwana na anamwonyesha mambo yote afa nyayo; pia atamwonyesha hata mambo makubwa kuliko haya, ambayo yatawastaajabisha. 21 Kama vile Baba awafufuavyo wafu na kuwapa uzima, vivyo hivyo Mwana huwapa uzima wale awapendao. 22 Baba hamhukumu mtu ye yote, mamlaka ya kuhukumu amemwachia Mwana; 23 ili kila mtu amheshimu Mwana kama amheshimuvyo Baba. Ye yote anayekataa kumheshimu Mwana, anakataa kumheshimu Baba aliyemtuma. 24 Ninawaambia hakika, ye yote anayesikiliza maneno yangu na kumwamini yule aliyenituma, anao uzima wa milele na hatahukumiwa. Amevuka kutoka kwenye mauti, na kuingia katika uzima. 25 Nina waambia hakika, wakati utafika, tena umekwisha timia, ambapo wafu wataisikia sauti ya Mwana wa Mungu; na wote watakaoisikia wata kuwa hai. 26 Kama vile Baba alivyo chanzo cha uzima, hali kad halika amemwezesha Mwanae kuwa chanzo cha uzima. 27 Na amempa Mwanae mamlaka ya kuhukumu kwa kuwa yeye ni Mwana wa Adamu.

28 “Msishangae kusikia haya. Wakati unakuja ambapo wafu wataisikia sauti yake, 29 nao watatoka makaburini; wale waliot enda mema watafufuka na kuwa hai, na wale waliotenda maovu, wata fufuka na kuhukumiwa. 30 Mimi siwezi kufanya jambo lo lote kwa mamlaka yangu mwenyewe. Mimi nahukumu kufuatana na jinsi Mungu anavyoniambia. Na hukumu yangu ni ya haki kwa kuwa sitafuti kufa nya nipendavyo, bali nafanya mapenzi yake yeye aliyenipeleka.”

Mashahidi Wa Yesu

31 “Kama ningekuwa najishuhudia mwenyewe, ushuhuda wangu usingekuwa na uzito. 32 Lakini yupo mwingine anishuhudiaye na ninafahamu kwamba ushuhuda wake ni wa kweli. 33 Mliwapeleka wajumbe wenu kwa Yohana, naye akashuhudia iliyo kweli. 34 Si kwamba ninategemea ushuhuda wa mwanadamu, la, bali ninalitaja hili kusudi ninyi mpate kuokolewa. 35 Yohana alikuwa taa iliy owaka na kuwaangazia, na kwa muda mlikubali kufurahia nuru yake.

36 “Lakini ninao ushuhuda mzito zaidi kuliko wa Yohana. Kazi ambayo Baba amenituma nikamilishe, naam , ishara hizi nina zofanya, zinashuhudia kuwa Baba ndiye aliyenituma. 37 Na Baba aliyenituma naye amenishuhudia. Hamjapata kamwe kuisikia sauti yake wala kuiona sura yake. 38 Wala ujumbe wake hamuupokei maana hamumwamini aliyemtuma.

39 “Mnasoma Maandiko kwa bidii kwa maana mnafikiri kuwa humo mtapata uzima wa milele. Maandiko hayo hayo ndio yanayonish uhudia mimi. 40 Lakini mnakataa kuja kwangu kupata uzima.

41 “Mimi sitafuti kutukuzwa na watu. 42 Lakini, ninajua kwamba hamna upendo wa Mungu mioyoni mwenu. 43 Mimi nimekuja kwa jina la Baba yangu na mnakataa kunipokea. Lakini mtu mwingine akija kwa jina lake mwenyewe, mtampokea. 44 Ndio maana hamwezi kuamini! Mnapenda sana kusifiana wenyewe kwa wenyewe wala ham jishughulishi kutafuta sifa kutoka kwake ambaye peke yake ndiye

Mungu!

45 “Msidhani kuwa mimi nitawashtaki kwa Baba. Anayewashtaki ni huyo Musa ambaye mnamwekea matumaini yenu. 46 Kama kweli mli kuwa mmemwamini Musa, mngaliniamini na mimi kwa maana aliandika kunihusu mimi. 47 Lakini ikiwa hamwamini aliyoandika Musa, mtaaminije ninayoyasema?”

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