Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 It was just before the Passover Festival.^(A) Jesus knew that the hour had come^(B) for him to leave this world and go to the Father.^(C) Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.^{(D) 3} Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,^(E) and that he had come from God^(F) and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.^{(G) 5} After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet,^(H) drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”^(I)

⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean,^(J) though not every one of you.”^{(K) 11} For he knew who was going to betray him,^(L) and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’^(M) and ‘Lord,’^(N) and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.^{(O) 15} I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.^{(P) 16} Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,^(Q) nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.^(R)

¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves^(A) but for him who died for them^(B) and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(C) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(D) the new creation^(E) has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(F) 18} All this is from God,^(G) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(H) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(I) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(J) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(K) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(L) 21} God made him who had no sin^(M) to be sin^[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(N)

²¹ To this^(A) you were called,^(B) because Christ suffered for you,^(C) leaving you an example,^(D) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(G) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(H) Instead, he entrusted himself^(I) to him who judges justly.^{(J) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(K) in his body on the cross,^(L) so that we might die to sins^(M) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{(N) 25} For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b](O) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(P) and Overseer of your souls.^(Q)