The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath

After this there was a (A)feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now there is in Jerusalem by (B)the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic[a] called Bethesda,[b] which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and (C)paralyzed.[c] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, (D)“Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” (E)And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

(F)Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews[d] said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and (G)it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for (H)Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! (I)Sin no more, (J)that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews (K)were persecuting Jesus, (L)because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Jesus Is Equal with God

18 This was why the Jews (M)were seeking all the more to kill him, (N)because not only was he (O)breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God (P)his own Father, (Q)making himself equal with God.

The Authority of the Son

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (R)the Son (S)can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father[e] does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For (T)the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And (U)greater works than these will he show him, so that (V)you may marvel. 21 For as the Father (W)raises the dead and (X)gives them life, so (Y)also the Son gives life (Z)to whom he will. 22 (AA)For the Father judges no one, but (AB)has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they (AC)honor the Father. (AD)Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, (AE)whoever hears my word and (AF)believes him who sent me has eternal life. He (AG)does not come into judgment, but (AH)has passed from death to life.

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, (AI)an hour is coming, and is now here, when (AJ)the dead will hear (AK)the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear (AL)will live. 26 (AM)For as the Father has life in himself, (AN)so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he (AO)has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for (AP)an hour is coming when (AQ)all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, (AR)those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Witnesses to Jesus

30 (AS)“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and (AT)my judgment is just, because (AU)I seek not my own will (AV)but the will of him who sent me. 31 (AW)If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is (AX)another who bears witness about me, and (AY)I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 (AZ)You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that (BA)the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and (BB)shining lamp, and (BC)you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But (BD)the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For (BE)the works that the Father has given me (BF)to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, (BG)bear witness about me that (BH)the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me (BI)has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, (BJ)his form you have never seen, 38 and (BK)you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 (BL)You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and (BM)it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet (BN)you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 (BO)I do not receive glory from people. 42 But (BP)I know that you do not have (BQ)the love of God within you. 43 I have come (BR)in my Father's name, and (BS)you do not receive me. (BT)If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and (BU)do not seek the glory that comes from (BV)the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, (BW)on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for (BX)he wrote of me. 47 But (BY)if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:2 Or Hebrew
  2. John 5:2 Some manuscripts Bethsaida
  3. John 5:3 Some manuscripts insert, wholly or in part, waiting for the moving of the water; 4for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had
  4. John 5:10 The Greek word Ioudaioi refers specifically here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, who opposed Jesus in that time; also verses 15, 16, 18
  5. John 5:19 Greek he

Sabbath healing

After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate in the north city wall is a pool with the Aramaic name Bethsaida. It had five covered porches, and a crowd of people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there.[a] A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

The sick man answered him, “Sir,[b] I don’t have anyone who can put me in the water when it is stirred up. When I’m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of me.”

Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Immediately the man was well, and he picked up his mat and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.

10 The Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It’s the Sabbath; you aren’t allowed to carry your mat.”

11 He answered, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

12 They inquired, “Who is this man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” 13 The man who had been cured didn’t know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away from the crowd gathered there.

14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said, “See! You have been made well. Don’t sin anymore in case something worse happens to you.” 15 The man went and proclaimed to the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the man who had made him well.

16 As a result, the Jewish leaders were harassing Jesus, since he had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 Jesus replied, “My Father is still working, and I am working too.” 18 For this reason the Jewish leaders wanted even more to kill him—not only because he was doing away with the Sabbath but also because he called God his own Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

Work of the Father and the Son

19 Jesus responded to the Jewish leaders, “I assure you that the Son can’t do anything by himself except what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he does. He will show him greater works than these so that you will marvel. 21 As the Father raises the dead and gives life, so too does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. 22 The Father doesn’t judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son 23 so that everyone will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.

24 “I assure you that whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and won’t come under judgment but has passed from death into life.

25 “I assure you that the time is coming—and is here!—when the dead will hear the voice of God’s Son, and those who hear it will live. 26 Just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 He gives the Son authority to judge, because he is the Human One.[c] 28 Don’t be surprised by this, because the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice. 29 Those who did good things will come out into the resurrection of life, and those who did wicked things into the resurrection of judgment. 30 I can’t do anything by myself. Whatever I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just. I don’t seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

Witnesses to Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony isn’t true. 32 There is someone else who testifies about me, and I know his testimony about me is true. 33 You sent a delegation to John, and he testified to the truth. 34 Although I don’t accept human testimony, I say these things so that you can be saved. 35 John was a burning and shining lamp, and, at least for a while, you were willing to celebrate in his light.

36 “I have a witness greater than John’s testimony. The Father has given me works to do so that I might complete them. These works I do testify about me that the Father sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me testifies about me. You have never even heard his voice or seen his form, 38 and you don’t have his word dwelling with you because you don’t believe the one whom he has sent. 39 Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life. They also testify about me, 40 yet you don’t want to come to me so that you can have life.

41 “I don’t accept praise from people, 42 but I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If others come in their own name, you receive them. 44 How can you believe when you receive praise from each other but don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God?

45 “Don’t think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, the one in whom your hope rests. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because Moses wrote about me. 47 If you don’t believe the writings of Moses, how will you believe my words?”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:3 Critical editions of the Gk New Testament do not include the following addition waiting for the water to move. Sometimes an angel would come down to the pool and stir up the water. Then the first one going into the water after it had been stirred up was cured of any sickness.
  2. John 5:7 Or Lord
  3. John 5:27 Or Son of Man