The Healing at Bethesda

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

Now in Jerusalem, by (B)the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which (C)in [a]Hebrew is called [b]Bethesda, having five [c]porticoes. In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or [d]paralyzed.[e] Now a man was there who had been [f]ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, *said to him, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus *said to him, (D)Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

(E)Now it was a Sabbath on that day. 10 So (F)the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is a Sabbath, and (G)it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’ 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward, Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not (H)sin anymore, (I)so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and informed (J)the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason (K)the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father [g]is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

Jesus’ Equality with God

18 For this reason therefore (L)the Jews (M)were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, (N)making Himself equal with God.

19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (O)the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever [h]the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way. 20 (P)For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him (Q)greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and (R)gives them life, so (S)the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but (T)He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. (U)The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and (V)believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and (W)does not come into judgment, but has (X)passed out of death into life.

Two Resurrections

25 Truly, truly, I say to you, [i](Y)a time is coming and [j]even now has arrived, when (Z)the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who (AA)hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He (AB)gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to (AC)execute judgment, because He is [k]the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this; for [l](AD)a time is coming when (AE)all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come out: (AF)those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the bad deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

30 (AG)I can do nothing [m]on My own. As I hear, I judge; and (AH)My judgment is [n]righteous, because I do not seek My own will but (AI)the will of Him who sent Me.

31 (AJ)If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not [o]true. 32 There is (AK)another who testifies about Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

Testimony of John the Baptist

33 You have sent messengers to John, and he (AL)has testified to the truth. 34 But (AM)the testimony I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was (AN)the lamp that was burning and shining, and you (AO)were willing to rejoice for [p]a while in his light.

Testimony of Works

36 But the testimony I have is greater than the testimony of John; for (AP)the works which the Father has given Me (AQ)to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father (AR)has sent Me.

Testimony of the Father

37 And the Father who sent Me, (AS)He has testified about Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 Also you do not have (AT)His word remaining in you, because you do not believe Him whom He (AU)sent.

Testimony of the Scripture

39 [q](AV)You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is (AW)those very Scriptures that testify about Me; 40 and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. 41 (AX)I do not receive glory from people; 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not [r]receive Me; (AY)if another comes in his own name, you will [s]receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you [t](AZ)accept [u]glory from one another and you do not seek (BA)the [v]glory that is from (BB)the one and only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is (BC)Moses, in whom you have put your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for (BD)he wrote about Me. 47 But (BE)if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:2 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
  2. John 5:2 Some early mss Bethsaida or Bethzatha
  3. John 5:2 Or colonnades (with roofs)
  4. John 5:3 Or had shrunken limbs
  5. John 5:3 Late mss add the following as the remainder of v 3, and v 4: paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first stepped in after the stirring up of the water was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted
  6. John 5:5 Lit in his sickness
  7. John 5:17 I.e., has been and continues
  8. John 5:19 Lit that One
  9. John 5:25 Lit an hour
  10. John 5:25 Lit now is, when
  11. John 5:27 Or a son of man
  12. John 5:28 Lit an hour
  13. John 5:30 Or of Myself
  14. John 5:30 Or fair
  15. John 5:31 I.e., admissible as legal evidence
  16. John 5:35 Lit an hour
  17. John 5:39 Or (a command) Examine the Scriptures
  18. John 5:43 Or accept
  19. John 5:43 Or accept
  20. John 5:44 Or receive
  21. John 5:44 Or honor
  22. John 5:44 Or honor

Jesus Goes To Jerusalem For a Feast, And Heals a Man On The Sabbath

After these things there was a Feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem near the Sheep gate, there is a pool— the one being called Bethzatha in Hebrew, having five porticos[a]. In these porticos, a multitude of the ones being sick were lying-down— blind ones, lame ones, withered ones. [b] And there was a certain man there having thirty and eight years in his sickness. Jesus— having seen this one lying down, and having known[c] that he already had a long time [in his sickness]— says to him, “Do you want to become healthy?” The one being sick answered Him, “Sir, I do not have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred-up. But while I am going, another goes down before me”. Jesus says to him, “Arise, pick up your cot and walk!” And immediately the man became healthy, and picked up his cot and was walking.

They Want To Kill Jesus Because He Breaks The Sabbath And Makes Himself Equal To God

Now it was a Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the one having been cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to pick up your cot”. 11 But the one answered them, “The One having made me healthy, that One said to me, ‘Pick up your cot and walk’”. 12 They asked him, “Who is the man having said to you, ‘Pick up and walk’?” 13 But the one having been healed did not know who He was. For Jesus withdrew, a crowd being in the place. 14 After these things, Jesus finds him in the temple. And He said to him, “See— you have become healthy! Do not be sinning any longer in order that something worse may not happen to you”. 15 The man went away and reported to the Jews that Jesus was the One having made him healthy. 16 And for this reason, the Jews were persecuting Jesus— because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and[d] I am working”. 18 Therefore, for this reason the Jews were seeking more to kill Him: because He was not only breaking[e] the Sabbath, but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal[f] to God! 19 Therefore Jesus responded and was saying to them—

Jesus Responds Regarding His Work: The Son Does Only What The Father Does

“Truly, truly, I say to you— the Son can do nothing from Himself except[g] something He sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One is doing, these things the Son is also likewise doing. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing. And He will show Him greater works than these, in order that you may marvel.

The Son Raises And Judges The Dead, And Thus Is Due Equal Honor With God

21 “For[h] just as the Father raises the dead and gives-life-to them, so also the Son gives-life-to the ones whom He wishes[i]. 22 For the Father does not even judge anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son just-as[j] they are honoring the Father. The one not honoring the Son is not honoring the Father having sent Him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you that the one hearing My word and believing the One having sent Me has eternal life. And he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

The Son Has Life In Himself And Gives Life To The Spiritually Dead

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you that an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones having heard will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He gave to the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is a son[k] of man.

The Son Will Give Life To The Physically Dead

28 Do not be marveling-at this, because an hour is coming in which all the ones in the graves will hear His voice, 29 and will come out— the ones having done the good things to a resurrection of life; the ones having practiced the bad things to a resurrection of judgment.

I Am Doing The Will of The One Who Sent Me

30 I can do nothing from Myself. Just as I am hearing[l], I am judging. And My judgment is righteous, because I am not seeking My will, but the will of the One having sent Me.

Jesus Responds Regarding His Identity: Others Testify About Him

31 “If I am[m] testifying about Myself, My testimony is not true. 32 There is Another— the One testifying about Me— and I know that the testimony which He is testifying about Me is true.

John The Baptist Testified

33 You have sent out messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth[n]. 34 But I do not receive[o] testimony from a human. Nevertheless, I am saying these things in order that you may be saved. 35 That one was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to be overjoyed in his light for an hour.

Three Greater Witnesses Testify: My Works, The Father, And The Scriptures

36 “But I have testimony greater than John’s. For the works which the Father has given to Me that I should accomplish them— the works themselves which I am doing are testifying about Me, that the Father has sent Me forth. 37 And the Father having sent Me— that One has testified about Me. Neither His voice have you ever heard, nor His form have you seen. 38 And you do not have His word abiding in you, because the One Whom that One sent-forth— this One you are not believing! 39 You[p] search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life— and those Scriptures are the ones testifying about Me! 40 And you are not willing to come to Me in order that you may have life.

But You Are Not Receiving Me Because You Do Not Love God

41 “I do not receive glory from people, 42 but I know you— that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. 43 I have come in the name of My Father, and you are not receiving Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive that one. 44 How are you able to believe while receiving glory from one another, and you are not seeking the glory from the only God?

Moses Will Be Your Accuser. For If You Believed Him, You Would Believe Me

45 Do not be thinking that I will accuse you before the Father. The one accusing you is Moses, in whom you have put-hope. 46 For if you were believing Moses, you would be believing Me, for that one wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe the writings of that one, how will you believe My words?”

Footnotes

  1. John 5:2 That is, covered colonnades where people gathered.
  2. John 5:4 Some manuscripts add as verse 4, For an angel in due season was going down in the pool and stirring up the water. Then the one first having stepped in after the stirring up of the water was becoming healthy for whatever disease he was indeed being afflicted.
  3. John 5:6 Or, learned.
  4. John 5:17 Jesus places His working on the Sabbath on an equal plane with God’s doing so.
  5. John 5:18 That is, annulling the authority of the Sabbath over how people should live.
  6. John 5:18 If God is His own Father, then Jesus has the same nature and essence as God, as do all fathers and sons, and thus is Himself God. Jesus was killed for claiming this, 19:7.
  7. John 5:19 That is, the Son does only and always what the Father does, explaining v 17. They are in perfect harmony.
  8. John 5:21 Jesus gives the ultimate example of ‘whatever things’ the Father is doing.
  9. John 5:21 Or, wills, wants, desires.
  10. John 5:23 Or, in the same manner. Only one claiming to be equal to God would say such a thing.
  11. John 5:27 That is, a human. Or, the Son of Man, the one mentioned in Dan 7:13.
  12. John 5:30 That is, hearing from the Father, complementing the seeing in v 19.
  13. John 5:31 That is, If I alone am, apart from God.
  14. John 5:33 See 1:34.
  15. John 5:34 That is, do not merely receive.
  16. John 5:39 Or, this may be a command, Search.