John 5
Expanded Bible
Jesus Heals a Man at a Pool
5 ·Later [L After these things] Jesus went [L up] to Jerusalem for a ·special feast [L feast/festival of the Jews]. 2 In Jerusalem there is a pool with five covered porches, which is called Bethesda[a] [C a pool of water north of the temple thought to have curative powers] in the Hebrew language [C referring to Aramaic, the native language of the Jews at the time]. This pool is near the Sheep Gate. 3 Many sick people were lying on the porches beside the pool. Some were blind, some were crippled, and some were paralyzed |, and they waited for the water to move. 4 ·Sometimes [At a certain time; From time to time] an angel of the Lord came down to the pool and stirred up the water. After the angel did this, the first person to go into the pool was healed from any sickness he had|[b]. 5 A man was lying there who had been ·sick [an invalid; disabled] for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw the man and knew that he had been ·sick [an invalid; disabled] for such a long time, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be well?”
7 The ·sick man [invalid] answered [him], “Sir, there is no one to help me get into the pool when the water ·starts moving [is stirred up]. While I am coming to the water, someone else always ·gets in [goes down] before me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “·Stand up [T Rise]. Pick up your ·mat [bed; cot] and walk.” 9 And immediately the man ·was well [was healed; became whole]; he picked up his ·mat [bed; cot] and began to walk.
The day this happened was a Sabbath day. 10 So the ·Jews [or Jewish leaders] said to the man who had been healed, “Today is the Sabbath. It is ·against our law [L not lawful/permitted] for you to carry your ·mat [bed; cot] on the Sabbath day [C the fourth commandment prohibited work on the Sabbath, but not specifically this action (Ex. 20:8–11)].”
11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your ·mat [bed; cot] and walk.’”
12 Then they asked him, “Who is the man who told you to pick up your ·mat [bed; cot] and walk?”
13 But the man who had been healed did not know who it was, because there were many people in that place, and Jesus had ·left [withdrawn; slipped away unnoticed].
14 Later, Jesus found the man at the Temple [area] and said to him, “See, you are well now. ·Stop sinning [T Sin no more] so that something worse does not happen to you.” [C Sometimes, not always, suffering can be explained by sin.]
15 Then the man left and told ·his people [the Jewish leaders; L the Jews] that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
16 Because Jesus was doing ·this [L these things] on the Sabbath day, ·some evil people [the Jewish leaders; L the Jews] began to ·persecute [harass] him. 17 But Jesus ·said to [L answered] them, “My Father ·never stops [is always; is still] working [C even on the Sabbath], and so I keep working, too.”
18 This made ·them [the Jewish leaders; L the Jews] try still harder to kill him. They said, “First Jesus was breaking the law about the Sabbath day. Now he says that God is his own Father, making himself equal with God!” [C Both breaking the Sabbath and blasphemy against God were punishable by death; Ex. 35:2; Lev. 24:16.]
Jesus Has God’s Authority
19 But Jesus ·said [answered them], “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], the Son can do nothing ·alone [on his own initiative; by himself]. The Son does only what he sees the Father doing, ·because the Son does whatever the Father does [L for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise]. 20 [L For] The Father loves the Son and shows the Son all the things he himself does. But the Father will show the Son even greater things than this so that you can all ·be amazed [marvel; be astonished]. 21 [L For] Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to those he ·wants to [wishes; wills]. 22 ·In fact, [or For] the Father judges no one, but he has ·given [entrusted to] the Son ·power to do all the judging [L all judgment; Rev. 20:11–15] 23 so that all people will honor the Son as much as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
24 “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], whoever ·hears [obeys] ·what I say [L my word/message] and believes in the One who sent me has eternal life. That person will not ·be judged guilty [L come into judgment/condemnation] but has ·already left death and entered life [L passed from death into life]. 25 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly I say to you], the ·time [L hour] is coming and is already here when the dead will ·hear [obey] the voice of the Son of God, and those who ·hear [obey] will ·have life [live]. 26 [L For] ·Life comes from the Father himself [just as the Father has life], ·and [so] he has ·allowed the Son to have [given the Son] life in himself as well. 27 And the Father has given the Son the ·approval [authority; power; right] to ·judge [execute judgment], because he is the Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14]. 28 Don’t ·be surprised [marvel; be amazed] at this: A ·time [L hour] is coming when all who are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. 29 Then they will come out of their graves. Those who did good ·will rise and have life forever [L to the resurrection resulting in life], but those who did evil ·will rise to be judged guilty [L to the resurrection resulting in condemnation/judgment].
Jesus Is God’s Son
30 “I can do nothing ·alone [by myself; on my own initiative]. I judge ·only the way I am told [L as I hear], so my judgment is ·fair [just; right; righteous]. I don’t ·try to please myself [L seek my own will/desire], but ·I try to please [L the will of] the One who sent me.
31 “If only I ·tell people [testify; witness] about myself, ·what I say [my testimony; witness] is not ·true [valid]. 32 But there is another who ·tells [testifies; witnesses] about me, and I know that ·the things he says [L the witness/testimony he witnesses/testifies] about me are ·true [valid].
33 “You have sent people to John, and he has ·told you [testified/witnessed to] the truth. 34 It is not that I ·need [accept; depend on] ·what humans say [human testimony/witness]; I tell you this so you can be saved. 35 John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were ·happy to enjoy [L willing to rejoice in] his light for a while.
36 “But I have a ·proof [testimony; witness] about myself that is ·greater [weightier] than that of John. [L For] The ·things [L works] I do, which are the ·things [L works] my Father gave me to ·do [complete; finish; C the signs and miracles which point to his saving work on the cross], ·prove [testify; witness] that the Father sent me. 37 And the Father himself who sent me has given ·proof [testimony; witness] ·about me [concerning me; on my behalf]. You have never heard his voice or seen ·what he looks like [his form; his outward appearance]. 38 His ·teaching [word; message] does not ·live [remain; abide] in you, because you don’t believe in the One the Father sent. 39 You ·carefully study [search; examine] the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. They do in fact ·tell [testify; witness] ·about me [concerning me; on my behalf], 40 but you ·refuse [do not want] to come to me to have that life.
41 “I don’t ·need [or accept; receive] ·praise [glory; honor] from people. 42 But I know you—I know that you don’t have God’s love in you. 43 I have come ·from my Father and speak for him [L in my Father’s name], ·but [or and] you don’t ·accept [receive] me. But when another person comes, ·speaking only for himself [L in his own name], you will ·accept [receive] him. 44 You try to ·get praise [receive glory/honor] from each other, but you do not try to ·get the praise [receive glory/honor] that comes from the only God. So how can you believe? 45 Don’t think that I will ·stand before the Father and say you are wrong [L accuse you before the Father]. The one who ·says you are wrong [L accuses you] is Moses, the one ·you hoped would save you [L in whom you hoped]. 46 [L For] If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because Moses wrote about me [C in the Torah, the first five books of the OT; for example, Deut. 18:15 quoted in Acts 3:22]. 47 But if you don’t believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say?”
John 5
Complete Jewish Bible
5 After this, there was a Judean festival; and Yeshua went up to Yerushalayim. 2 In Yerushalayim, by the Sheep Gate, is a pool called in Aramaic, Beit-Zata, 3 in which lay a crowd of invalids — blind, lame, crippled. 4 [a] 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 Yeshua, seeing this man and knowing that he had been there a long time, said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered, “I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I’m trying to get there, someone goes in ahead of me.” 8 Yeshua said to him, “Get up, pick up your mat and walk!” 9 Immediately the man was healed, and he picked up his mat and walked.
Now that day was Shabbat, 10 so the Judeans said to the man who had been healed, “It’s Shabbat! It’s against Torah for you to carry your mat!” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me — he’s the one who told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you to pick it up and walk?” 13 But the man who had been healed didn’t know who it was, because Yeshua had slipped away into the crowd.
14 Afterwards Yeshua found him in the Temple court and said to him, “See, you are well! Now stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you!” 15 The man went off and told the Judeans it was Yeshua who had healed him; 16 and on account of this, the Judeans began harassing Yeshua because he did these things on Shabbat.
17 But he answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I too am working.” 18 This answer made the Judeans all the more intent on killing him — not only was he breaking Shabbat; but also, by saying that God was his own Father, he was claiming equality with God. 19 Therefore, Yeshua said this to them: “Yes, indeed! I tell you that the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does too. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does; and he will show him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 Just as the Father raises the dead and makes them alive, so too the Son makes alive anyone he wants. 22 The Father does not judge anyone but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever fails to honor the Son is not honoring the Father who sent him. 24 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent me has eternal life — that is, he will not come up for judgment but has already crossed over from death to life! 25 Yes, indeed! I tell you that there is coming a time — in fact, it’s already here — when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who listen will come to life. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has given the Son life to have in himself. 27 Also he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be surprised at this; because the time is coming when all who are in the grave will hear his voice 29 and come out — those who have done good to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I can’t do a thing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is right; because I don’t seek my own desire, but the desire of the one who sent me.
31 “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not valid. 32 But there is someone else testifying on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he is making is valid — 33 you have sent to Yochanan, and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I collect human testimony; rather, I say these things so that you might be saved. 35 He was a lamp burning and shining, and for a little while you were willing to bask in his light.
36 “But I have a testimony that is greater than Yochanan’s. For the things the Father has given me to do, the very things I am doing now, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.
37 “In addition, the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice or seen his shape; 38 moreover, his word does not stay in you, because you don’t trust the one he sent. 39 You keep examining the Tanakh because you think that in it you have eternal life. Those very Scriptures bear witness to me, 40 but you won’t come to me in order to have life!
41 “I don’t collect praise from men, 42 but I do know you people — I know that you have no love for God in you! 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t accept me; if someone else comes in his own name, him you will accept. 44 How can you trust? You’re busy collecting praise from each other, instead of seeking praise from God only.
45 “But don’t think that it is I who will be your accuser before the Father. Do you know who will accuse you? Moshe, the very one you have counted on! 46 For if you really believed Moshe, you would believe me; because it was about me that he wrote. 47 But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Footnotes
- John 5:4 Some manuscripts have verses 3b–4: . . . , waiting for the water to move; 4 for at certain times an angel of Adonai went down into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever stepped into the water first after it was disturbed was healed of whatever disease he had.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.