John 5
Common English Bible
Sabbath healing
5 After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate in the north city wall is a pool with the Aramaic name Bethsaida. It had five covered porches, 3 and a crowd of people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there.[a] 5 A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 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?”
7 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.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 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
- John 5:3 Critical editions of the Gk New Testament do not include the following addition waiting for the water to move. 4 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.
- John 5:7 Or Lord
- John 5:27 Or Son of Man
John 5
New American Standard Bible
The Healing at Bethesda
5 After these things there was (A)a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 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. 3 In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or [d]paralyzed.[e] 5 Now a man was there who had been [f]ill for thirty-eight years. 6 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?” 7 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.” 8 Jesus *said to him, “(D)Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 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
- John 5:2 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
- John 5:2 Some early mss Bethsaida or Bethzatha
- John 5:2 Or colonnades (with roofs)
- John 5:3 Or had shrunken limbs
- 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
- John 5:5 Lit in his sickness
- John 5:17 I.e., has been and continues
- John 5:19 Lit that One
- John 5:25 Lit an hour
- John 5:25 Lit now is, when
- John 5:27 Or a son of man
- John 5:28 Lit an hour
- John 5:30 Or of Myself
- John 5:30 Or fair
- John 5:31 I.e., admissible as legal evidence
- John 5:35 Lit an hour
- John 5:39 Or (a command) Examine the Scriptures
- John 5:43 Or accept
- John 5:43 Or accept
- John 5:44 Or receive
- John 5:44 Or honor
- John 5:44 Or honor
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
