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

Now there is in Jerusalem, at the sheepgate, a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a multitude of sick, blind, lame, withered, [awaiting the moving of the water.

For an angel descended at a certain season in the pool and troubled the water. Whoever therefore first went in after the troubling of the water became well, whatever disease he laboured under.]

But there was a certain man there who had been suffering under his infirmity thirty and eight years.

Jesus seeing this [man] lying [there], and knowing that he was [in that state] now a great length of time, says to him, Wouldest thou become well?

The infirm [man] answered him, Sir, I have not a man, in order, when the water has been troubled, to cast me into the pool; but while I am coming another descends before me.

Jesus says to him, Arise, take up thy couch and walk.

And immediately the man became well, and took up his couch and walked: and on that day was sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said to the healed [man], It is sabbath, it is not permitted thee to take up thy couch.

11 He answered them, He that made me well, *he* said to me, Take up thy couch and walk.

12 They asked him [therefore], Who is the man who said to thee, Take up thy couch and walk?

13 But he that had been healed knew not who it was, for Jesus had slidden away, there being a crowd in the place.

14 After these things Jesus finds him in the temple, and said to him, Behold, thou art become well: sin no more, that something worse do not happen to thee.

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

16 And for this the Jews persecuted Jesus [and sought to kill him], because he had done these things on sabbath.

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto and I work.

18 For this therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only violated the sabbath, but also said that God was his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of himself save whatever he sees the Father doing: for whatever things *he* does, these things also the Son does in like manner.

20 For the Father loves the Son and shews him all things which he himself does; and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may wonder.

21 For even as the Father raises the dead and quickens [them], thus the Son also quickens whom he will:

22 for neither does the Father judge any one, but has given all judgment to the Son;

23 that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who honours not the Son, honours not the Father who has sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that he that hears my word, and believes him that has sent me, has life eternal, and does not come into judgment, but is passed out of death into life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that an hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that have heard shall live.

26 For even as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son also to have life in himself,

27 and has given him authority to execute judgment [also], because he is Son of man.

28 Wonder not at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice,

29 and shall go forth; those that have practised good, to resurrection of life, and those that have done evil, to resurrection of judgment.

30 I cannot do anything of myself; as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my will, but the will of him that has sent me.

31 If I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is not true.

32 It is another who bears witness concerning me, and I know that the witness which he bears concerning me is true.

33 Ye have sent unto John, and he has borne witness to the truth.

34 But I do not receive witness from man, but I say this that *ye* might be saved.

35 *He* was the burning and shining lamp, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

36 But I have the witness [that is] greater than [that] of John; for the works which the Father has given me that I should complete them, the works themselves which I do, bear witness concerning me that the Father has sent me.

37 And the Father who has sent me himself has borne witness concerning me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor have seen his shape,

38 and ye have not his word abiding in you; for whom *he* hath sent, him ye do not believe.

39 Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me;

40 and ye will not come to me that ye might have life.

41 I do not receive glory from men,

42 but I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and seek not the glory which [comes] from God alone?

45 Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is [one] who accuses you, Moses, on whom ye trust;

46 for if ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me.

47 But if ye do not believe his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

Jesus Heals a Lame Man

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda,[a] with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.[b] One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” 15 Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Jesus Claims to Be the Son of God

16 So the Jewish leaders began harassing[c] Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. 17 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” 18 So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. 21 For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. 22 In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, 23 so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

25 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. 26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. 27 And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man.[d] 28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, 29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. 30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

Witnesses to Jesus

31 “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. 32 But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. 33 In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. 34 Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. 35 John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. 36 But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, 38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

41 “Your approval means nothing to me, 42 because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. 43 For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. 44 No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.[e]

45 “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. 46 If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Footnotes

  1. 5:2 Other manuscripts read Beth-zatha; still others read Bethsaida.
  2. 5:3 Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verse 3 and all of verse 4: waiting for a certain movement of the water, for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and stirred up the water. And the first person to step in after the water was stirred was healed of whatever disease he had.
  3. 5:16 Or persecuting.
  4. 5:27 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  5. 5:44 Some manuscripts read from the only One.