John 5
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Jesus Goes To Jerusalem For a Feast, And Heals a Man On The Sabbath
5 After these things there was a Feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem near the Sheep gate, there is a pool— the one being called Bethzatha in Hebrew, having five porticos[a]. 3 In these porticos, a multitude of the ones being sick were lying-down— blind ones, lame ones, withered ones. 4 [b] 5 And there was a certain man there having thirty and eight years in his sickness. 6 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?” 7 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”. 8 Jesus says to him, “Arise, pick up your cot and walk!” 9 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
- John 5:2 That is, covered colonnades where people gathered.
- 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.
- John 5:6 Or, learned.
- John 5:17 Jesus places His working on the Sabbath on an equal plane with God’s doing so.
- John 5:18 That is, annulling the authority of the Sabbath over how people should live.
- 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.
- John 5:19 That is, the Son does only and always what the Father does, explaining v 17. They are in perfect harmony.
- John 5:21 Jesus gives the ultimate example of ‘whatever things’ the Father is doing.
- John 5:21 Or, wills, wants, desires.
- John 5:23 Or, in the same manner. Only one claiming to be equal to God would say such a thing.
- John 5:27 That is, a human. Or, the Son of Man, the one mentioned in Dan 7:13.
- John 5:30 That is, hearing from the Father, complementing the seeing in v 19.
- John 5:31 That is, If I alone am, apart from God.
- John 5:33 See 1:34.
- John 5:34 That is, do not merely receive.
- John 5:39 Or, this may be a command, Search.
John 5
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus makes a man able to walk
5 Some time after that, Jesus went to Jerusalem, because it was time for one of the Jewish festivals.
2 There is a pool near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. Its name in the Jewish language is Bethesda. Round the pool, there is a building with five places that have a roof over them. 3 A large number of sick people were lying in these places. Some of them were blind. Some of them could not walk properly. Some of them could not move their legs or their arms. [[a] They were waiting for when the water started to move. 4 An angel would go down into the pool at certain times and move the water about. When that happened, all the sick people tried to get into the pool. The first person who got into the water became well, whatever his illness was.]
5 One man who was lying there had been ill for 38 years. 6 Jesus saw this man. He knew that the man had been ill like this for a very long time. So he asked the man, ‘Do you want to get well?’ 7 The sick man said, ‘Sir, I do not have anyone who will help me. I need somebody who will put me into the pool. When the water starts to move, I try to get in. But someone else always gets in before me.’ 8 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ 9 The man became well immediately. He picked up his mat and he walked.
The day when this happened was a Jewish day of rest.[b] 10 Because of this, the Jewish leaders spoke to the man that Jesus had made well. They said to him, ‘You must not carry your mat on our day of rest. You are not obeying the rules.’ 11 The man replied, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Pick up your mat and walk.” ’ 12 So they asked him, ‘Who is this man? Who said to you, “Pick up your mat and walk”?’ 13 The man did not know who had made him well. Jesus had gone away and joined the crowd that was there.
14 Some time after that, Jesus found the man in the temple. Jesus said to him, ‘See, you have become well. Stop doing wrong things. If you do not stop, something worse may happen to you.’ 15 Then the man went to the Jewish leaders. He told them that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 The Jewish leaders were angry because Jesus had made a man well on their day of rest.[c] As a result, they began to cause a lot of trouble for Jesus. 17 But Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is still working, and I too must work.’ 18 Because Jesus said this, the Jewish leaders became really angry. They wanted even more to kill him. Jesus not only worked on the day of rest. He was also calling God his own Father, so he was making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus answered them, ‘I tell you this: The Son can do nothing by himself. He sees what the Father does, and he can do only those same things. What the Father does, the Son also does. 20 The Father loves the Son. He shows the Son all the things that he himself does. And the Father will show the Son even greater things to do than these. Those greater things will surprise you even more than what you have already seen. 21 The Father raises dead people to make them alive again. In the same way, the Son gives life to whoever he chooses. 22 More than that, the Father does not judge anyone. He has given authority to the Son, so that the Son will judge all people. 23 Then all people will respect the Son as a great person. They will respect him in the way that they respect the Father. The Father sent the Son. So if people refuse to respect the Son, it shows that they do not respect the Father either.
24 I tell you this: Everyone who hears my message should believe in the Father who sent me. If they believe in me, they will have life for ever with God. God will not say that they are guilty. They are no longer under the power of death. Instead, they have life with God.
25 I tell you this: A time will soon come when those who are dead in their spirits will hear the voice of the Son of God. Yes, it is that time already. Those people who hear that message will receive true life. 26 The Father himself can give people life. In the same way, he has given authority to the Son to give people life. 27 The Father has also given authority to the Son to judge people. That is because I am the Son of Man. 28 Do not be surprised by this. There will be a time when all the dead people will hear the Son's voice. 29 They will come out from under the ground. Those people who have done good things will rise from death and they will live with God. Those people who have done evil things will also rise from death. But they will rise so that God can punish them as guilty people.’
The Father shows who Jesus really is
30 Then Jesus said, ‘I can do nothing by myself. I hear what the Father says to me. Then, because of what he says, I judge people. So I judge in a way that is fair. I am not trying to do what I want for myself. The Father sent me, and I want to do what he wants. 31 If I say great things about myself, nobody would know that my words are true. 32 But there is someone else who speaks about me. I know that what he says about me is true. 33 You have sent your people to ask John about me. What he has told you about me is true. 34 I do not need any man to speak on my behalf. But I am telling you this to help you. Then God will be able to save you. 35 John was like a light that shone brightly. For a certain time, you enjoyed the light that he gave.
36 But it is not only John who shows who I am. There are other things that show it more strongly. My Father has given work to me so that I could finish it. These are the things that I do, and they show who I am. They show clearly that the Father has sent me. 37 Also, the Father himself has spoken about me. You have never heard his voice. And you have never seen his shape. 38 I am the one that he has sent. You do not receive his message because you do not believe in me. 39 You study carefully what the Bible teaches. You think that those books will give you life with God. And it is true, those books do speak about who I am. 40 But then you refuse to come to me so that you may have life with God!
41 I do not think that it is important for people to praise me. 42 But I know what kind of people you are. I know that you do not really love God. 43 I have come with my Father's authority, but you do not accept me. But if someone else comes with his own authority, then you will accept him. 44 You like to praise each other. That makes you happy. But what about God himself? You do not try to do good things so that he will praise you. That is why you will never believe in me.
45 But I will not have to tell the Father that you are guilty. No, it is Moses who will do that. You think that Moses is the one who will show that you are right. But he is the one who will show that you are guilty. 46 Moses wrote about me. So, if you had really believed Moses, you would believe me. 47 But you do not believe what Moses wrote.[d] So you will never believe what I say.’
Footnotes
- 5:3 These words are not in all the copies of John's Gospel.
- 5:9 The Jewish day of rest was the seventh day of the week (Saturday). God had said that Israel's people must not work on that day.
- 5:16 Jesus was obeying his Father, God. And God chose to make the man well on the Jewish day of rest. The man was not really working when he carried his mat. It was not a big heavy thing.
- 5:47 The first five books of the Old Testament in the Bible are called the books of Moses.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
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