John 5
Lexham English Bible
A Paralytic Is Healed
5 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool called in Aramaic Bethzatha,[a] which has five porticoes. 3 In these were lying a large number of those who were sick, blind, lame, paralyzed.[b] 5 And a certain man was there who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness. 6 Jesus, when he[c] saw this one lying there and knew that he had been sick[d] a long time already, said to him, “Do you want to become well?” 7 The one who was sick answered him, “Sir, I do not have anyone that, whenever the water is stirred up, could put me into the pool. But while[e] I am coming, another goes down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” 9 And immediately the man became well and picked up his mat and began to walk.[f] (Now it was the Sabbath on that day.)
10 So the Jews were saying to the one who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permitted for you to pick up the mat!”[g] 11 But he answered them, “The one who made me well—that one said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk!’” 12 So they asked him,[h] “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat[i] and walk?’” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn while[j] a crowd was in the place.
Equal with God
14 After these things Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well! Sin no longer, lest something worse happen to you.” 15 The man went and reported to the Jews that Jesus was the one who made him well. 16 And on account of this the Jews began to persecute[k] Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But he answered[l] them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 So on account of this the Jews were seeking even more to kill him, because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own Father, thus[m] making himself equal with God.
The Authority of the Son
19 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing from himself except what he sees the Father doing. For whatever that one does, these things also the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself is doing. And greater works than these he will show him, so that you will be astonished. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and makes them[n] alive, thus also the Son makes alive whomever he wishes. 22 For the Father does not judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, 23 in order that all people[o] will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly I say to you that the one who hears my word and who believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
25 “Truly, truly I say to you, that an hour is coming—and now is here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has granted him authority to carry out judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be astonished at this, because an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and they will come out—those who have done good things to a resurrection of life, but those who have practiced evil things to a resurrection of judgment. 30 I am able to do nothing from myself. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.
Further Testimony About the Son
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true. 33 You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 (And I do not receive testimony from people, but I say these things in order that you may be saved.) 35 That one was the lamp which was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice for an hour in his light.
36 “But I have a testimony greater than John’s, for the works which the Father has given to me that I should complete them—the very works which I am doing—these testify about me, that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me, that one has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. 38 And you do not have his word residing in yourselves, because the one whom that one sent, in this one you do not believe. 39 You search[p] the scriptures because you think that you have eternal life in them, and it is these that testify about me. 40 And you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.
41 “I do not accept glory[q] 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 accept me. If another should come in his own name, you would accept that one! 44 How are you able to believe, if you[r] accept glory from one another, and do not seek the glory which is from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father! The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope! 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would believe me, for that one wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe that one’s writings, how will you believe my words?”
Footnotes
- John 5:2 The majority of later manuscripts read “Bethesda,” while other early manuscripts read “Bethsaida”
- John 5:3 The majority of later manuscripts add the following words: “waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel of the Lord from time to time went down in the pool and stirred up the water. So the one who went in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he suffered.”
- John 5:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- John 5:6 The phrase “been sick” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied from the context
- John 5:7 Literally “during which time”
- John 5:9 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to walk”)
- John 5:10 Some manuscripts have “your mat”
- John 5:12 Some manuscripts have “They asked him”
- John 5:12 In Greek the direct object (“your mat”) is not in the Greek text but the repetition is implied from the previous verse
- John 5:13 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was”)
- John 5:16 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to persecute”)
- John 5:17 Some manuscripts have “Jesus answered”
- John 5:18 Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“making”) which is understood as result
- John 5:21 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 5:23 The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- John 5:39 Or “Search” (an imperative)
- John 5:41 Or “honor”
- John 5:44 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“accept”) which is understood as conditional
John 5
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Heals a Sick Man
5 Later, Jesus went to Jerusalem for another Jewish festival.[a] 2 In the city near the sheep gate was a pool with five porches, and its name in Hebrew was Bethzatha.[b]
3-4 Many sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying close to the pool.[c]
5 Beside the pool was a man who had been sick for 38 years. 6 When Jesus saw the man and realized that he had been crippled for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be healed?”
7 The man answered, “Sir, I don't have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. I try to get in, but someone else always gets there first.”
8 Jesus told him, “Pick up your mat and walk!” 9 Right then the man was healed. He picked up his mat and started walking around. The day on which this happened was a Sabbath.
10 (A) When the Jewish leaders saw the man carrying his mat, they said to him, “This is the Sabbath! No one is allowed to carry a mat on the Sabbath.”
11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me to pick up my mat and walk.”
12 They asked him, “Who is this man that told you to pick up your mat and walk?” 13 But he did not know who Jesus was, and Jesus had left because of the crowd.
14 Later, Jesus met the man in the temple and told him, “You are now well. But don't sin anymore or something worse might happen to you.” 15 The man left and told the leaders that Jesus was the one who had healed him. 16 They started making a lot of trouble for Jesus because he did things like this on the Sabbath.
17 But Jesus said, “My Father has never stopped working, and this is why I keep on working.” 18 (B) Now the leaders wanted to kill Jesus for two reasons. First, he had broken the law of the Sabbath. But even worse, he had said God was his Father, which made him equal with God.
The Son's Authority
19 Jesus told the people:
I tell you for certain the Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing, and he does exactly what he sees the Father do. 20 The Father loves the Son and has shown him everything he does. The Father will show him even greater things, and you will be amazed. 21 Just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants to.
22 The Father doesn't judge anyone, but he has made his Son the judge of everyone. 23 The Father wants all people to honor the Son as much as they honor him. When anyone refuses to honor the Son, this is the same as refusing to honor the Father who sent him. 24 I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life.
25 I tell you for certain the time will come, and it is already here, when all of the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen to it will live! 26 The Father has the power to give life, and he has given that same power to the Son. 27 And he has given his Son the right to judge everyone, because he is the Son of Man.
28 Don't be surprised! The time will come when all of the dead will hear the voice of the Son of Man, 29 (C) and they will come out of their graves. Everyone who has done good things will rise to life, but everyone who has done evil things will rise and be condemned.
30 I cannot do anything on my own. The Father sent me, and he is the one who told me how to judge. I judge with fairness, because I obey him, and I don't just try to please myself.
Witnesses to Jesus
31 If I speak for myself, there is no way to prove I am telling the truth. 32 But there is someone else who speaks for me, and I know what he says is true. 33 (D) You sent messengers to John, and he told them the truth. 34 I don't depend on what people say about me, but I tell you these things so that you may be saved. 35 (E) John was a lamp that gave a lot of light, and you were glad to enjoy his light for a while.
36 But something more important than John speaks for me. I mean the things that the Father has given me to do! All of these speak for me and prove that the Father sent me.
37 (F) The Father who sent me also speaks for me, but you have never heard his voice or seen him face to face. 38 You have not believed his message, because you refused to have faith in the one he sent.
39 (G) You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about me, 40 but you refuse to come to me for eternal life.
41 I don't care about human praise, 42 but I do know that none of you love God. 43 I have come with my Father's authority, and you have not welcomed me. But you will welcome people who come on their own. 44 How could you possibly believe? You like to have your friends praise you, and you don't care about praise that the only God can give!
45 Don't think that I will be the one to accuse you to the Father. You have put your hope in Moses, yet he is the very one who will accuse you. 46 Moses wrote about me, and if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me. 47 But if you don't believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say?
Footnotes
- 5.1 another Jewish festival: Either the Festival of Shelters or Passover.
- 5.2 Bethzatha: Some manuscripts have “Bethesda” and others have “Bethsaida.”
- 5.3,4 pool: Some manuscripts add, “They were waiting for the water to be stirred, because an angel from the Lord would sometimes come down and stir it. The first person to get into the pool after that would be healed.”
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