John 5
New Matthew Bible
He heals the man who had been sick for 38 years. The Jews accuse him. He answers for himself and reproves them.
5 After that there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 And there is at Jerusalem, by the slaughterhouse, a pool called in the Hebrew tongue Bethseda, having five porches, 3 in which lay a great number of sick folk, of the blind, lame, and paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever then first after the stirring of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there who had been diseased 38 years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that for a long time now he had been diseased, he said to him, Do you want to be made whole? 7 The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. But in the meantime, when I am about to come, another steps down before me. 8 And Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked.
And that day was the Sabbath day. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who had been healed, It is the Sabbath day; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. 11 He answered them, The man who made me whole said to me, Take up your bed and walk. 12 Then they asked him, What man is it that said to you, Take up your bed and walk? 13 But the man that was healed did not know who it was. For Jesus had gotten himself away, because there was a press of people in the place.
14 And after that, Jesus found the man in the temple and said to him, Behold, you are made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing happen to you. 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole. 16 And therefore the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought means to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day.
17 And Jesus told them, My Father works until now, and I work.
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, not only because he had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, and made himself equal with God.
19 Then Jesus said to them, Truly truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but that which he sees the Father do. For whatsoever he does, that the Son does also. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things, whatever he himself does. And he will show him greater works than these, because you should marvel. 21 For likewise as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 Neither does the Father judge any man, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 because all should honour the Son fully as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who has sent him. 24 Truly truly I say to you, he who hears my words and believes on him who sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into damnation, but is escaped from death to life.
25 Truly truly I say to you, the time shall come, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so likewise has he given to the Son to have life in himself, 27 and has given him power also to judge, in that he is the Son of man. 28 Do not be surprised at this. And the hour shall come in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice, 29 and will come forth – those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation.
30 I can of my own self do nothing at all. As I hear, I judge. And my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me.
31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of me, and I know that the witness he bears of me is true: 33 you sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. 34 But I do not need the testimony of man. Nevertheless, I say these things so that you might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light, and you were willing for a season to enjoy his light.
36 But I have greater witness than the witness of John. For the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father sent me.
37 And the Father himself who has sent me bears witness of me. You have not heard his voice at any time, nor have you seen his nature, 38 and his words you do not have abiding in you. For whom he has sent, him you do not believe.
39 Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and it is they that testify of me. 40 And yet you will not come to me so that you might have life. 41 I do not need praise from men, 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honour from one another, and do not seek the honour that comes from God only?
45 Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father. There is one who accuses you: even Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me. For he wrote of me. 47 But seeing you do not believe his writing, how will you believe my words?
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.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.