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The healing of the disabled man

After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which is called, in Hebrew, Bethesda. It has five porticoes, where several sick people were lying. They were blind, lame and paralyzed.

There was a man who had been there, in the same sick state, for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been there a long time already.

“Do you want to get well?” he asked him.

“Well, sir,” the sick man replied, “I don’t have anyone to put me into the pool when the water gets stirred up. While I’m on my way there, someone else gets down before me.”

“Get up,” said Jesus, “pick up your mattress and walk!”

At once the man was healed. He picked up his mattress and walked.

God’s son breaks the sabbath!

The day all this happened was a sabbath. 10 So the Judaeans confronted the man who had been healed.

“It’s the sabbath!” they said. “You shouldn’t be carrying your mattress!”

11 “Well,” he replied, “the man who cured me told me to pick up my mattress and walk!”

12 “Oh, really?” they said. “And who is this man, who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 But the man who’d been healed didn’t know who it was. Jesus had gone away, and the place was crowded.

14 After this Jesus found the man in the Temple.

“Look!” he said. “You’re better again! Don’t sin anymore, or something worse might happen to you!”

15 The man went off and told the Judaeans that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 That was why the Judaeans began to persecute Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.

17 This was Jesus’ response to them.

“My father,” he said, “is going on working, and so am I!”

18 So for this reason the Judaeans were all the more eager to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath, but spoke of God as his own father, making himself equal to God.

The coming judgment

19 So Jesus made this response to them.

“I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he said. “The son can do nothing by himself. He can only do what he sees the father doing. Whatever the father does, the son does too, and in the same way. 20 The father loves the son, you see, and shows him all the things that he’s doing. Yes: he will show him even greater things than these, and that’ll amaze you! 21 For, just as the father raises the dead and gives them life, in the same way the son gives life to anyone he chooses.

22 “The father doesn’t judge anyone, you see; he has handed over all judgment to the son, 23 so that everyone should honor the son just as they honor the father. Anyone who doesn’t honor the son doesn’t honor the father who sent him.

24 “I’m telling you the solemn truth: anyone who hears my word, and believes in the one who sent me, has the life of God’s coming age. Such a person won’t come into judgment; they will have passed out of death into life. 25 I’m telling you the solemn truth: the time is coming—in fact, it’s here already!—when the dead will hear the voice of God’s son, and those who hear it will live. 26 You see, just as the father has life in himself, in the same way he has given the son the privilege of having life in himself. 27 He has even given him authority to pass judgment, because he is the son of man.

28 “Don’t be surprised at this. The time is coming, you see, when everyone in the tombs will hear his voice. 29 They will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.”

The evidence in support of Jesus

30 “I can’t do anything on my own authority,” Jesus went on. “I judge on the basis of what I hear. And my judgment is just, because I’m not trying to carry out my own wishes, but the wishes of the one who sent me.

31 “If I give evidence about myself, my evidence isn’t true. 32 There is someone else who gives evidence about me, and I know that the evidence he brings about me is true. 33 You sent messengers to John, and he gave evidence about the truth. 34 Not that I need evidence from human beings; but I’m saying this so that you may be saved.

35 “John was a burning, bright lamp, and you were happy to celebrate in his light for a while. 36 But I have greater evidence on my side than that of John. The works which the father has given me to complete—these works, which I’m doing, will provide evidence about me, evidence that the father has sent me. 37 And the father who sent me has given evidence about me. You’ve never heard his voice; you’ve never seen his form. 38 What’s more, you haven’t got his word abiding in you, because you don’t believe in the one he sent.”

Jesus and Moses

39 “You study the Bible,” Jesus continued, “because you suppose that you’ll discover the life of God’s coming age in it. In fact, it’s the Bible which gives evidence about me! 40 But you won’t come to me so that you can have life.

41 “I’m not accepting glory from human beings; 42 but I know that you haven’t got the love of God within you. 43 I have come in the name of my father, and you won’t receive me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him! 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you’re not looking for the glory which comes from the one and only God?

45 “Don’t think that I’m going to accuse you to the father. There is someone who accuses you, namely Moses, the one you look to in hope! 46 You see, if you’d believed Moses, you would have believed me—because it was me he was writing about. 47 But if you don’t believe his writings, how are you going to believe my words?”

A Paralytic Is Healed

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool called in Aramaic Bethzatha,[a] which has five porticoes. In these were lying a large number of those who were sick, blind, lame, paralyzed.[b] And a certain man was there who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness. 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?” 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.” Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” 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

  1. John 5:2 The majority of later manuscripts read “Bethesda,” while other early manuscripts read “Bethsaida”
  2. John 5:3 The majority of later manuscripts add the following words: “waiting for the moving of the water. 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.”
  3. John 5:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  4. John 5:6 The phrase “been sick” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied from the context
  5. John 5:7 Literally “during which time
  6. John 5:9 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to walk”)
  7. John 5:10 Some manuscripts have “your mat”
  8. John 5:12 Some manuscripts have “They asked him”
  9. 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
  10. John 5:13 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was”)
  11. John 5:16 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to persecute”)
  12. John 5:17 Some manuscripts have “Jesus answered”
  13. John 5:18 Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“making”) which is understood as result
  14. John 5:21 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  15. John 5:23 The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is implied
  16. John 5:39 Or “Search” (an imperative)
  17. John 5:41 Or “honor”
  18. John 5:44 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“accept”) which is understood as conditional

治好病了三十八年的人

这些事以后,到了犹太人的一个节期,耶稣就上耶路撒冷去。 在耶路撒冷靠近羊门有一个水池,希伯来话叫作毕士大,池边有五条走廊。 在那里躺着许多病人,有瞎眼的、瘸腿的和瘫痪的。(有些抄本有以下一段:“他们等候水动,4因为有主的使者按时下去搅动池水,水动之后,谁先下去,无论甚么病,必得痊愈。”) 那里有一个人,病了三十八年。 耶稣看见他躺着,知道他病了很久,就问他:“你要痊愈吗?” 病人回答:“先生,水动的时候,没有人把我放在池里;自己想去的时候,总是给别人抢先。” 耶稣对他说:“起来,拿着你的褥子走吧。” 那人立刻痊愈,就拿起褥子走了。

那天正是安息日。 10 因此犹太人对那医好了的人说:“今天是安息日,你拿着褥子是不可以的。” 11 他却回答:“那使我痊愈的对我说:‘拿起你的褥子走吧’。” 12 他们就问:“那对你说‘拿起来走吧’的是谁?” 13 那医好了的人不知道他是谁,因为那里人很多,耶稣已经避开了。 14 后来,耶稣在殿里遇见那人,对他说:“你已经痊愈了,不可再犯罪,免得招来更大的祸患。” 15 那人就去告诉犹太人,使他痊愈的就是耶稣。 16 从此犹太人就迫害耶稣,因为他常常在安息日作这些事。 17 耶稣却对他们说:“我父作工直到现在,我也作工。” 18 因此犹太人就更想杀耶稣,因为他不但破坏安息日,而且称 神为自己的父,把自己与 神当作平等。

人子的权柄

19 耶稣又对他们说:“我实实在在告诉你们,子靠着自己不能作甚么,只能作他看见父所作的;因为父所作的事,子也照样作。 20 父爱子,把自己所作的一切指示给他看,还要把比这些更大的事指示给他看,使你们惊奇。 21 父怎样叫死人复活,使他们得生命,子也照样随自己的意思使人得生命。 22 父不审判人,却已经把审判的权柄完全交给子, 23 使所有的人尊敬子好象尊敬父一样。不尊敬子的,就是不尊敬那差他来的父。 24 我实实在在告诉你们,那听见我的话又信那差我来的,就有永生,不被定罪,而是已经出死入生了。 25 我实实在在告诉你们,时候将到,现在就是了,死人要听见 神儿子的声音,听见的人就要活了。 26 就如父是生命的源头,照样他也使子成为生命的源头, 27 并且把执行审判的权柄赐给他,因为他是人子。 28 你们不要把这事看作希奇,因为时候将到,那时所有在坟墓里的都要听见他的声音, 29 并且都要出来;行善的复活得生命,作恶的复活被定罪。

给耶稣作见证的

30 “我靠着自己不能作甚么,我怎样听见,就怎样审判。我的审判是公义的,因为我不寻求自己的意思,只求那差我来者的旨意。 31 我若为自己作证,我的见证就不真。 32 然而另有一位为我作证的,我知道他为我作的见证是真的。 33 你们曾经派人到约翰那里,他为真理作过见证。 34 我不接受从人而来的见证,但我说这些事,是要你们得救。 35 约翰是一盏点亮的灯,你们情愿暂时在他的光中欢乐。 36 但我有比约翰更大的见证,因为父赐给我要我完成的工作,就是我所要作的,证明我是父所差来的。 37 差我来的父亲自为我作了见证。他的声音,你们从没有听过;他的容貌,你们从没有见过; 38 他的道,你们也不放在心里,因为你们不信他所差来的那一位。 39 你们研究圣经,因为你们认为圣经中有永生,其实为我作证的就是这圣经, 40 然而你们却不肯到我这里来得生命。

41 “我不接受从人而来的称赞; 42 我知道你们心里没有 神的爱。 43 我奉我父的名而来,你们不接待我;如果有别人以自己的名义而来,你们倒接待他。 44 你们彼此接受称赞,却不寻求从独一的 神而来的称赞,怎么能信呢? 45 不要以为我要向父控告你们,有一位控告你们的,就是你们所仰赖的摩西。 46 你们若信摩西,也必信我,因为他所写的书曾论及我。 47 你们若不信他所写的,怎能信我的话呢?”