John 5
New Testament for Everyone
The healing of the disabled man
5 After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 In Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which is called, in Hebrew, Bethesda. It has five porticoes, 3 where several sick people were lying. They were blind, lame and paralyzed.
5 There was a man who had been there, in the same sick state, for thirty-eight years. 6 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.
7 “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.”
8 “Get up,” said Jesus, “pick up your mattress and walk!”
9 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?”
John 5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 5[a]
Cure on a Sabbath. 1 After this, there was a feast[b] of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(A) 2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep [Gate][c] a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.(B) 3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.[d] [4 ][e] 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”(C) 9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.(D)
Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”(E) 11 He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.(F) 14 [f]After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him,(G) “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.(H) 17 [g]But Jesus answered them,(I) “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.(J)
The Work of the Son. 19 [h]Jesus answered and said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing;(K) for what he does, his son will do also. 20 For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.(L) 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life,[i] so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes.(M) 22 Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment[j] to his Son,(N) 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.(O) 25 Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.(P) 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself.(Q) 27 And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man.(R) 28 [k]Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice(S) 29 and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.(T)
30 “I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.(U)
Witnesses to Jesus. 31 (V)“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. 32 But there is another[l] who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. 33 You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.(W) 34 I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved.(X) 35 He was a burning and shining lamp,[m] and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.(Y) 36 But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.(Z) 37 Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(AA) 38 and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.(AB) 39 You search[n] the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.(AC) 40 But you do not want to come to me to have life.
Unbelief of Jesus’ Hearers. 41 “I do not accept human praise;[o] 42 moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.(AD) 43 I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.(AE) 44 How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?(AF) 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.(AG) 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.(AH) 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
Footnotes
- 5:1–47 The self-revelation of Jesus continues in Jerusalem at a feast. The third sign (cf. Jn 2:11; 4:54) is performed, the cure of a paralytic by Jesus’ life-giving word. The water of the pool fails to bring life; Jesus’ word does.
- 5:1 The reference in Jn 5:45–46 to Moses suggests that the feast was Pentecost. The connection of that feast with the giving of the law to Moses on Sinai, attested in later Judaism, may already have been made in the first century. The feast could also be Passover (cf. Jn 6:4). John stresses that the day was a sabbath (Jn 5:9).
- 5:2 There is no noun with Sheep. “Gate” is supplied on the grounds that there must have been a gate in the NE wall of the temple area where animals for sacrifice were brought in; cf. Neh 3:1, 32; 12:39. Hebrew: more precisely, Aramaic. Bethesda: preferred to variants “Be(th)zatha” and “Bethsaida”; bêt-’ešdatayīn is given as the name of a double pool northeast of the temple area in the Qumran Copper Roll. Five porticoes: a pool excavated in Jerusalem actually has five porticoes.
- 5:3 The Caesarean and Western recensions, followed by the Vulgate, add “waiting for the movement of the water.” Apparently an intermittent spring in the pool bubbled up occasionally (see Jn 5:7). This turbulence was believed to cure.
- 5:4 Toward the end of the second century in the West and among the fourth-century Greek Fathers, an additional verse was known: “For [from time to time] an angel of the Lord used to come down into the pool; and the water was stirred up, so the first one to get in [after the stirring of the water] was healed of whatever disease afflicted him.” The angel was a popular explanation of the turbulence and the healing powers attributed to it. This verse is missing from all early Greek manuscripts and the earliest versions, including the original Vulgate. Its vocabulary is markedly non-Johannine.
- 5:14 While the cure of the paralytic in Mk 2:1–12 is associated with the forgiveness of sins, Jesus never drew a one-to-one connection between sin and suffering (cf. Jn 9:3; Lk 12:1–5), as did Ez 18:20.
- 5:17 Sabbath observance (Jn 5:10) was based on God’s resting on the seventh day (cf. Gn 2:2–3; Ex 20:11). Philo and some rabbis insisted that God’s providence remains active on the sabbath, keeping all things in existence, giving life in birth and taking it away in death. Other rabbis taught that God rested from creating, but not from judging (= ruling, governing). Jesus here claims the same authority to work as the Father, and, in the discourse that follows, the same divine prerogatives: power over life and death (Jn 5:21, 24–26) and judgment (Jn 5:22, 27).
- 5:19 This proverb or parable is taken from apprenticeship in a trade: the activity of a son is modeled on that of his father. Jesus’ dependence on the Father is justification for doing what the Father does.
- 5:21 Gives life: in the Old Testament, a divine prerogative (Dt 32:39; 1 Sm 2:6; 2 Kgs 5:7; Tb 13:2; Is 26:19; Dn 12:2).
- 5:22 Judgment: another divine prerogative, often expressed as acquittal or condemnation (Dt 32:36; Ps 43:1).
- 5:28–29 While Jn 5:19–27 present realized eschatology, Jn 5:28–29 are future eschatology; cf. Dn 12:2.
- 5:32 Another: likely the Father, who in four different ways gives testimony to Jesus, as indicated in the verse groupings Jn 5:33–34, 36, 37–38, 39–40.
- 5:35 Lamp: cf. Ps 132:17—“I will place a lamp for my anointed (= David),” and possibly the description of Elijah in Sir 48:1. But only for a while, indicating the temporary and subordinate nature of John’s mission.
- 5:39 You search: this may be an imperative: “Search the scriptures, because you think that you have eternal life through them.”
- 5:41 Praise: the same Greek word means “praise” or “honor” (from others) and “glory” (from God). There is a play on this in Jn 5:44.
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
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
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