John 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father.(A) Having loved His own who were in the world,(B) He loved them to the end.[a]
2 Now by the time of supper, the Devil(C) had already put it into the heart of Judas,(D) Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray(E) Him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands,(F) that He had come from God,(G) and that He was going back to God.(H) 4 So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe,(I) took a towel, and tied it around Himself.(J) 5 Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.
6 He came to Simon Peter,(K) who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know.”(L)
8 “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Peter said.
Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
10 “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him. This is why He said, “You are not all clean.”
The Meaning of Footwashing
12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined[b] again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.(M) 15 For I have given you an example(N) that you also should do just as I have done for you.
16 “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master,[c](O) and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.(P) 18 I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen.(Q) But the Scripture(R) must be fulfilled:(S) The one who eats My bread[d] has raised his heel against Me.(T)[e]
19 “I am telling you now before it happens,(U) so that when it does happen you will believe(V) that I am He.(W) 20 I assure you: Whoever receives anyone I send receives Me, and the one who receives(X) Me receives Him who sent Me.”
Judas’s Betrayal Predicted
21 When(Y) Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit(Z) and testified,(AA) “I assure you: One of you will betray Me!”
22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one He was speaking about. 23 One of His disciples, the one Jesus loved,(AB) was reclining close beside Jesus.[f] 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus replied, “He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.”(AC) When He had dipped the bread,(AD) He gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son.[g] 27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan(AE) entered him. Therefore Jesus told him, “What you’re doing, do quickly.”
28 None of those reclining at the table knew why He told him this. 29 Since Judas(AF) kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,”(AG) or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.(AH)
The New Command
31 When(AI) he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man(AJ) is glorified, and God is glorified(AK) in Him.(AL) 32 If God is glorified in Him,[h] God will also glorify Him in Himself and will glorify Him at once.
33 “Children, I am with you a little while longer.(AM) You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’(AN) so now I tell you.
34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love(AO) for one another.”
Peter’s Denials Predicted
36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to Him, “where are You going?”
Jesus answered, “Where I am going(AP) you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”
37 “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life(AQ) for You!”(AR)
38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.
Footnotes
- John 13:1 = completely or always
- John 13:12 At important meals the custom was to recline on a mat at a low table and lean on the left elbow.
- John 13:16 Or lord
- John 13:18 Other mss read eats bread with Me
- John 13:18 Ps 41:9
- John 13:23 Lit reclining at Jesus’ breast; that is, on His right; Jn 1:18
- John 13:26 Other mss read Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son
- John 13:32 Other mss omit If God is glorified in Him
John 13
Expanded Bible
Jesus Washes His Followers’ Feet
13 ·It was almost time for [L Now before…,] the Passover Feast [12:12]. Jesus knew that it was ·time [L the hour] for him to ·leave [depart from] this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them ·all the way to the end [or completely; totally].
2 ·Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal [L It was dinnertime]. The devil had already ·persuaded [L put it into the heart of] Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to ·turn against [betray] Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had ·given him power over everything [L placed everything into his hands] and that he had come from God and was going back to God. 4 So ·during the meal [L from supper] Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the ·followers’ [disciples’] feet, ·drying [wiping] them with the towel that was wrapped around him. [C This act was considered so demeaning by some people that they only allowed Gentile slaves to do it.]
6 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”
8 Peter said, “No, you will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “If I don’t wash your feet, you ·are not one of my people [L have no share/part with me].”
9 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash my hands and my head, too!”
10 Jesus said to him, “After a person has ·had a bath [washed; bathed], his whole body is clean. He needs only to wash his feet. And you men are clean, but not all of you.” 11 [L For] Jesus knew who would ·turn against [betray] him, and that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and ·sat down [L reclined; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party] again. He asked, “Do you understand what I have just done ·for [to] you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ [C titles appropriately ascribed to an esteemed Rabbi, but which took on deeper meaning after his death and resurrection], and you are right, because that is what I am. 14 If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet. 15 I did this as ·an example [a pattern] so that you should do as I have done for you. 16 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], a ·servant [slave; bond-servant] is not greater than his ·master [lord]. [L And] A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
18 “I am not talking about all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this is to ·bring about what the Scripture said [L fulfill the Scripture]: ·‘The man who ate at my table has turned against me.’ [L ‘The one who ate bread with me lifted his heel against me’; Ps. 41:9; C eating with someone showed an intimate relationship, and lifting one’s heel was an act of betrayal.] 19 I am telling you this now before it happens so that when it happens, you will believe that ·I am he [L I am; C this may be an allusion to God’s (Yahweh’s) self identification as “I AM” in Ex. 3:14, or to God’s repeated claim that “I am he” throughout Is. 40—55; see John 8:24, 28, 58]. 20 ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], whoever ·accepts [receives] anyone I send also ·accepts [receives] me. And whoever ·accepts [receives] me also ·accepts [receives] the One who sent me [Matt. 10:40].”
Jesus Talks About His Death(A)
21 After Jesus said this, he was very troubled [L in spirit]. He ·said openly [bore witness and said], “·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], one of you will ·turn against [betray] me.”
22 The ·followers [disciples] all looked at each other, because they did not know whom Jesus was talking about. 23 One of the ·followers [disciples] ·sitting next to Jesus [L reclining at his side/chest; C an honored position] was the ·follower [disciple] Jesus loved [C a reference to John]. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus whom he was talking about.
25 That ·follower [disciple] ·leaned [reclined] closer to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “I will dip this [piece/morsel of] bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man who will ·turn against [betray] me.” So Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 ·As soon as [After] Judas took the [piece/morsel of] bread, Satan entered him. [L Then] Jesus said to him, “·The thing that you will do—do it quickly [T What you do, do quickly].” 28 No one ·at the table [L of those reclining] understood why Jesus said this to Judas. 29 Since he was the one who kept the money ·box [or bag], some of the ·followers [disciples] thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the ·feast [festival] or to give something to the poor.
30 [L So] Judas took the [piece/morsel of] bread Jesus gave him and immediately went out. It was night. [C The night is both a time reference and a symbol of Judas’ evil actions.]
31 When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the ·Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] ·receives his glory [is glorified], and God ·receives glory [is glorified] through him. 32 If God ·receives glory [is glorified] through him,[a] then God will ·give glory to [glorify; honor] the Son through himself. And God will ·give him glory [glorify/honor him] ·quickly [immediately; at once].”
33 Jesus said, “·My children [or Little children; C a term of endearment], I will be with you only a little longer. You will ·look for [seek] me, and what I told the Jews [7:33–34; 8:21], I tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come.
34 “I give you a new ·command [commandment]: Love ·each other [T one another]. You must love ·each other [T one another] as I have loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my ·followers [disciples] if you love ·each other [T one another].”
Peter Will Say He Doesn’t Know Jesus(B)
36 Simon Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I ·am ready to die for you [L will lay down my life for you]!”
38 Jesus answered, “·Are you ready to die for me [L Will you lay down your life for me]? ·I tell you the truth [L Truly, truly, I say to you], before the ·rooster [cock] crows, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].”
Footnotes
- John 13:32 If … him Some Greek copies do not have this phrase.
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