John 5

1 After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Sometime after this there was a Jewish Festival; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches.

There is in Jerusalem, near the sheep-gate, a bath with five colonnades round it. It is called in Hebrew “Bethesda.”

3 In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralysed, waiting for the moving of the water;

In these colonnades a large number of sick people were lying – blind, lame, and crippled.

4 for an angel went down at certain times into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.

5 A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years.

One man who was there had been crippled for thirty-eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Jesus saw the man lying there, and, finding that he had been in this state a long time, said to him, ‘Do you wish to be cured?’

7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.”

‘I have no one, Sir,’ the sick man answered, ‘to put me into the bath when there is a troubling of the water, and, while I am getting to it, someone else steps down before me.’

8 Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”

‘Stand up,’ said Jesus, ‘take up your mat, and walk.’

9 Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now that day was a Sabbath.

The man was cured immediately, and took up his mat and began walking.

10 So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”

Now it was the Sabbath. So the religious authorities said to the man who had been cured, ‘This is the Sabbath; you must not carry your mat.’

11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”

‘The man who cured me,’ he answered, ‘said to me “Take up your mat and walk.”’

12 Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat and walk’?”

‘Who was it,’ they asked, ‘that said to you “Take up your mat and walk”?’

13 But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.

But the man who had been restored did not know who it was; for Jesus had moved away, because there was a crowd there.

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

Afterwards Jesus found the man in the Temple Courts, and said to him, ‘You are cured now; do not sin again, or something worse may happen to you.’

15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The man went away, and told the authorities that it was Jesus who had cured him.

16 For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.

And that was why they began to persecute Jesus – because he did things of this kind on the Sabbath.

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.”

But Jesus replied, ‘My Father works to this very hour, and I work also.’

18 For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

This made the authorities all the more eager to kill him, because not only was he doing away with the Sabbath, but he actually called God his own Father – putting himself on an equality with God.

19 Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things he does, these the Son also does likewise.

So Jesus made this further reply, ‘In truth I tell you, the Son can do nothing of himself; he does only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does also.

20 For the Father has affection for the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does. He will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

For the Father loves his Son, and shows him everything that he is doing; and he will show him still greater things – so that you will be filled with wonder.

21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.

For, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he pleases.

22 For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgement to the Son,

The Father himself does not judge any one, but has entrusted the work of judging entirely to his Son,

23 that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He who doesn’t honour the Son doesn’t honour the Father who sent him.

so that everyone may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father. The person who does not honour the Son fails to honour the Father who sent him.

24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life. (aiōnios g166)

In truth I tell you that the person who listens to my message and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of death into life. (aiōnios g166)

25 Most certainly I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live.

In truth I tell you that a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the dead will listen to the voice of the Son of God, and when those who listen will live.

26 For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.

For, just as the Father has inherent life within him, so also he has granted to the Son to have inherent life within him;

27 He also gave him authority to execute judgement, because he is a son of man.

and, because he is Son of Man, he has also given him authority to act as judge.

28 Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice

Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice,

29 and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement.

and will come out – those who have done good rising to life, and those who have lived evil lives rising for condemnation.

30 I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgement is righteous, because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

I can do nothing of myself; I judge as I am taught; and the judgment that I give is just, because my aim is not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

31 “If I testify about myself, my witness is not valid.

‘If I bear testimony to myself, my testimony is not trustworthy;

32 It is another who testifies about me. I know that the testimony which he testifies about me is true.

it is another who bears testimony to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is trustworthy.

33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

You have yourselves sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

34 But the testimony which I receive is not from man. However, I say these things that you may be saved.

But the testimony which I receive is not from people; I am saying this for your salvation.

35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

He was the Lamp that was burning and shining, and you were ready to rejoice, for a time, in his light.

36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent me.

But the testimony which I have is of greater weight than John’s; for the work that the Father has given me to carry out – the work that I am doing – is in itself proof that the Father has sent me as his messenger.

37 The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.

The Father who has sent me has himself borne testimony to me. You have neither listened to his voice, not seen his form;

38 You don’t have his word living in you, because you don’t believe him whom he sent.

and you have not taken his message home to your hearts, because you do not believe him whom he sent as his messenger.

39 “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. (aiōnios g166)

You search the scriptures, because you think that you find in them immortal life; and, though it is those scriptures that bear testimony to me, (aiōnios g166)

40 Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.

you refuse to come to me to have life.

41 I don’t receive glory from men.

‘I do not receive honour from people,

42 But I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in yourselves.

but I know this of you, that you have not the love of God in your hearts.

43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

44 How can you believe, who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?

How can you believe in me, when you receive honour from one another and do not desire the honour which comes from the only God?

45 “Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set your hope.

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes.

46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me.

For, had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for it was of me that Moses wrote;

47 But if you don’t believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

but, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my teaching?’