John 5:16–47

¹⁶Therefore, the Jews began persecuting^b Jesus^B because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.^c

HONORING THE FATHER AND THE SON

¹⁷Jesus responded to them, “My Father^d is still working, and I am working also.” ¹⁸This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him:^e Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

¹⁹Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father^C does, the Son likewise does these things.^{f 20}For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater works^g than these so that you will be amazed. ²¹And just as the Father raises^h the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants.^{i 22}The Father,^j in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, ²³so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.^k Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.^l

LIFE AND JUDGMENT

²⁴“Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life^m and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

²⁵“Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and is now here,ⁿ when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.^{o 26}For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son^p to have life in himself. ²⁷And he has granted him the right to pass judgment,^q because he is the Son of Man.^{r 28}Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice ²⁹and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation.

³⁰“I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment^s is just,^t because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.^u

WITNESSES TO JESUS

³¹“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. ³²There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true.^{v 33}You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth.^{w 34}I don’t receive human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. ³⁵John^Ax was a burning and shining lamp,^y and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.^z

³⁶“But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given me to accomplish.^aa These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent^ab me. ³⁷The Father who sent me has himself testified^ac about me. You have not heard his voice at any time, and you haven’t seen his form.^{ad 38}You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent. ³⁹You pore over the Scriptures^ae because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me.^{af 40}But you are not willing^ag to come to me^ah so that you may have life.

⁴¹“I do not accept glory^ai from people, ⁴²but I know you—that you have no love for God^aj within you. ⁴³I have come in my Father’s name,^ak and yet you don’t accept me.^al If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. ⁴⁴How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only^am God?^{an 45}Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses,^ao on whom you have set your hope. ⁴⁶For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. ⁴⁷But if you don’t believe what he wrote,^ap how will you believe my words?”^aq