John 13:1–17

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13Now ⁿbefore ^othe Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that ^phis hour had come ^qto depart out of this world to the Father, ^rhaving loved ^shis own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ²During supper, when ^tthe devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, ³Jesus, knowing ^uthat the Father had given all things into his hands, and that ^vhe had come from God and ^wwas going back to God, ⁴rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, ^xtied it around his waist. ⁵Then he ^ypoured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” ^7zJesus answered him, “What I am doing ^ayou do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” ^8bPeter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, ^c“If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ⁹Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, ^dexcept for his feet,¹ but is completely clean. And ^eyou² are clean, ^fbut not every one of you.” ^11gFor he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

¹²When he had washed their feet and ^hput on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ⁱ“Do you understand what I have done to you? ^13jYou call me ^kTeacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, ^lyou also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example, ^mthat you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶Truly, truly, I say to you, ⁿa servant³ is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷If you know these things, ^oblessed are you if you do them.