John 13:1–20

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

¹³Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.^{* 2}The devil had already decided^l that Judas son of Simon Iscariot would betray Jesus. And during supper^{* 3}Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God,^{* 4}got up from supper, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.^{* 5}Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. ⁶He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.”^{* 9}Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet,^m but is entirely clean. And youⁿ are clean, though not all of you.” ¹¹For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”^*

¹²After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had reclined again, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am.^{* 14}So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.^{* 15}For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.^{* 16}Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers^o greater than the one who sent them.^{* 17}If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. ¹⁸I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread^p has lifted his heel against me.’^{* 19}I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe that I am he.^{q* 20}Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”^*