Chapter 5

The Healing at Bethesda

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

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by athe sheep gate a pool, which is called bin 1Hebrew 2Bethesda, having five porticoes.

3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [1waiting for the moving of the waters;

4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]

5 A man was there who had been 1ill for thirty-eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He * said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”

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

8 Jesus * said to him, “aGet up, pick up your pallet and walk.”

9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

aNow it was the Sabbath on that day.

10 So athe Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and bit is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’ ”

12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”

13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus * found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not asin anymore, bso that nothing worse happens to you.”

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

16 For this reason athe Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

Jesus’ Equality with God

18 For this reason therefore athe Jews bwere seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, cmaking Himself equal with God.

19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, athe Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever 1the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

20 “aFor the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him bgreater works than these, so that you will marvel.

21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and agives them life, even so bthe Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but aHe has given all judgment to the Son,

23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. aHe who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and abelieves Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and bdoes not come into judgment, but has cpassed out of death into life.

Two Resurrections

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, aan hour is coming and now is, when bthe dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who chear will live.

26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He agave to the Son also to have life in Himself;

27 and He gave Him authority to aexecute judgment, because He is 1the Son of Man.

28 “Do not marvel at this; for aan hour is coming, in which ball who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

29 and will come forth; athose who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

30 “aI can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and bMy judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but cthe will of Him who sent Me.

31 “aIf I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not 1true.

32 “There is aanother who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

Witness of John

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

34 “But athe testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.

35 “He was athe lamp that was burning and was shining and you bwere willing to rejoice for 1a while in his light.

Witness of Works

36 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for athe works which the Father has given Me bto accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father chas sent Me.

Witness of the Father

37 “And the Father who sent Me, aHe has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.

38 “You do not have aHis word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He bsent.

Witness of the Scripture

39 “1aYou search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is bthese that testify about Me;

40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

41 “aI do not receive glory from men;

42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

43 “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; aif another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

44 “How can you believe, when you areceive 1glory from one another and you do not seek bthe 1glory that is from cthe one and only God?

45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is aMoses, in whom you have set your hope.

46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for ahe wrote about Me.

47 “But aif you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”