John 5

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

After this, there was a Jewish festival so Jesus went to Jerusalem.

2 and there is in Jerusalem by the sheep -[gate] a pool that is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches,

Now near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem is a pool called Bethzatha in Hebrew, with five porches beside it.

3 in these were lying a great multitude of the ailing, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the moving of the water,

Crowds of sick people were lying in these porches—those who were blind, lame, or paralyzed.

4 for a messenger at a set time was going down in the pool, and was troubling the water, the first then having gone in after the troubling of the water, became whole of whatever sickness he was held.

5 and there was a certain man there being in ailment thirty and eight years,

One man who was there had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus looked at him, knowing he had been lying there for long time, and asked him,

6 him Jesus having seen lying, and having known that he is already a long time, he saith to him, 'Dost thou wish to become whole?'

“Do you want to be healed?”

7 The ailing man answered him, 'Sir, I have no man, that, when the water may be troubled, he may put me into the pool, and while I am coming, another doth go down before me.'

“Sir,” the sick man answered, “I don't have anyone to help me get into the pool when the water is stirred. While I'm trying to get there, someone always gets in before me.”

8 Jesus saith to him, 'Rise, take up thy couch, and be walking;'

“Stand up, pick up your mat, and start walking!” Jesus told him.

9 and immediately the man became whole, and he took up his couch, and was walking, and it was a sabbath on that day,

Immediately the man was healed. He picked up his mat and started walking. Now the day that this happened was the Sabbath.

10 the Jews then said to him that hath been healed, 'It is a sabbath; it is not lawful to thee to take up the couch.'

So the Jews said to the man who'd been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It's against the law to carry a mat!”

11 He answered them, 'He who made me whole — that one said to me, Take up thy couch, and be walking;'

“The man who healed me told me to pick up my mat and start walking,” he replied.

12 they questioned him, then, 'Who is the man who is saying to thee, Take up thy couch and be walking?'

“Who's this person who told you to carry your mat and walk?” they asked.

13 But he that was healed had not known who he is, for Jesus did move away, a multitude being in the place.

However, the man who'd been healed didn't know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the surrounding crowd.

14 After these things, Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said to him, 'Lo, thou hast become whole; sin no more, lest something worse may happen to thee.'

Later on Jesus found the man in the Temple, and told him, “Look, now you've been healed. So stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it is Jesus who made him whole,

The man went and told the Jews it was Jesus who had healed him.

16 and because of this were the Jews persecuting Jesus, and seeking to kill him, because these things he was doing on a sabbath.

So the Jews started to harass Jesus because he was doing things on the Sabbath.

17 And Jesus answered them, 'My Father till now doth work, and I work;'

But Jesus told them, “My Father is still working, and so am I.”

18 because of this, then, were the Jews seeking the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the sabbath, but he also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

This was why the Jews tried even harder to kill him, for not only did he break the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus therefore responded and said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything of himself, if he may not see the Father doing anything; for whatever things He may do, these also the Son in like manner doth;

Jesus explained to them, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does the Son does as well.

20 for the Father doth love the Son, and doth shew to him all things that He himself doth; and greater works than these He will shew him, that ye may wonder.

For the Father loves the Son, and reveals to him everything he does; and the Father will show to him even more incredible things that will completely amaze you.

21 'For, as the Father doth raise the dead, and doth make alive, so also the Son doth make alive whom he willeth;

For just as the Father gives life to those he resurrects from the dead, in the same way the Son also gives life to those that he wants.

22 for neither doth the Father judge any one, but all the judgment He hath given to the Son,

The Father judges no one. He has given to the Son all the authority to judge,

23 that all may honour the Son according as they honour the Father; he who is not honouring the Son, doth not honour the Father who sent him.

so that everyone may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who doesn't honor the Son doesn't honor the Father who sent him.

24 'Verily, verily, I say to you — He who is hearing my word, and is believing Him who sent me, hath life age-during, and to judgment he doth not come, but hath passed out of the death to the life. (aiōnios g166)

I tell you the truth: those who follow what I say and trust the one who sent me have eternal life. They won't be condemned, but have gone from death to life. (aiōnios g166)

25 'Verily, verily, I say to you — There cometh an hour, and it now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those having heard shall live;

I tell you the truth: The time is coming—in fact it's here already—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live!

26 for, as the Father hath life in himself, so He gave also to the Son to have life in himself,

Just as the Father has life-giving power in himself, so has he given the Son the same life-giving power in himself.

27 and authority He gave him also to do judgment, because he is Son of Man.

The Father also granted the authority for judgment to him, for he is the Son of man.

28 'Wonder not at this, because there doth come an hour in which all those in the tombs shall hear his voice,

Don't be surprised at this, for the time is coming when all those in the grave will hear his voice

29 and they shall come forth; those who did the good things to a rising again of life, and those who practised the evil things to a rising again of judgment.

and will rise again: those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.

30 'I am not able of myself to do anything; according as I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.

I can do nothing by myself. I judge based on what I'm told, and my decision is right, for I'm not doing my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

31 'If I testify concerning myself, my testimony is not true;

If I were to make claims about myself, such claims wouldn't be valid;

32 another there is who is testifying concerning me, and I have known that the testimony that he doth testify concerning me is true;

but someone else gives evidence about me, and I know what he says about me is true.

33 ye have sent unto John, and he hath testified to the truth.

You asked John about me, and he told the truth,

34 'But I do not receive testimony from man, but these things I say that ye may be saved;

but I don't need any human endorsement. I'm explaining this to you so you can be saved.

35 he was the burning and shining lamp, and ye did will to be glad, for an hour, in his light.

John was like a brightly-burning light, and you were willing to enjoy his light for a while.

36 'But I have the testimony greater than John's, for the works that the Father gave me, that I might finish them, the works themselves that I do, they testify concerning me, that the Father hath sent me.

But the evidence I'm giving is greater than John's. For I am doing the work that the Father gave me to do,

37 'And the Father who sent me Himself hath testified concerning me; ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor His appearance have ye seen;

and this is the proof that the Father sent me. The Father who sent me, he himself speaks on my behalf. You've never heard his voice, and you've never seen what he looks like,

38 and His word ye have not remaining in you, because whom He sent, him ye do not believe.

and you don't accept what he says, because you don't trust in the one he sent.

39 'Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me; (aiōnios g166)

You search the Scriptures because you think that through them you'll gain eternal life. But the evidence they give is in support of me! (aiōnios g166)

40 and ye do not will to come unto me, that ye may have life;

And yet you don't want to come to me so that you might live.

41 glory from man I do not receive,

I'm not looking for human approval

42 but I have known you, that the love of God ye have not in yourselves.

—I know you, and that you don't have God's love in you.

43 'I have come in the name of my Father, and ye do not receive me; if another may come in his own name, him ye will receive;

For I've come to represent my Father, and you won't accept me; but if someone comes representing themselves, then you accept them!

44 how are ye able — ye — to believe, glory from one another receiving, and the glory that [is] from God alone ye seek not?

How can you trust in me when you look for praise from one another and yet you don't look for praise from the one true God?

45 'Do not think that I will accuse you unto the Father; there is who is accusing you, Moses — in whom ye have hoped;

But don't think I will be making accusations about you to the Father. It's Moses who is accusing you, the one in whom you place such confidence.

46 for if ye were believing Moses, ye would have been believing me, for he wrote concerning me;

For if you really trusted Moses you would trust in me, because he wrote about me.

47 but if his writings ye believe not, how shall ye believe my sayings?'

But since you don't trust what he said, why would you trust what I say?”