John 5 | King James Version :: ERF Bibleserver

King James Version

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. 11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. 15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. 16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. 17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

New International Reader’s Version

Jesus heals a man at the pool

1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts. 2 In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate is a pool. In the Aramaic language it is called Bethesda. It is surrounded by five rows of columns with a roof over them. 3-4 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie down. Among them were those who were blind, those who could not walk, and those who could hardly move. 5 One person was there who had not been able to walk for 38 years. 6 Jesus saw him lying there. He knew that the man had been in that condition for a long time. So he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ 7 ‘Sir’, the disabled man replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when an angel stirs up the water. I try to get in, but someone else always goes down ahead of me.’ 8 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ 9 The man was healed right away. He picked up his mat and walked. This happened on a Sabbath day. 10 So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath day. The law does not allow you to carry your mat.’ 11 But he replied, ‘The one who made me well said to me, “Pick up your mat and walk.” ’ 12 They asked him, ‘Who is this fellow? Who told you to pick it up and walk?’ 13 The one who was healed had no idea who it was. Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple. Jesus said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.’ 15 The man went away. He told the Jewish leaders it was Jesus who had made him well.

The authority of the Son

16 Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath day. So the Jewish leaders began to oppose him. 17 Jesus defended himself. He said to them, ‘My Father is always doing his work. He is working right up to this day. I am working too.’ 18 For this reason the Jewish leaders tried even harder to kill him. According to them, Jesus was not only breaking the law of the Sabbath day. He was even calling God his own Father. He was making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus answered, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. The Son can do nothing by himself. He can do only what he sees his Father doing. What the Father does, the Son also does. 20 This is because the Father loves the Son. The Father shows him everything he does. Yes, and the Father will show the Son even greater works than these. And you will be amazed. 21 The Father raises the dead and gives them life. In the same way, the Son gives life to anyone he wants to. 22 Also, the Father does not judge anyone. He has given the Son the task of judging. 23 Then all people will honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him. 24 ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. They will not be judged. They have crossed over from death to life. 25 What I’m about to tell you is true. A time is coming for me to give life. In fact, it has already begun. The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear it will live. 26 The Father has life in himself. He has allowed the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And the Father has given him the authority to judge. This is because he is the Son of Man. 28 ‘Do not be amazed at this. A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice. 29 They will all come out of their graves. People who have done what is good will rise and live again. People who have done what is evil will rise and be found guilty. 30 I can do nothing by myself. I judge only as I hear. And my judging is fair. I do not try to please myself. I try to please the one who sent me.

Being a witness about Jesus

31 ‘If I am a witness about myself, what I say is not true. 32 There is someone else who is a witness in my favour. And I know that what he says about me is true. 33 ‘You have sent people to John the Baptist. He has been a witness to the truth. 34 I do not accept what a person says. I only talk about what John says so that you can be saved. 35 John was like a lamp that burned and gave light. For a while you chose to enjoy his light. 36 ‘What I say about myself is more important than what John says about me. I am doing the works the Father gave me to finish. These works are a witness that the Father has sent me. 37 The Father who sent me is himself a witness about me. You have never heard his voice. You have never seen what he really looks like. 38 And his word does not live in you. That’s because you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures carefully. You study them because you think they will give you eternal life. The Scriptures you study are a witness about me. 40 But you refuse to come to me and receive life. 41 ‘I do not accept praise from human beings. 42 But I know you. I know that you do not have love for God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. But if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 You accept praise from one another. But you do not seek the praise that comes from the only God. So how can you believe? 45 ‘Do not think I will bring charges against you in front of the Father. Moses is the one who does that. And he is the one you build your hopes on. 46 Do you believe Moses? Then you should believe me. He wrote about me. 47 But you do not believe what he wrote. So how are you going to believe what I say?’