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John 5

Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda

1 After these [things] was the feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up into Jerusalem. 2 But there is in Jerusalem near the sheepgate [a] pool, being called in Hebrew Bethzatha, having five porches. 3 In them lay multitudes of sick, blind, lame, [and] withered 1. [4 For [an] angel of the lord according to occasion was coming down to the pool and was disturbing the water; so the first having gotten in after the disturbance of the water became whole in that very moment for the sickness he was having.]2 5 Now [a] certain man was there having thirty-eight years in his sickness. 6 When Jesus saw this [man] lying, and having known that he has already much time [there] he says to him: Do you want to became healthy? 7 The sick [man] answered him: Lord, I do not have [a] man, that when the water be disturbed he throw me into the pool; but when I come, another gets in before me. 8 Jesus says to him: Be arising, pick up your bed and be walking. 9 And immediately the man became healthy and picked up his bed and was walking. Now it was the Sabbath in that hour.

10 So the Jews were saying to the [one] having been healed: It is the Sabbath, and it is not allowed for you to pick up your bed. 11 But he answered them: The [one] who made me healthy, that [one] said to me: Pick up your bed and be walking. 12 They asked3 him, Who is the man who said to you: Pick up your bed and be walking? 13 Now the [one] having been healed did not know who he is, for Jesus withdrew from the crowd being in that place.

14 After these [things] Jesus finds him in the temple and said to him: See, you have become healthy; no longer be sinning, that something worse not come to pass for you. 15 The man departed and declared to the Jews that Jesus is the [one] having made him healthy.

Responding to Jewish Leaders

16 And because of this the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he did these [things] on the Sabbath. 17 But he answered them: My father works until now4 and I [also] work; 18 So because of this the Jews were seeking [even] more to kill [him], for he not only loosed the Sabbath, but he also was saying God [is his] own father, making himself equal to God.

19 So Jesus was answering and was saying to them: Truly truly I say to you, the son is not able to be doing anything from himself, except what he may see the father doing. For what that [one] may do, these [things] the son also likewise does.5 20 For the father philia-loves the son and reveals everything to him which he does, and greater works than these he reveals to him, that you marvel. 21 For as the father raises the dead and makes-zoe-alive6, likewise also the son makes zoe-alive whom he wishes. 22 For the father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the son, 23 that all honor7 the son just as they may honor7 the father. The [one] not honoring8 the son does not honor7 the father who sent him.

24 Truly truly I say to you that the [one] hearing my word and believing the [one] having sent me has eternal zoe-life9 , and does not come into judgment, but is moved out of death into zoe-life9. 25 Truly truly I say to you that [the] hour comes and now is when the dead will hear the cry of the son of God and those having heard will zoe-live. 26 For as the father has zoe-life9 in himself, likewise also to the son he has given zoe-life9 to be having in himself. 27 And he gave him authority to be doing judgment, because he is [a] son of man.

28 Be not marveling at this, that [the] hour comes in which all those in the graves will hear his voice, 29 and those having done good will come out to [the] resurrection of zoe-life9, [but] those having done [as a practice] worthless10 [things] will come out to [the] resurrection of judgment. 30 For I am not able to be doing anything from myself; just as I hear do I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the [one] having sent me.

More Testimony About Jesus

31 If I witness concerning myself, my witness is not true. 32 Another is witness concerning me, and I know that the witness is true that he witnessed concerning me. 33 You sent to John, and he has witnessed to the truth; 34 but I do not receive witness by man, but I say these [things] that you be saved. 35 That [one] was the burning and shining lamp and you wanted to rejoice for [hour] in his light.

36 But I have [a] witness greater than John; for the works that the father has given me in order that I complete11 them, these works themselves which I do witness concerning me that the father has sent me. 37 And the father having sent me, that [one] has witnessed concerning me. Neither his voice have you ever heard nor his visible-form have you ever seen, 38 and his word you do not have abiding in you, because he whom that [one] has sent, in this [one] do you not believe. 39 You search the scriptures, because you suppose in them to be having eternal zoe-life9, and these are those witnessing concerning me. 40 And you do not want to come to me in order that you have zoe-life9. 41 I do not receive glory from men, 42 but I have known you that you do not have the agape-love of God in yourselves. 43 I am come in the name of my father, and you do not receive me; if another come in his own name, that [one] you will receive. 44 How are you able to believe, receiving glory from each other, and the glory of the only God12 you do not seek?

45 Be not supposing that I will accuse you to the father, the [one] accusing you is Moses, in whom you have hoped. 46 For if you were believing Moses, you would have believed me; for concerning me did that [one] write. 47 But if you do not believe the writings of that [one], how will you believe in my words?


1add "awaiting movement of the water." KD vg; text: p66,75,HB

2insert vs.4: K; omit vs.4: p66,75HBDW

3EROTAO (ερωταω) "Ask", but more polite, not demanding/begging as is AITEO. Both AITEO and EROTAO occur in John.16:26.

4Behind Jesus’ explanation may lie Jewish traditions of God's unceasing providential activities, which continue on the Sabbath—"God Himself has been working on every Sabbath" or else Creation would come to a halt. One of these activies would be presiding over birth and death (in Jewish theology judgement happened at death). Life, death and judgement all figure in Jesus' discourse which follows.

5This might also be understood in the sense of a son learning his father's "trade" by watching and imitating him, a common practice of that day.

6or "gives-zoe-life"

7or `value'

8or `valuing'

9from ZOE "ZOH-ay" (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected. Although it means 'life' in the conventional sense (for example: Matt.9:18, Matt.27:63, Luke.2:36, Acts.25:24, Rom.7:2, 2Cor.1:8, 1Thes.4:17, 1Tim.5:10, Rev.19:20), Jesus uses ZOE exclusively of 'life eternal' (with the possible exceptions of Luke.15:13, Luke.16:25). The other N.T. writers use ZOE in both senses—temporal and eternal, generally clear from the context. The Father is the 'zoe-living God' (see Matt.16:16). The Septuagint (LXX) in Gen.2:7 has "...[God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of zoe-life, and the man became a zoe-living psyche-life" (and see 1Cor.15:45); and Gen.3:20 (LXX) "And Adam called his wife's name ZOE, because she was the mother of all zoe-living." Contrast PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. See John.12:25 where both ZOE and PSYCHE occur. Greek also has the word BIOS (βιoς ) for 'life' in the sense of biological processes.

10or "trivial", "petty"

11or "perfect"

12"God" ℵDHK vg; "[one]" p66,75 BW