1 After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there is a pool, which is called Bethesda in Hebrew. It’s surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water, 4 for an angel went down from time to time into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease that person had. 5 A certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been sick for a long time, He asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

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

8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk.” 9 Immediately, the man was made well, took up his mat, and walked.

That was on the Sabbath day.* The Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week, which was set aside by God for rest. Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11. 10 Therefore the Jews were telling him who was cured, “It’s the Sabbath, and it isn’t legal for you to carry your mat.”

11 He answered them, “He who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ”

12 Then they asked him, “Who told you to ‘Take up your mat and walk’?” 13 The man who had been healed didn’t know who it was, because Jesus had disappeared into the crowd.

14 Later, Jesus found him in the temple and told him, “See, you have been made well! Don’t sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, so I am working, too.” 18 Because of this, the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him. Not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless He sees the Father do it, for whatever He does, the Son does likewise. 20  The Father loves the Son, and shows Him everything that He Himself does. He will show Him even greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21  As the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whoever He wishes. 22  The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23  that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent Him.

24  “Most assuredly, I tell you, the person who hears my words and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and won’t come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25  Most assuredly, I tell you, the time is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of God’s Son, and those who hear will live. 26  For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27  and has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28  Don’t marvel at this, for the time is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29  and come out — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30  I can do nothing by myself. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.

31  “If I testify about myself, my testimony isn’t valid. 32  There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. 33  You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34  Not that I accept human testimony, but I tell you this so that you may be saved. 35  John was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36  I have a greater testimony than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to finish — the very works that I do — testify about me, that the Father has sent me. 37  The Father Himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38  You don’t have His words dwelling in you, because you don’t believe the One who He sent. 39  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these testify about me. 40  Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

41  “I don’t accept glory from men, 42  but I know you. I know that you don’t have God’s sincere love in you. 43  I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t accept me, but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44  How can you believe when you accept glory from one another, and don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?

45  “Don’t think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, who you have set your hope on. 46  If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47  If you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”