John 5 - Amplified Bible(AMP)

The Healing at Bethesda

1Later on there was a Jewish feast (festival), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2Now in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew (Jewish Aramaic) Bethesda, having five porticoes (alcoves, colonnades).

3In these porticoes lay a great number of people who were sick, blind, lame, withered, [waiting for the stirring of the water;

4for an angel of the Lord went down into the pool at appointed seasons and stirred up the water; the first one to go in after the water was stirred was healed of his disease.]

5There was a certain man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

6When Jesus noticed him lying there, knowing that he had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to get well?”

7The invalid answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am coming, someone else steps down ahead of me.”

8Jesus said to him, “Get up; pick up your pallet and walk.”

9Immediately the man was healed and recovered his strength, and picked up his pallet and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath.

10So the Jews kept saying to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to pick up your pallet.”

11He answered them, “The Man who healed me and gave me back my strength was the One who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’ ”

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

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

14Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

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

16For this reason the Jews began to persecute Jesus continually because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

17But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I too am working.”

Jesus’ Equality with God

18This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him, for not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

19So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son

can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son also does in the same way.

20For the Father dearly loves the Son and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be filled with wonder.

21Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,

23so that all will give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who has sent Him.

24 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word, and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life, and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed from death into life.

Two Resurrections

25 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, a time is coming and is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live.

26For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He has given to the Son to have life in Himself.

27And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is a Son of Man.

28Do not be surprised at this; for a time is coming when all those who are in the tombs will hear His voice,

29and they will come out—those who did good things to a resurrection of life, but those who did evil things to a resurrection of judgment.

30 “I can do nothing on my own initiative or authority. Just as I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just (fair, righteous, unbiased), because I do not seek My own will, but only the will of Him who sent Me.

31 “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not valid.

32There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that His testimony on My behalf is true and valid.

Testimony of John

33 You have sent to

Johnand he has testified to the truth.

34But the testimony I receive is not from man; but I say these things so that you may be saved.

35John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining, and you were willing for a while to rejoice in his light.

Testimony of Works

36 But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John; for the works that the Father has given Me to finish—the very same works that I am doing—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Testimony of the Father

37 And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form.

38You do not have His word (Scripture) abiding in you, because you do not believe in Him whom He has sent.

Testimony of the Scripture

39 You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those that testify about Me;

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

41I do not receive glory and approval from men;

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

43I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me; but if another comes in his own name and with no authority or power except his own, you will receive him and give your approval to an imposter.

44How can you believe, when you receive glory and approval from one another, and yet you do not seek the glory and approval which comes from the one and only God?

45Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.

46For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.

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