1. After these things, there was a feast for the people, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2. Now, in Jerusalem, there is a bathing pool by the sheep gate, which is called Bethesda pool, and it has five porches beside it.
3. Upon these laid a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered; and they waited there for a stirring of the waters for it was said that an angel of the Lord went down at a certain season into the pool and stirred up the water.
4. Whoever was first to step in after the stirring of the water was made well from whatever disease afflicted them.
5. There was a man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years, and when Jesus saw him there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you want to be healed."
6. But the sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water stirs, so while I am trying to get in, another person gets in before me."
7. So, Jesus said to him, "Get up. Pick up your mat and walk."
8. Immediately, the man became well, picked up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was the sabbath when none were allowed to work.
9. So the religious leaders were saying to the man, "It is the sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat."
10. But he said to them, "He who made me well was the one who told me to pick up my mat and walk."
11. Then they asked him, "Who told you to do this?"
12. But the man who had been healed did not know who it was that healed him, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd.
13. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; stop sinning so that nothing worse happens to you."
14. The man went away and told the religious leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.
15. So the religious leaders persecuted Jesus for doing these things on the sabbath, but He answered them, "My Father is working even now, and I, Myself, am working."
16. Because of this, the religious leaders and those who follow them were seeking to kill Jesus. He was breaking the sabbath, but worse to them, He was calling God His father and therefore making Himself equal to God.
17. But Jesus answered them saying, "Truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing of Himself unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son does in the same manner.
18. "For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing. And the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.
19. "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so to the Son gives life to whomever He wishes.
20. "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son, even as they honor the Father who sent Him.
21. "Truly I tell you, anyone who hears My word, and believes in Him who sent Me, has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but rather has passed out of death into life.
22. "Truly I tell you, an hour is coming, and has now come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear that voice will live.
23. "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son to have life within Himself, and He gave Him authority to execute judgment.
24. "But do not marvel at this; for a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out--those who did good works to a resurrection of life, but those whose works were evil to a resurrection of judgment.
25. "I can do nothing on My own initiative; As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but rather the will of Him who sent Me.
26. "You went to the wilderness and inquired of John the Baptist. He was the lamp that was burning, and you were willing to rejoice in his light for a time, but he has testified to the truth about Me.
27. "And there is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. For the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.
28. "For this testimony is greater than that of John the Baptist's. It is the works the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do testify about Me, and that is that the Father has indeed sent Me.
29. "And though the Father sending Me testifies about Me, you neither hear His voice, nor have you ever seen His form, for you do not have His word abiding in you. And you do not have His word abiding in you, because you do not believe in Him who He sent.
30. "So, you search the scriptures thinking that in them you will gain eternal life; and yet it is these which testify about Me. How sad it is then that you are unwilling to come to Me and live.
31. "Yet My glory is not given to Me from mankind. For people do not have the love of God within them.
32. "I come in My Father's name and you do not receive Me, but if another comes in their own name--that person you will receive.
33. "How can you believe, when you accept glory from one another and never seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
34. "But do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is the very scriptures you revere and set your hope upon. For if you believed those scriptures, you would believe in Me--because they are about Me.
35. "But if you do not believe in the words you claim are true, how will you believe My words?"
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