The Healing at the Pool
1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda5:2 Some manuscripts Bethzatha; other manuscripts Bethsaida and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 45:3,4 Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, paralyzed—and they waited for the moving of the waters. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had. 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
11But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.
The Authority of the Son
16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Testimonies About Jesus
31“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33“You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39You study5:39 Or 39 Study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41“I do not accept glory from human beings, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43I 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. 44How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One?
45“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”
Yesu Amponya Mtu Kwenye Bwawa La Bethzatha
15:1 Law 23:2; Kum 16:1; Yn 2:13Baada ya haya, kulikuwa na Sikukuu ya Wayahudi, naye Yesu akapanda kwenda Yerusalemu. 25:2 Neh 3:1; 12:39; Mdo 21:40; 26:14Huko Yerusalemu, karibu na mlango uitwao Mlango wa Kondoo, palikuwa na bwawa moja lililoitwa kwa Kiebrania Bethzatha,5:2 Bethzatha ni neno la Kiebrania ambalo maana yake ni Nyumba ya mizeituni; mahali pengine limetajwa kama Bethesda kwa Kiaramu, yaani Nyumba ya huruma, na pengine kama Bethsaida, yaani Nyumba ya uvuvi. ambalo lilikuwa limezungukwa na kumbi tano. 3Hapa palikuwa na idadi kubwa ya wasiojiweza, yaani, vipofu, viwete, na waliopooza [wakingojea maji yatibuliwe. 4Kwa maana malaika alikuwa akishuka wakati fulani, akayatibua maji. Yule aliyekuwa wa kwanza kuingia ndani baada ya maji kutibuliwa alipona ugonjwa wowote aliokuwa nao]. 5Mtu mmoja alikuwako huko ambaye alikuwa ameugua kwa miaka thelathini na minane. 6Yesu alipomwona akiwa amelala hapo, naye akijua kuwa amekuwa hapo kwa muda mrefu, akamwambia, “Je, wataka kuponywa?”
7Yule mgonjwa akamjibu, “Bwana, mimi sina mtu wa kuniingiza bwawani maji yanapotibuliwa. Nami ninapotaka kutumbukia bwawani, mtu mwingine huingia kabla yangu.”
85:8 Mk 2:11; Lk 5:24Yesu akamwambia, “Inuka! Chukua mkeka wako na uende.” 95:9 Mt 12:1-14; Yn 9:14Mara yule mtu akapona, akachukua mkeka wake, akaanza kutembea.
Basi siku hiyo ilikuwa siku ya Sabato. 105:10 Yer 17:21; Mt 12:2Kwa hiyo Wayahudi wakamwambia yule mtu aliyeponywa, “Leo ni Sabato, si halali wewe kubeba mkeka wako.”
11Yeye akawajibu, “Yule mtu aliyeniponya aliniambia, ‘Chukua mkeka wako na uende.’ ”
125:12 Lk 5:21Wakamuuliza, “Ni mtu gani huyo aliyekuambia uchukue mkeka wako uende?”
13Basi yule mtu aliyeponywa hakufahamu ni nani aliyemponya, kwa sababu Yesu alikuwa amejiondoa katika ule umati wa watu uliokuwa hapo.
145:14 Mk 2:5; Yn 8:11; 8:11Baadaye Yesu akamkuta yule mtu aliyemponya ndani ya Hekalu na kumwambia, “Tazama umeponywa, usitende dhambi tena. La sivyo, lisije likakupata jambo baya zaidi.” 155:15 Yn 1:19Yule mtu akaenda, akawaambia wale Wayahudi kuwa ni Yesu aliyemponya.
Uzima Kupitia Mwana
165:16 Mt 12:14Kwa hiyo Wayahudi wakaanza kumsumbua Yesu, kwa sababu alikuwa anafanya mambo kama hayo siku ya Sabato. 175:17 Yn 9:4; 14:10Yesu akawajibu, “Baba yangu anafanya kazi yake daima hata siku hii ya leo, nami pia ninafanya kazi.” 185:18 Mt 12:14; Yn 10:30-33; 19:7Maneno haya yaliwaudhi sana viongozi wa Wayahudi. Wakajaribu kila njia wapate jinsi ya kumuua, kwani si kwamba alivunja Sabato tu, bali alikuwa akimwita Mungu Baba yake, hivyo kujifanya sawa na Mungu.
Mamlaka Ya Mwana Wa Mungu
195:19 Yn 8:28; 14:24Yesu akawaambia, “Amin, amin nawaambia, Mwana hawezi kufanya jambo lolote peke yake, yeye aweza tu kufanya lile analomwona Baba yake akifanya, kwa maana lolote afanyalo Baba, Mwana pia hufanya vivyo hivyo. 205:20 Yn 3:35; 14:12Baba ampenda Mwana na kumwonyesha yale ambayo yeye Baba mwenyewe anayafanya, naye atamwonyesha kazi kuu kuliko hizi ili mpate kushangaa. 215:21 2Kor 1:9; Ebr 11:19; Yn 11:25Hakika kama vile Baba awafufuavyo wafu na kuwapa uzima, vivyo hivyo Mwana huwapa uzima wale anaopenda. 225:22 Amu 11:27; Mdo 10:42Wala Baba hamhukumu mtu yeyote, lakini hukumu yote amempa Mwana, 235:23 Lk 10:16; 1Yn 2:23ili wote wamheshimu Mwana kama vile wanavyomheshimu Baba. Yeyote asiyemheshimu Mwana, hamheshimu Baba aliyemtuma.
245:24 Yn 3:18; 1Yn 3:14“Amin, amin nawaambia, yeyote anayesikia maneno yangu na kumwamini yeye aliyenituma, anao uzima wa milele, naye hatahukumiwa, bali amepita kutoka mautini, na kuingia uzimani. 255:25 Yn 16:32; 8:43-47Amin, amin nawaambia, saa yaja, nayo saa ipo, wafu watakapoisikia sauti ya Mwana wa Mungu, nao watakaoisikia watakuwa hai. 265:26 Yn 12:14Kama vile Baba alivyo na uzima ndani yake, vivyo hivyo amempa Mwana kuwa na uzima ndani yake. 275:27 Mdo 10:42; 17:31Naye amempa Mwanawe mamlaka ya kuhukumu kwa kuwa yeye ni Mwana wa Adamu.
285:28 Yn 16:2“Msishangae kusikia haya, kwa maana saa inakuja ambapo wale walio makaburini wataisikia sauti yake. 295:29 Dan 12:2; Mt 25:46Nao watatoka nje, wale waliotenda mema watafufuka wapate uzima na wale waliotenda maovu, watafufuka wahukumiwe.
Shuhuda Kuhusu Yesu
305:30 Isa 28:6; Mt 26:39; Yn 4:34“Mimi siwezi kufanya jambo lolote peke yangu. Ninavyosikia ndivyo ninavyohukumu, nayo hukumu yangu ni ya haki kwa kuwa sitafuti kufanya mapenzi yangu mwenyewe, bali mapenzi yake yeye aliyenituma.
315:31 Yn 8:14“Kama ningejishuhudia mimi mwenyewe, ushuhuda wangu si kweli. 325:32 Yn 5:37; 8:18Lakini yuko mwingine anishuhudiaye na ninajua kwamba ushuhuda wake ni wa kweli.
335:33 Yn 1:7“Mlituma wajumbe kwa Yohana, naye akashuhudia juu ya kweli. 345:34 1Yn 5:9Si kwamba naukubali ushuhuda wa mwanadamu, la, bali ninalitaja hili kusudi ninyi mpate kuokolewa. 355:35 Dan 12:3Yohana alikuwa taa iliyowaka na kutoa nuru, nanyi kwa muda mlichagua kuifurahia nuru yake.
365:36 1Yn 5:9; Yn 14:11; 15:24; 3:17; 10:25“Lakini ninao ushuhuda mkuu zaidi kuliko wa Yohana. Kazi zile nizifanyazo, zinashuhudia juu yangu, zile ambazo Baba amenituma nizikamilishe, naam, ishara hizi ninazofanya, zinashuhudia kuwa Baba ndiye alinituma. 375:37 Yn 8:18; Kum 4:12; 1Tim 1:17Naye Baba mwenyewe ameshuhudia juu yangu. Hamjapata kamwe kuisikia sauti yake wala kuona umbo lake, 385:38 1Yn 1:10; 2:4; Isa 26:10; Yn 3:17wala hamna neno lake ndani yenu, kwa sababu hamkumwamini yeye aliyetumwa naye. 395:39 Rum 2:17-18; Lk 24:27, 44; Mdo 13:27Ninyi mnachunguza Maandiko mkidhani ya kuwa ndani yake mna uzima wa milele, maandiko haya ndiyo yanayonishuhudia Mimi. 405:40 Yn 6:44Lakini mnakataa kuja kwangu ili mpate uzima.
415:41 Yn 5:44; 5:34; 1The 2:6“Mimi sitafuti kutukuzwa na wanadamu. 42Lakini ninajua kwamba hamna upendo wa Mungu mioyoni mwenu. 43Mimi nimekuja kwa jina la Baba yangu, nanyi hamnipokei, lakini mtu mwingine akija kwa jina lake mwenyewe, mtampokea. 445:44 Rum 2:29Ninyi mwawezaje kuamini ikiwa mnapeana utukufu ninyi kwa ninyi, lakini hamna bidii kupata utukufu utokao kwa Mungu?
455:45 Yn 9:28; Rum 2:17“Lakini msidhani kuwa mimi nitawashtaki mbele za Baba, mshtaki wenu ni Mose, ambaye mmemwekea tumaini lenu. 465:46 Mwa 3:15; Lk 24:27, 44Kama mngelimwamini Mose, mngeliniamini na mimi kwa maana aliandika habari zangu. 475:47 Lk 16:29-31Lakini ikiwa hamwamini aliyoandika Mose, mtaaminije ninayoyasema?”
