Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 5

The Healing at the Pool

¹ Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate^(a) a pool, which in Aramaic^(b) is called Bethesda^[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ^{[4] [b] 5} One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When 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."

⁸ Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."^{(c) 9} At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,^{(d) 10} and so the Jewish leaders^(e) said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."^(f)

¹¹ But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.' "

¹² So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"

¹³ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning^(g) or something worse may happen to you." ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jewish leaders^(h) that it was Jesus who had made him well.

The Authority of the Son

¹⁶ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. ¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father⁽ⁱ⁾ is always at his work^(j) to this very day, and I too am working." ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him;^(k) not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.^(l)

¹⁹ Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself;^(m) he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son⁽ⁿ⁾ and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these,^(o) so that you will be amazed. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,^(p) even so the Son gives life^(q) to whom he is pleased to give it. ²² Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,^{(r) 23} that 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.^(s)

²⁴ "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me^(t) has eternal life^(u) and will not be judged^(v) but has crossed over from death to life.^{(w) 25} Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come^(x) when the dead will hear^(y) the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life^(z) in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to judge^(aa) because he is the Son of Man.

²⁸ "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming^(ab) when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹ and 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.^{(ac) 30} By myself I can do nothing;^(ad) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,^(ae) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.^(af)

Testimonies About Jesus

³¹ "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.^{(ag) 32} There is another who testifies in my favor,^(ah) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

³³ "You have sent to John and he has testified^(ai) to the truth. ³⁴ Not that I accept human testimony;^(aj) but I mention it that you may be saved.^{(ak) 35} John was a lamp that burned and gave light,^(al) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

³⁶ "I have testimony weightier than that of John.^(am) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing^(an)—testify that the Father has sent me.^{(ao) 37} And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.^(ap) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,^{(aq) 38} nor does his word dwell in you,^(ar) for you do not believe^(as) the one he sent.^{(at) 39} You study^[c] the Scriptures^(au) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.^(av) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,^{(aw) 40} yet you refuse to come to me^(ax) to have life.

⁴¹ "I do not accept glory from human beings,^{(ay) 42} but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. ⁴³ I 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. ⁴⁴ How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God^[d]?^(az)

⁴⁵ "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,^(ba) on whom your hopes are set.^{(bb) 46} If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.^{(bc) 47} But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"^(bd)

Chapter 6

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(a)

¹ Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs^(b) he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside^(c) and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival^(d) was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip,^(e) "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a year's wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,^(f) spoke up, ⁹ "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"^(g)

¹⁰ Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,^(h) and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign⁽ⁱ⁾ Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."^{(j) 15} Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king^(k) by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.^(l)

Jesus Walks on the Water^(m)

¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. ¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. ¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[b] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water;⁽ⁿ⁾ and they were frightened. ²⁰ But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."^{(o) 21} Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake^(p) realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.^{(q) 23} Then some boats from Tiberias^(r) landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.^{(s) 24} Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi,^(t) when did you get here?"

²⁶ Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,^(u) not because you saw the signs^(v) I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures^(w) to eternal life,^(x) which the Son of Man^(y) will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal^(z) of approval."

²⁸ Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"

²⁹ Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe^(aa) in the one he has sent."^(ab)

³⁰ So they asked him, "What sign^(ac) then will you give that we may see it and believe you?^(ad) What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna^(ae) in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'^[c]"^(af)

³² Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven^(ag) and gives life to the world."

³⁴ "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread."^(ah)

³⁵ Then Jesus declared, "I am^(ai) the bread of life.^(aj) Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes^(ak) in me will never be thirsty.^{(al) 36} But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me^(am) will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven^(an) not to do my will but to do the will^(ao) of him who sent me.^{(ap) 39} And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me,^(aq) but raise them up at the last day.^{(ar) 40} For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son^(as) and believes in him shall have eternal life,^(at) and I will raise them up at the last day."

⁴¹ At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." ⁴² They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,^(au) whose father and mother we know?^(av) How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven' ?"^(aw)

⁴³ "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. ⁴⁴ "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,^(ax) and I will raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.'^[d](ay) Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. ⁴⁶ No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;^(az) only he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.^{(ba) 48} I am the bread of life.^{(bb) 49} Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.^{(bc) 50} But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,^(bd) which anyone may eat and not die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread^(be) that came down from heaven.^(bf) Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."^(bg)