John 13
1 Since Jesus understooda before the festival of Passover that the time had come for him to go overb from this world to the Father and since he had lovedc those within the world who belonged with him, he loved them to the end. 2 During dinner, the False Accuserd had already poured into the heart of Judah “of Kerioth,”e son of Simeon, that he would hand Jesusf over, 3 and since Jesusg knew that the Father had handed everything to him and that he came from God and was going to God, 4 he got up from dinner, took off his outer clothes, got a towel, and tied it around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a washbasin and beganh to wash the students’ feet and wipe them off with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 Then Simeon Peter came to him. “Lord,” he said, “Are you going to wash my feet?”
7 “Right now, you don’t understand what I’m doing,” Jesus answered, “But this is howi you will learn.”
8 “You must not wash my feet, even to the end of the Age!”j Peter told him.
“If I don’t wash you,” Jesus responded, “You have no part with me.”
9 “Lord!” Simeon Peter said, “Don’t only wash my feet but also my hands and head!”
10 “Whoever has bathed,” Jesus told him, “Doesn’t need anything except to wash their feet, but is completely clean. And youk are clean, but not all of you.” 11 (You see, he had understood who would hand him over. That’s why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”)
12 Then, after he washed their feet, he got his outer clothing, and he reclined at the table again.
“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked. 13 “You call to me, ‘Teacher!’ and ‘Lord!’ and you saying so is appropriate because I am those things. 14 So, if I—the lord and teacher—washed your feet, then you owe washing feet to each other. 15 I gave you an example so that just like I washed you, you will do it too.
16 “Truly, truly, I’m telling you, an enslaved worker is not more important than their lord, nor is an emissaryl more important than the one who sentm them. 17 If you have learned these things, then you would be gratifiedn if you were to do them.
18 “I’m not talking about all of you. I know which ones I have called out,o but the result is that the scripture is being lived out: ‘The one who eats my bread has raised his heel against me.’ 19 I’m telling you this now, before the event, so that when it happens, you will trust that I am the one.p 20 Truly, Truly, I’m telling you, whoever accepts whichever person I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After Jesus had said these things, he was deeply agitatedr and asserted, “Truly, truly, I’m telling you that one of you will hand me over.”
22 The students looked at each other, at a loss about what he was saying. 23 One of his students reclining at the table was at Jesus’ chest, the one Jesus loved.s 24 Simeon Peter nodded to this one to ask whom he could be talking about.
25 So leaning back against Jesus’ chest, they said to him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 “It’s the one I will give a piece of bread after I dip it,” Jesus answered. Then he got a piece and, after dipping it, he gave it to Judah son of Simeon “of Kerioth.”t 27 Then, after the piece of bread, the Adversaryu went into him.
Then Jesus said to him, “Do what you’re going to do quickly.” 28 (None of the people reclining at the table understood why he told him that. 29 Some thought, since Judah held the money box, that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or, “Buy something to give to people experiencing poverty.”) 30 After accepting the piece of bread, he left immediately (It was nighttime).
31 When Judahv left, Jesus said, “The Son of Humanity has now had his praiseworthiness made known,w and God has had his praiseworthiness made known throughx him. 32 If God has been shown to be praiseworthyy through him, God will also show the Son of Humanityz to be praiseworthy through him,aa and he will show his praiseworthinessbb immediately.
33 “Children, I am still with you for a short time. You will look for me, and just like I told the Judean authorities, ‘Where I am going you can’t come,’ I’m also saying to it you now.
34 “I am giving you a new direction, that you would love each other—that you would also love each other just like I loved you. 35 This is how everyone will know that you are my students: if you have love between each other.”
36 “Lord,” Simeon Peter said to him, “Where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “Right now, you can’t follow where I’m going, but you will follow later.”
37 “Lord,” said Peter, “Why can’t I follow you right now? I will set aside my very being for you!”
38 “You will set aside your very being for me?” Jesus responded. “Truly, truly, I’m telling you, the rooster certainly won’t crow until you have disregardedcc me three times.
FOOTNOTES:
a This word is a participle, which means it is creating a dependent clause, and it cannot be separated from the primary verb in the sentence. Translations that split this verb from “he loved them to the end” are changing the meaning. This ‘understanding’ that Jesus is doing is describing something about ‘he loved them to the end.’ I have chosen to make it flow more clearly in English by translating it as “since Jesus understood” rather than the more literal “Jesus understanding…”
b Or ‘depart.’ This is in the sense of changing location. This is metabaino. ‘Go up’ or ‘ascend’ is anabaino. ‘Go down’ or ‘descend’ is katabaino. The motion here is lateral. Meta has to do with change and a particular attention to what is after the change or what comes with the change. As a preposition, it is usually translated as ‘with’ (in the sense of accompanying) or ‘after.’
c This word is a participle, which means it is creating another dependent clause, and it cannot be separated from the primary verb in the sentence (“he loved them to the end”). This ‘having loved’ that Jesus is doing is describing something about ‘he loved them to the end.’ I have chosen to make it flow more clearly in English by translating it as “since he had loved” rather than the more literal “having loved…”
d Traditionally, ‘the devil.’ However, ‘devil’ is not a translation but simply taking the Greek letters and switching them into Latin letters and then English letters. The word diabolon means ‘false accuser,’ someone who lies about another and accuses them of wrongdoing or a crime they did not commit.
e Traditionally, ‘Iscariot.’ It was likely not his name, however. It means ‘men of Kerioth’ which was a city of Moab that was condemned for its actions against Israel, and it was likely used as a label regarding his betrayal of Jesus. See Jeremiah 48:21-47 (especially verses 21-27).
f Literally, ‘him’
g Literally, ‘he’
h The word archo can mean ‘to begin’ as well as ‘to lead’ or ‘to rule’ or ‘to be the lead/head/top____.’
i Or ‘you will learn with these things’ or ‘you will know after these things.’ Ginosko can be translated in several ways, including ‘know’ and ‘learn.’ Meta can be translated in a few different ways, including ‘with’ and ‘after.’ The type of ‘with’ that meta can mean that applies here is a preposition of manner, a preposition that points to ‘how’ something happens. The pairings seem to make the most sense as ‘you will learn with these things’ or ‘you will know after these things.’ Both phrases really mean the same thing.
j More literally, ‘for the Age’ or ‘throughout the Age’
k This is plural, addressing the group. It could be translated as 'y’all.'
l Traditionally, ‘one who is sent’ or ‘messenger’ in this verse; however, the word is apostolos, which is often translated as ‘apostle’ in many other places, including referring to the 12 and to Paul. The literal meaning is ‘one who is sent.’
m Two Greek words for ‘send’ are used of people. One is apostello, which when used of a person who is sent is apostolos. The other is pempo, which is the word used here for ‘one who sent.’ The words seem to be used interchangeably, with both of them being used frequently. In “According to John,” pempo appears more often.
n Traditionally, ‘blessed.’ There is not one English word that covers what is being described here. There is a sense of contentedness but also receiving something that meets a need. Sometimes it’s translated ‘happy’ to capture the mental/emotional component, and historically it was translated ‘blessed’ to capture the endowment aspect of it, the aspect that there’s a quality of goodness gifted, but what’s not captured in either of those is that the goodness being gifted is directly in response to what the recipients’ experience or actions are. At the same time, it’s not at all about ‘instant gratification’ or ‘self-gratification.’ It is about receiving something that inspires or is worthy of gratitude. With this word being about gratitude in response to receiving and the fact that what is being received is in response to some other characteristic or action of the recipient, there is a clear pattern of reciprocity, a mutual generosity and giving between the people and God. See Matthew 5:3-12 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14.
o Traditionally, ‘chosen.’ ‘Chosen’ is a correct translation. This, however, seems not to be about choosing versus rejecting but about calling for a specific moment or purpose. The word is eklego, a compound of ek- (out of/from) and lego (to say/speak). Leaning on this part of the word seems relevant following Jesus’ imagery regarding the shepherd and the sheep and him calling Eleazar out from the tomb. The meaning of ‘choosing’ cannot be disregarded, however. The calling out is not just an invitation to get out of some place but to move toward a specific role.
p Citation of Psalm 41:9. This seems to be an idiom for tripping someone intentionally. Here is the context of Psalm 41:5-10 (NRSV): “My enemies wonder in malice / when I will die, and my name perish. / And when they come to see me, / they utter empty words, / while their hearts gather mischief; / when they go out, they tell it abroad. / All who hate me whisper together about me; / they imagine the worst for me. / They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me, / that I will not rise again from where I lie. / Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, / who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me. / But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, / and raise me up, that I may repay them.”
q Literally, ‘you will trust that I am.”
r Literally, ‘agitated in spirit’
s The word for ‘love’ here is agapao, which is about commitment to acting for the benefit of someone. It is not opposed to affection or attraction, but those are conveyed by other words, such as phileo and eros (which is about romantic love or sexual attraction and is not used anywhere in the Bible).
t Traditionally, ‘Iscariot.’ It was likely not his name, however. It means ‘men of Kerioth’ which was a city of Moab that was condemned for its actions against Israel, and it was likely used as a label regarding his betrayal of Jesus. See Jeremiah 48:21-47 (especially verses 21-27).
u This is a more literal translation of the Greek satanas. There’s a history of it being transliterated into other languages and eventually becoming traditionally ‘Satan,’ but I’m convinced translating the meaning is the better way to go. It is the Greek version of the Hebrew Ha-Shatan. It carries the meaning of someone who is against another, trying to sabotage their efforts and their wellbeing, and against someone as a plaintiff in court. An enemy, but also someone accusing another of wrongdoing, whether truly or falsely. It’s not just about pointing out something bad, but actively moving to cause hardship.
v Literally, ‘he’
w Or ‘been praised,’ traditionally, ‘been glorified’
x Or ‘with’ or ‘by.’ The Greek en is being used here as either a preposition of instrument (what is it done *with*?) or as a preposition of reference (what is it done *in reference to*?).
y Or ‘been praised,’ traditionally, ‘been glorified’
z Literally, ‘him’
aa It is not completely clear whether ‘him’ refers to God or to the Son of Humanity.
bb Or ‘praise.’ Traditionally, ‘glorify’
cc Or ‘denied’ or ‘rejected’ or ‘dismissed’