John 13
The full text of John 13 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father; and having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 During supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to hand him over.
3 knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God,
4 got up from the meal, took off his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
5 Then he poured water into the basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered, "You don't realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
8 Peter said to him, "No, you will never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not just my feet, but my hands and my head too!"
10 Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed only needs to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean — but not all of you."
11 For he knew who would betray him; that is why he said, "Not all of you are clean."
12 So when he had washed their feet, he put his clothes back on and reclined again. He said to them, "Do you understand what I have done for you?
13 You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you are right to say so, for that is what I am.
14 So since I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
15 I have set you an example, so that you also should do what I have done to you.
16 Truly, truly, I tell you, no slave is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
18 I am not referring to all of you. I know whom I chose. But this is so that the Scripture may be fulfilled: 'The one who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me.'
19 From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you will believe that I am.
20 Truly, truly, I tell you: whoever receives anyone I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
21 When Jesus had said this, he was deeply troubled, and he testified and said, "Truly, truly, I tell you, one of you will hand me over."
22 The disciples looked at one another, unsure which of them he meant.
23 One of his disciples, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining at the table close to Jesus' side.
24 So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask who it was he meant.
25 Leaning back like that against Jesus' chest, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"
26 Jesus answered, "It is the one I will dip this morsel for and give it to him." So he dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
27 After the piece of bread, then Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, "What you are doing, do quickly."
28 But no one at the table knew why he said this to him.
29 Since Judas kept the money bag, some thought Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival," or to give something to the poor.
30 So as soon as he had taken the piece of bread, he went out. And it was night.
31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
32 If God has been glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself—and will do so at once.
33 My children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews,a I am now telling you too: where I am going, you cannot come.
34 A new commandment I give you: love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you also are to love one another.
35 This is how everyone will know you are my disciples: if you love one another.
36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you can't follow me now, but you will follow afterward."
37 Peter said to him, "Lord, why can't I follow you right now? I will lay down my life for you."
38 Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
Translation notes (39)
- John 13:1a The Greek phrase eis telos is deliberately ambiguous, meaning both "to the end" (referring to a temporal climax, like his death) and "to the uttermost" (referring to the fullness and completeness of love). The English translation "to the end" best preserves both meanings.
- John 13:1b The Greek phrase tousidious, meaning "his own," echoes John 1:11 and refers to a covenantal term of belonging, not merely possession.
- John 13:2a The Greek here means "into the heart," but no possessor is specified. Most readers understand this to refer to Judas's heart (compare John 13:27), while some interpret it as the devil's own resolve.
- John 13:2b Manuscripts differ on the grammatical form of Ioudas (Judas). Many ancient manuscripts read it as a genitive, meaning "heart of Judas," but others, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (as noted in the critical Greek text apparatus), read it as a nominative, making Judas the subject of the verb "hand over" and leaving the heart's owner unspecified.
- John 13:2c This can also be translated "to betray him." The Greek word paradidomi primarily means "hand over" or "deliver up"; the sense of "betray" comes from the context.
- John 13:3a "Into his hands" preserves the Hebrew idiom (cf. Ps 8:6) for authority/control; cross-references John 3:35.
- John 13:8a Greek μέρος: a share or portion, often with covenant-inheritance overtones (cf. Deut 12:12 LXX; Ps 16:5).
- John 13:8b The phrase "You will never" translates the Greek ou me ... eis ton aiona, which is a very strong, triple negation. The emphatic "No" at the beginning of the sentence in English reflects this strong force.
- John 13:10a Some early manuscripts and ancient versions, including Codex Sinaiticus, parts of the Old Latin, and writings by Origen, omit the phrase "except for the feet" (ei me tous podas), reading simply "has no need to wash." The longer reading is supported by papyri P66 and P75, and by manuscripts A, B, C*, D, L, W, and the majority text; it is printed in the critical Greek text.
- John 13:10b The word "bathed" translates the Greek leloumenos, which is a form of louo and refers to a full bath. This is in deliberate contrast with nipsasthai, meaning "wash," which is used for washing only a part of the body.
- John 13:11a This can also be translated "the one handing him over." The Greek word paradidomi means "hand over" or "deliver up"; "betray" is the contextual meaning here.
- John 13:12a The Greek word anepesen means "reclined," referring to the common posture for eating a meal at that time.
- John 13:14a This can also be translated "your Lord and Teacher." The Greek phrase ho kurios kai ho didaskalos includes definite articles ("the Lord and the Teacher"), indicating these are claimed as self-titles in verse 13.
- John 13:15a This can also be translated "a pattern." The Greek word hupodeigma refers to a model that is meant to be reproduced, not merely a single instance.
- John 13:16a The Greek word doulos means "a slave or bondservant." It is translated as "slave" here to match the context of the foot-washing (John 13:4–5), where Jesus takes on the role of a slave.
- John 13:16b This can also be translated "an apostle." The Greek word apostolos means "one sent." This is the only time this noun appears in John's Gospel; compare John 20:21.
- John 13:18a John's citation of Ps 41:9 diverges from the LXX (Ps 40:10): John uses τρώγων ('eats/chews') where LXX has ἐσθίων, omits μετ' ἐμοῦ ('with me'), and uses ἐπῆρεν ... τὴν πτέρναν ('lifted his heel') for LXX ἐμεγάλυνεν ... πτερνισμόν.
- John 13:18b The phrase "lifted his heel against me" is a Hebrew idiom that describes treacherous betrayal by a trusted table companion, possibly evoking the image of a kicking animal or a wrestler's trip.
- John 13:19a The Greek phrase ap' arti, meaning "from now on," marks a threshold, indicating that Jesus is beginning a pattern of telling things in advance.
- John 13:19b Greek ἐγώ εἰμι, "I am" — absolute, echoing Isa 43:10 LXX (ἵνα πιστεύσητε... ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι). Some translations supply "he"; the Greek leaves the predicate open.
- John 13:21a The Greek phrase 'amēn amēn,' meaning 'truly, truly,' is a solemn double affirmation unique to John's Gospel.
- John 13:21b The Greek word 'paradōsei' means 'hand over' or 'deliver up,' and in this context, it means 'betray.' John uses this verb throughout his Gospel to describe Judas's act, the Father giving the Son, and Jesus giving himself.
- John 13:23a The Greek phrase 'in the bosom of Jesus' describes the posture at a Greco-Roman meal where guests reclined on their left side, causing the next person's head to rest near the host's chest. The same Greek word 'kolpos,' meaning 'bosom,' is used in John 1:18 for the Son who is 'in the bosom of the Father,' which is an intentional verbal echo. This posture is what allows the disciple to lean back against Jesus' chest in verse 25.
- John 13:25a The Greek word 'houtos' here likely means 'just so' or 'in that position,' describing the manner of his leaning, not the degree.
- John 13:26a The Greek word 'psōmion' means 'a small morsel,' which was likely dipped in the bitter-herb sauce of the Passover meal.
- John 13:26b Here, 'Iscariot' modifies Simon, the father, following the critical Greek text; however, some manuscripts attach this title to Judas instead.
- John 13:27a The Greek word 'tachion' is the comparative form of 'tachy,' meaning 'quick.' In Koine Greek, it is an idiom for 'quickly' or 'without delay,' though its comparative meaning of 'sooner' can still be present.
- John 13:27b The word 'Satanas' is a transliterated Aramaic term meaning 'adversary'; the same idiom 'Satan entered into' Judas appears in Luke 22:3.
- John 13:30a The Greek word 'psōmion' means 'a small piece or morsel of bread,' referring here to the bread Jesus had dipped in verse 26.
- John 13:31a The Greek word 'legei' is a historic present, meaning it is a present tense verb ('says') used to describe a past event, and it is rendered as a past tense verb in English narrative convention.
- John 13:31b The Greek verb 'edoxasthē' is an aorist passive form, meaning 'was glorified' (simple past), but it could also be understood as 'is glorified' (as if it has already happened). The translation 'has been glorified' preserves the emphasis on the completed result tied to Judas's exit while still allowing for the reading that it is glorified as if it has already happened.
- John 13:32a The opening clause 'If God has been glorified in him' is enclosed in brackets in the critical Greek text. It is omitted by P66, ℵ*, B, C*, D, L, W, X, Π, and many early manuscripts, but it is included by ℵ², A, C², Θ, Ψ, 𝔐, Latin, and Syriac manuscripts.
- John 13:32b The phrase 'in himself' (en hautō) has an accent mark that indicates 'himself,' but this mark was added by later editors. The earliest Greek manuscripts (uncials) do not have these accent marks, so it could also be read as 'in him' (en autō), which would parallel the first clause.
- John 13:32c The translation 'the Son' renders the Greek pronoun 'auton' explicitly to clarify who is being referred to; the Greek text itself has only 'him.'
- John 13:33a The Greek phrase 'hoi Ioudaioi' often refers to the Jerusalem religious authorities who were opposed to Jesus in John's Gospel, rather than to the Jewish people as a whole.
- John 13:34a This can also be translated as 'so that you also love one another' because the second clause, introduced by the Greek word 'hina,' can be read as indicating a purpose or a result rather than a repeated command.
- John 13:36a "Where I am going" (ὑπάγω) in John's farewell discourse points to Jesus' departure through the cross to the Father (cf. John 13:3; 14:4). "Afterward" (ὕστερον) anticipates Peter's own death following Jesus (cf. John 21:18–19; 2 Pet 1:14).
- John 13:38a The phrase 'Truly, truly' renders the doubled Greek 'amēn amēn,' which is a solemn oath formula distinctive to John's Gospel and used 25 times.
- John 13:38b Mark 14:30 states 'before the rooster crows twice,' while Matthew, Luke, and John mention a single crowing.
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