John 13:1-17

Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

1 Now 1before 2the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that 3his hour had come 4to depart out of this world to the Father, 5having loved 6his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 During supper, when 7the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
3 Jesus, knowing 8that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that 9he had come from God and 10was going back to God,
4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, 11tied it around his waist.
5 Then he 12poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"
7 13Jesus answered him, "What I am doing 14you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."
8 15Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, 16"If I do not wash you, you have no share with me."
9 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"
10 Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, 17except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean. And 18you[b] are clean, 19but not every one of you."
11 20For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."
12 When he had washed their feet and 21put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, 22"Do you understand what I have done to you?
13 23You call me 24Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, 25you also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, 26that you also should do just as I have done to you.
16 Truly, truly, I say to you, 27a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
17 If you know these things, 28blessed are you if you do them.

Images for John 13:1-17

Cross References 28

  • 1. John 12:1
  • 2. See John 6:4
  • 3. See John 12:23
  • 4. ver. 3; John 16:28
  • 5. ver. 34
  • 6. John 1:11; John 17:6, 9-11
  • 7. ver. 11, 27; [Acts 5:3]; See John 6:70, 71
  • 8. See John 17:2; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 2:27
  • 9. John 8:42; John 16:28
  • 10. See John 14:12
  • 11. [John 21:7; Luke 22:27]
  • 12. [2 Kings 3:11]
  • 13. [ver. 36]
  • 14. ver. 12; [John 12:16; John 15:15]
  • 15. [Matthew 16:22]
  • 16. [1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22]
  • 17. See Genesis 18:4
  • 18. John 15:3
  • 19. ver. 18
  • 20. ver. 2; John 6:64; See John 2:24, 25
  • 21. ver. 4
  • 22. ver. 7
  • 23. Luke 6:46
  • 24. Matthew 23:8, 10; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11
  • 25. 1 Timothy 5:10; [1 Peter 5:5]
  • 26. See Matthew 11:29
  • 27. John 15:20; Matthew 10:24
  • 28. See Luke 11:28; James 1:22

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Some manuscripts omit except for his feet
  • [b]. The Greek words for you in this verse are plural
  • [c]. Greek bondservant
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.