John 13:1-20

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

1 Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, [and] having loved [his] own in the world, loved them to the end.

2 And [as] a dinner was taking place, [when] the devil had already put into the heart of Judas [son] of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him,

3 [because he] knew that the Father had given him all [things] into [his] hands, and that he had come forth from God and was going away to God,

4 he got up from the dinner and took off [his] outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied [it] around himself.

5 Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe [them] dry with the towel {which he had tied around himself}.

6 Then he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand after these [things]."

8 Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet {forever}!" Jesus replied to him, "Unless I wash you, you do not have a 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 {only needs} to wash [his] feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all [of you]."

11 (For he knew the one who would betray him; because of this he said, "Not all [of you] are clean.")

12 So when he had washed their feet and taken his outer clothing and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done for you?

13 You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and you speak correctly, for I am.

14 If then I--[your] Lord and Teacher--wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that just as I have done for you, you also do.

16 Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

17 If you understand these [things], you are blessed if you do them.

18 "I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but in order that the scripture would be fulfilled, 'The one who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

19 From now [on] I am telling you before [it] happens, in order that when [it] happens you may believe that I am [he].

20 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me."

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied in keeping with English style
• [b]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [c]. *Here "[as]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("was taking place")
• [d]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("put")
• [e]. *Here "[because]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("knew") which is understood as causal
• [f]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [g]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [h]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [i]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [j]. Literally "with which he was girded"
• [k]. Literally "for the age"
• [l]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [m]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [n]. Literally "does not have need except"
• [o]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [p]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [q]. A quotation from Ps 41:9
• [r]. *Here the predicate nominative ("[he]") is understood, but must be supplied in the translation