Gospel according to John 13

¹ It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was.

² They were at supper, and the devil had already put it into the mind of Judas Iscariot son of Simon, to betray him.

³ Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God,

⁴ and he got up from table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist;

⁵ he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet[*a] and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.

⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’

⁷ Jesus answered, ‘At the moment you do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand’.

⁸ ‘Never!’ said Peter ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus replied, ‘If I do not wash you, you can have nothing in common with me’.

⁹ ‘Then, Lord,’ said Simon Peter ‘not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!’

¹⁰ Jesus said, ‘No one who has taken a bath needs washing, he is clean all over. You too are clean, though not all of you are.’

¹¹ He knew who was going to betray him, that was why he said, ‘though not all of you are’.

¹² When he had washed their feet and put on his clothes again he went back to the table. ‘Do you understand’ he said ‘what I have done to you?

¹³ You call me Master and Lord, and rightly; so I am.

¹⁴ If I, then, the Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you should wash each other’s feet.

¹⁵ I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.

¹⁶ ‘I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.

¹⁷ ‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly.

¹⁸ I am not speaking about all of you: I know the ones I have chosen; but what scripture says must be fulfilled: Someone who shares my table rebels against me.[*b]

¹⁹ ‘I tell you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen you may believe that I am He.

²⁰ I tell you most solemnly, whoever welcomes the one I send welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.’

²¹ Having said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me’.

²² The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant.

²³ The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus;

²⁴ Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’,

²⁵ so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’

²⁶ ‘lt is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.

²⁷ At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly’.

²⁸ None of the others at table understood the reason he said this.

²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor.

³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.

³¹ When he had gone Jesus said: ‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.

³² If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself,[*c] and will glorify him very soon.

³³ ‘My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another.

³⁵ By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples.’

³⁶ Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later’.

³⁷ Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’

³⁸ ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.