Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 ^<1>It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.^{77 <2>}The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

^<3>Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God. ^<4>So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist. ^<5>After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.

^<6>He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”

^<7>Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

^<8>“Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him.

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”

^<9>“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!”

^<10>Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” ^<11>For He knew who would betray Him. That is why He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

^<12>When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His outer garments, He reclined with them again and asked, “Do you know what I have done for you? ^<13>You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am. ^<14>So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ^<15>I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you. ^<16>Truly, truly, I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,¹ nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ^<17>If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

(Psalms 41:1–13)

^<18>I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’^{2 <19>}I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He. ^<20>Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.” 

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

Jesus washes his apprentices’ feet

^<1>It was before the Passover celebrations began. Jesus knew that the time had now come for him to leave this world through his death, resurrection and return to the Father. Having loved his own apprentices who lived in the world, he loved them right to the end of his life. He never gave up caring for them.

^<2>As the evening meal was getting underway, Satan had already instilled the evil thought into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ^<3>Jesus knew that everything had been entrusted to him by the Father and that he had come from God and was returning to him. ^<4>Then something amazing happened. Jesus stood up from the meal, took off his outer cloak and tunic, and wrapped a long linen cloth round his waist. ^<5>Next, he poured some water into a bowl. He then went to each of his apprentices in turn, starting to wash their feet with the water and then drying them with the long cloth that was wrapped round him. All of this task was normally the role performed by the lowest slave.

^<6>When it was Simon Peter’s turn, Jesus approached him and knelt down in front of him. Peter resisted, objecting, ‘Lord, are you—the Lord of everything—going to wash my feet?’

^<7>‘Yes,’ Jesus answered, ‘at the moment you don’t realise what I’m doing. But later, after my resurrection and when the Holy Spirit comes in his fullness, everything will become clear to you and you will understand.’

^<8>Peter insisted, ‘I’ll never let you wash my feet, no, not in a million years!’

Jesus responded, ‘Peter, my washing your feet is a symbol of my forgiving you your sins. Unless I cleanse you from your sins, you cannot share in the benefits of my salvation.’

^<9>‘In that case, Lord,’ Peter burst out impulsively, rushing to the other extreme, ‘don’t just wash my feet, but also wash my hands and my head at the same time!’

^<10>Jesus explained, ‘If you go out for a meal, you wash yourself completely before you go. Then, when you arrive, you only need to wash your feet; your whole body is already clean. In the same way, when you first come to trust in me as your Saviour, you receive a thorough, once-for-all cleansing from sin. After that, you only need to keep receiving fresh forgiveness for the dirt of the sins you pick up day to day. Most of you have been washed clean and share in my salvation, though not all of you.’ ^<11>Jesus said that not everyone was washed clean because he knew all the time who was going to betray him.

^<12>Jesus washed the feet of his other apprentices and when he had finished, he took off the cloth that had been wrapped round him and put his tunic and cloak back on. He then took up his place again at the table. He asked them, ‘Do you understand what I’ve just done for you? ^<13>You’re right in calling me “Teacher” and “Lord”, because that is what I am. ^<14>So if I have been humble enough as your Lord and Teacher to have washed your feet, then surely you should also wash one another’s feet. ^<15>I am your role model: you are to do to one another as I have done to you. I have given you a practical example of love, service and humility.

^<16>‘I am telling you the truth, don’t think that performing such humble acts of service is beneath you. Remember, a servant isn’t more important than their master. A messenger isn’t more important than the person who sent them. ^<17>If you know and do these things all the time, you will find favour with God. It’s not enough to know certain things in your minds; make sure you put them into practice.

‘One of you is going to betray me’

^<18>‘But I’m not speaking about all of you as if all of you would stay loyal to me. I know the ones I have chosen, and I know what kind of people they are. Something is about to happen that will fulfil the Scripture, “One of my close and trusted friends, one who has shared bread with me, has viciously stabbed me in the back.”^{3 <19>}I’m telling you all this now before it happens. When it actually happens, you will not be surprised but you will keep on believing I really am who I say I am, that I am the Messiah. Even though I will be betrayed, keep trusting me. ^<20>I am telling you the truth, I am sending you out into the world. Everyone who accepts the person I send accepts and welcomes me. You cannot accept the one and reject the other. Everyone who accepts and welcomes me accepts and welcomes the One who sent me.’