John 13 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

It was just before the Passover festival, and Jesus knew his time had come to leave this world and go back to the Father. He had deeply loved his own people who were in the world, and now he showed them the full extent of that love.

They were eating dinner together, and the Accuser had already planted the idea in the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to hand Jesus over.

Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his authority, and that he had come from God and was going back to God.

So he got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

Then he poured water into a basin and began washing his students' feet, drying them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.

When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, "Master, you're going to wash my feet?"

Jesus answered him, "You don't understand what I'm doing right now, but later you'll get it."

Peter told him, "No way — you will never wash my feet!" Jesus replied, "If I don't wash you, you have no part with me."

Simon Peter said, "Then Master, don't just wash my feet — wash my hands and my head too!"

Jesus told him, "Someone who has already bathed only needs their feet washed — the rest of them is already clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."

He knew who was going to hand him over — that's why he said "Not every one of you is clean."

After he had washed their feet, he put his robe back on and returned to his place at the table. "Do you understand what I just did for you?" he asked them.

"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and you're right — that's exactly what I am."

"So if I — your Master and Teacher — have washed your feet, you should wash each other's feet too."

"I've given you an example to follow. What I did for you, you should do for each other."

"I'm telling you the truth: no servant is greater than their master, and no messenger is greater than the one who sent them."

"Now that you know these things, life will be good for you if you actually do them."

"I'm not talking about all of you — I know the ones I've chosen. But this is happening so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: 'The one who shared my bread has turned against me.'"

"I'm telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you'll believe that I Am."

"I'm telling you the truth: whoever welcomes anyone I send is welcoming me, and whoever welcomes me is welcoming the one who sent me."

After saying this, Jesus became visibly troubled in his spirit and said plainly, "I'm telling you the truth: one of you is going to hand me over."

The students looked at each other, completely unsure who he was talking about.

One of the students — the one Jesus deeply loved — was reclining right next to Jesus at the table.

Simon Peter motioned to this student and said, "Ask him who he's talking about."

So leaning back against Jesus' chest, the student asked him, "Master, who is it?"

Jesus answered, "It's the one I give this piece of bread to after I've dipped it." Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.

As soon as Judas took the bread, the Adversary entered into him. Jesus said to him, "Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly."

None of the others at the table understood why Jesus said this to him.

Since Judas was in charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.

As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

After Judas left, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is shown in his true greatness, and God is shown in his true greatness through him."

If God is shown in his true greatness through him, then God will show the Son's true greatness through himself — and he'll do it right away.

"My children, I'm only going to be with you a little longer. You'll look for me, and just as I told the Jewish leaders, I'm telling you now: where I'm going, you can't come."

"I'm giving you a new command: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."

"This is how everyone will know you're my students — by the way you love each other."

Simon Peter asked him, "Master, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I'm going, you can't follow me now — but you will follow later."

Peter said, "Master, why can't I follow you now? I would lay down my life for you!"

Jesus answered, "You'd lay down your life for me? I'm telling you the truth, Peter — before the rooster crows, you will have denied knowing me three times."