₁It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end.

₂Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus. ₃Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. ₄So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel round his waist. ₅Then he poured some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel round his waist. ₆He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Are you going to wash my feet, Lord?”

₇Jesus answered him, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.”

₈Peter declared, “Never at any time will you wash my feet!”

“If I do not wash your feet,” Jesus answered, “you will no longer be my disciple.”

₉Simon Peter answered, “Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too!”

₁₀Jesus said, “Those who have had a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet. All of you are clean — all except one.” ₁₁(Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, “All of you, except one, are clean.”)

₁₂After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. “Do you understand what I have just done to you?” he asked. ₁₃“You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. ₁₄I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet. ₁₅I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you. ₁₆I am telling you the truth: slaves are never greater than their master, and messengers are never greater than the one who sent them. ₁₇Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!

₃₁After Judas had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man's glory is revealed; now God's glory is revealed through him. ₃₂And if God's glory is revealed through him, then God will reveal the glory of the Son of Man in himself, and he will do so at once. ₃₃My children, I shall not be with you very much longer. You will look for me; but I tell you now what I told the Jewish authorities, ‘You cannot go where I am going.’ ₃₄And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ₃₅If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”