The Passover drew near, so Jesus with his disciples went up to Jerusalem. He went to the pool called Probatica. The bath was so crowded because every day the angel of God stirred the water, and whoever first entered the water after its movement was cured of every kind of infirmity. Therefore, a great number of sick persons remained beside the pool, which had five porticoes. Jesus saw there an impotent man, who had been there thirty-eight years sick with a grievous infirmity. Therefore, Jesus, knowing this by divine inspiration, had compassion on the sick man, and said to him, "Do you want to be made whole?"

The impotent man answered, "Sir, when the angel stirs the water, I do not have anyone to put me into it, but while I am coming to the water another steps down before me and enters." Then Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Lord our God, God of our fathers, have mercy upon this impotent man."

Then Jesus said, "In God's name, brother be whole; rise and take up your bed." Then the impotent man arose, praising God, carried his bed upon his shoulders, and went to his house praising God.

Those who saw him cried, "It is the Sabbath day; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered, "He who made me whole said to me, 'Pick up your bed, and go your way to your home." Then they asked him, "Who is he?" He answered, "I do not know his name." Among themselves they said, "It must have been Jesus the Nazarene." Others said, "No, for Jesus the Nazarene is a holy one of God, whereas he who has done this thing is a wicked man, for he causes the Sabbath to be broken."

Jesus went into the Temple, and a great multitude drew near to him to hear his words. One of the priests came to him, saying, "Good master, you teach well and truly; tell me therefore, what reward God will give us in paradise?" Jesus answered, "You call me good, and do not know that God alone is good." Jesus continued, "Truly I say to you, nothing is more perilous than speech. For so Solomon said, 'Life and death are in the power of the tongue.'" Then he turned to his disciples and said, "Beware of those who bless you, because they deceive you. With the tongue Satan blessed our first parents, but the outcome of his words was miserable."

Then he said to the priest, "You ask me to tell you what God will give us in paradise. Truly, I say to you that those who think of the wages do not love the master. You should not say, 'What will God give me?' but you should say, 'What should I give to God for all that He has given to me?'

I will speak to you by a parable that you may understand. A king found by the wayside, a man stripped by thieves who had wounded him to death. The king had compassion on him, and commanded his slaves to bear that man to the city and tend him. They did this with all diligence. The king conceived a great love for the sick man, so that he gave him his own daughter in marriage, and made him his heir. Now assuredly this king was most merciful. However, the man beat the slaves; despised the medicines; abused his wife; spoke evil of the king; and caused his vassals to rebel against him. Moreover, when the king required any service, he used to say, 'What will the king give me as reward?' Now when the king heard this, what did he do to so impious a man?" They all replied, "Woe to him, for the king deprived him of all, and cruelly punished him."

Then Jesus said, "O priests, scribes, and Pharisees, and you high-priest that hear my voice, you dishonour God with your manner of life; and now you ask me, 'What will God give us in paradise?' You should ask me, 'What will be the punishment that God will give you in hell; and then what you ought to do for true penitence in order that God may have mercy on you;' for this I can tell you; and to this end I am sent to you."