Paragraph 5:8–9b

Jesus told the sick man to pick up his bed and walk. The man obeyed. He was well.

5:8a

Then Jesus told him: Jesus told the sick man to do three things. In some languages it may be helpful to use a specific verb like “commanded” instead of the more general verb told. For example:

Then Jesus ordered him

Get up: The Greek verb that the BRB translates as Get up is a command. Other ways to translate this include

Stand up (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Rise (Revised Standard Version)

5:8b

pick up your mat: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mat refers to a piece of thin material that people slept on. Sometimes people would carry sick or disabled people on a mat. It was something that the sick man in this story could roll up and carry. Jesus wanted the man to pick up the mat and take it with him.

Here is another way to translate this command:

take up your mat

walk: In some languages it may be natural to mention that the man was to take the mat with him. For example:

walk ⌊with your mat⌋

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