The Lamp of the Body^(A)

³³ “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.^{(B) 34} Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,^[a] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,^[b] your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵ See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. ³⁶ Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.^{(C) 38} But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.^(D)

³⁹ Then the Lord^(E) said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.^{(F) 40} You foolish people!^(G) Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor,^(H) and everything will be clean for you.^(I)

⁴² “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth^(J) of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.^(K) You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.^(L)

⁴³ “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.^(M)

⁴⁴ “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves,^(N) which people walk over without knowing it.”

⁴⁵ One of the experts in the law^(O) answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.^(P)

⁴⁷ “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.^{(Q) 49} Because of this, God in his wisdom^(R) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’^{(S) 50} Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel^(T) to the blood of Zechariah,^(U) who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.^(V)

⁵² “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”^(W)

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.^(X)

³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^(A) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^{(B) 35} Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^{(C) 36} So if the Son sets you free,^(D) you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(E) because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,^(F) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[a]”^(G)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^(H) said Jesus, “then you would^[b] do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^(I) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^(J) Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”^(K)

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^(L)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^(M) for I have come here from God.^(N) I have not come on my own;^(O) God sent me.^{(P) 43} Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil,^(Q) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^(R) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^{(S) 45} Yet because I tell the truth,^(T) you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.^(U) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

Jesus’ Claims About Himself

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan^(V) and demon-possessed?”^(W)

⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself;^(X) but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”^(Y)

⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!^(Z) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham?^(AA) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,^(AB) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^{(AC) 55} Though you do not know him,^(AD) I know him.^(AE) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^{(AF) 56} Your father Abraham^(AG) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(AH) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,^(AI) I am!”^{(AJ) 59} At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(AK) but Jesus hid himself,^(AL) slipping away from the temple grounds.

²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!^{(A) 29} We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”^(B)

³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.^{(C) 32} Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God,^(D) he could do nothing.”

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;^(E) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.^(F)