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Then Jesus went to the hill called the Mount of Olives.

Early the next morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him. He sat down and taught them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus. They had caught her having sex with a man who was not her husband. They made the woman stand in front of them.

They said, `Teacher, this woman has committed adultery. She was caught doing it.

The law of Moses tells us that the people who do that should be killed with stones. What do you say?'

They said this to see what Jesus would do, because they wanted to find something wrong with him. Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

They kept on asking him. He stood up and said to them, `The one among you who has never done any wrong thing may throw the first stone at her.'

And Jesus bent down again and wrote on the ground.

When the people heard what he said, they went out, one by one. The oldest one went out first. Jesus was left alone with the woman in front of him.

10 Jesus looked up and said to her, `Woman, where are the people? Has no one judged you?'

11 She said, `No one, Sir.' Jesus said, `I also do not judge you. Go, and do no wrong thing again.'

12 Then Jesus talked to the people in the temple. He said, `I am the Light of the world. The one who comes with me will never walk in the dark, but he will have light that gives life.'

13 The Pharisees said, `You are talking about yourself. What you say is not true.'

14 Jesus said to them, `Even if I do talk about myself, what I say is true. I know where I come from and I know where I am going. But you do not know where I came from, or where I am going.

15 You judge in the way people judge matters. I do not judge any person.

16 But even if I do judge, I judge right. I am not alone. My Father who sent me is with me.

17 Even in your law it says that when two people say the same thing, it is true.

18 I talk about myself, and my Father who sent me talks about me.'

19 They asked him, `Where is your Father?' He said, `You do not know me and you do not know my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.'

20 When Jesus said these words he was teaching in the temple. He was in the place where the money is kept. No one caught him because it was not yet his time.

21 Jesus talked to them again. He said, `I am going away. You will try to find me and will die doing wrong things. You cannot come where I am going.'

22 Then the Jews said, `Will he kill himself? He says, "You cannot come where I am going." '

23 Jesus said to them, `You are from below. I am from above. You belong to this world. I do not belong to this world.

24 That is why I said, "You will die doing wrong things." If you do not believe that I am who I said I am, then you will die doing wrong things.'

25 They said to him, `Who are you?' Jesus answered, `I am what I told you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say to you and to judge you in many things. But he who sent me is true. I tell the world what he has told me.'

27 The people did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about his Father.

28 So Jesus said, `When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he. You will know that I do nothing by my own power, but I talk the way my Father taught me.

29 He who sent me is with me always. I always do what he wants me to do.'

30 Many people believed in Jesus while he was talking this way.

31 Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, `If you obey my word, you are truly my disciples.

32 And you will understand the truth and the truth will make you free.'

33 They said to him, `We are Abraham's children. We have always been free. Why do you say to us, "You will be free"?'

34 Jesus answered them, `I tell you the truth. People who do wrong things are not free. They become a slave of the wrong things they do.

35 A slave does not belong to the family for ever. But a son belongs for ever.

36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.

37 I know that you come from Abraham. But you want to kill me because you do not like what I tell you.

38 I tell you about the things that I have seen where my Father is, and you do what you have seen your father do.'

39 They answered him, `Abraham is our father.' Jesus said, `If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.

40 But you want to kill me because I told you the truth which I learned from God. Abraham did not do that.

41 You are doing your father's work.' Then they said to him, `We were not born of an unmarried woman. God is the Father of us all.'

42 Jesus said to them, `If God were your Father you would love me, because I have come from God. I did not come by my own power. God sent me.

43 Why do you not understand what I say? I will tell you why. It is because you do not want to understand it.

44 `The bad spirit, the devil, is your real father. You gladly do the wrong things he wants you to do. From the beginning he killed people. He has nothing to do with what is true. His way is to tell lies. He himself is a liar and all lying comes from him.

45 You do not believe me because I tell you what is true.

46 Which one of you can prove that what I have done is bad? I tell you what is true. Why then do you not believe me?

47 The person who comes from God listens to what God says. You do not come from God. That is why you do not listen to me.'

48 The leaders of the Jews answered him, `We say what is true. We say that you come from Samaria. And we say that a bad spirit is in you.'

49 Jesus said, `I have no bad spirit in me. I respect my Father but you do not respect me.

50 I do not want to make myself great. There is one who makes me great. He judges the matter.

51 I tell you the truth. If anyone obeys my word, he will never die.'

52 The leaders of the Jews said to him, `Now we know it is true that a bad spirit is in you. Abraham died. So did the prophets. And yet you say, "If anyone obeys my word, he will never die."

53 Are you greater than our father Abraham and the prophets of God who died long ago? Who do you make yourself out to be?'

54 Jesus answered, `If I make myself great, then I am not great. But my Father makes me great. You say he is your God.

55 But you do not know God. I know him. If I say, "I do not know him," I am a liar, just as you people are. But I know him and I obey his word.

56 Your father Abraham was glad that he would see my coming. He did see it and he was very glad.'

57 The Jewish leaders said to him, `You are not fifty years old yet. How could Abraham see you?'

58 Jesus answered, `I tell you the truth. I already was before Abraham was born.'

59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus got out of their way. He left the temple and they did not know where he went.

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.(B) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.(C) Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,(D) in order to have a basis for accusing him.(E)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone(F) at her.”(G) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,”(H) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(I)


Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am(J) the light of the world.(K) Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(L)

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”(M)

14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.(N) But you have no idea where I come from(O) or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards;(P) I pass judgment on no one.(Q) 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.(R) 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.(S) 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”(T)

19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,”(U) Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(V) 20 He spoke these words while teaching(W) in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put.(X) Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.(Y)

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die(Z) in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”(AA)

22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.(AB) 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,(AC) you will indeed die in your sins.”

25 “Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,(AD) and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”(AE)

27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up[a] the Son of Man,(AF) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.(AG) 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,(AH) for I always do what pleases him.”(AI) 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.(AJ)

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,(AK) you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(AL)

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants(AM) 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.(AN) 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.(AO) 36 So if the Son sets you free,(AP) you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,(AQ) because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,(AR) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[b](AS)

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

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

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

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,(AY) for I have come here from God.(AZ) I have not come on my own;(BA) God sent me.(BB) 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,(BC) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.(BD) 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.(BE) 45 Yet because I tell the truth,(BF) 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.(BG) 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(BH) and demon-possessed?”(BI)

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;(BJ) 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.”(BK)

52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!(BL) 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?(BM) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,(BN) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.(BO) 55 Though you do not know him,(BP) I know him.(BQ) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.(BR) 56 Your father Abraham(BS) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it(BT) 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,(BU) I am!”(BV) 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him,(BW) but Jesus hid himself,(BX) slipping away from the temple grounds.

Footnotes

  1. John 8:28 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
  2. John 8:38 Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.
  3. John 8:39 Some early manuscripts “If you are Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then