< John 8 >
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning he again went to the temple courts. All the people came, and he sat down and taught them.
3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought him a woman who had been caught in adultery. Making her stand before them all,
4 they said to Jesus, testing him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
5 In the law, Moses commanded us that such women should be stoned; what then do yoʋ say?”
6 (They said this to test him, so that they might have something to accuse him of.) But Jesus stooped down and wrote with his finger on the ground, taking no notice.
7 When they continued asking him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him among you who is without sin throw the first stone at her.”
8 And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard this, they were convicted by their own consciences and began to go away one by one, starting with the older men. So Jesus was left alone, with the woman there before him.
10 Then Jesus stood up and saw no one but the woman. So he said to her, “Where are yoʋr accusers? Has no one condemned yoʋ?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I pass judgment on yoʋ; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will certainly not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 So the Pharisees said to him, “Yoʋ are testifying about yoʋrself, so yoʋr testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
15 You judge according to the flesh, but I judge no one.
16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.
17 In your own law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.
18 I testify about myself, and the Father who sent me also testifies about me.”
19 Then they said to him, “Where is yoʋr father?” Jesus answered, “You neither know me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father as well.”
20 (Jesus spoke these words in the treasury as he taught in the temple courts. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.)
21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22 So the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
25 They said to him, “Who are yoʋ?” Jesus said to them, “Exactly what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say about you and to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I tell the world what I have heard from him.”
27 (They did not know that he was speaking to them about the Father.)
28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own authority, but I speak these things just as my Father taught me.
29 He who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How then can yoʋ say, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
35 The slave does not abide in the house forever; the son abides forever. (aiōn )
36 So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you are seeking to kill me because your hearts have no room for my word.
38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father; so you also are doing what you have seen with your father.”
39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were children of Abraham, you would be doing the works of Abraham.
40 But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do such a thing.
41 You are doing the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of fornication. We have one Father—God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come of my own accord, but he sent me.
43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot bear to accept my word.
44 You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks lies, he speaks from his own character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.
46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?
47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is because you do not belong to God.”
48 The Jews answered him, “Do we not rightly say that yoʋ are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
50 I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will certainly never see death.” (aiōn )
52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that yoʋ have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet yoʋ say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will certainly never taste death.’ (aiōn )
53 Are yoʋ greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do yoʋ make yoʋrself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
55 You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham was glad that he would see my day. He saw it and rejoiced.”
57 Then the Jews said to him, “Yoʋ are not yet fifty years old, and yoʋ have seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple grounds. And passing through the crowd, he walked away.
