John 8
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At break of day however He returned to the Temple, and there the people came to Him in crowds. He seated Himself;
Early in the morning he returned to the Temple where many people gathered around him and he sat down and taught them.
3 and was teaching them when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him.
The religious teachers and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught committing adultery and made her stand before everyone.
4 "Rabbi," they said, "this woman has been found in the very act of committing adultery.
They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
5 Now, in the Law, Moses has ordered us to stone such women to death. But what do you say?"
Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say?”
6 They asked this in order to put Him to the test, so that they might have some charge to bring against Him. But Jesus leant forward and began to write with His finger on the ground.
They said this to try and trap Jesus so they could condemn him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
7 When however they persisted with their question, He raised His head and said to them, "Let the sinless man among you be the first to throw a stone at her."
They kept on demanding an answer, so he stood up and told them, “Whichever one of you has never sinned may throw the first stone at her.”
8 Then He leant forward again, and again began to write on the ground.
Then he bent down again and went on writing on the ground.
9 They listened to Him, and then, beginning with the eldest, took their departure, one by one, till all were gone. And Jesus was left behind alone--and the woman in the centre of the court.
When they heard this they began to leave, one by one, starting with the oldest until Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman still standing there.
10 Then, raising His head, Jesus said to her, "Where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Where are they? Didn't anybody stay to condemn you?”
11 "No one, Sir," she replied. "And I do not condemn you either," said Jesus; "go, and from this time do not sin any more."]
“No one did, sir,” she replied. “I don't condemn you either,” Jesus told her. “Go, and don't sin anymore.”
12 Once more Jesus addressed them. "I am the Light of the world," He said; "the man who follows me shall certainly not walk in the dark, but shall have the light of Life."
Jesus spoke again to the people, telling them, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me you won't walk in darkness for you will have the life-giving light.”
13 "You are giving testimony about yourself," said the Pharisees; "your testimony is not true."
The Pharisees replied, “You can't be your own witness! What you say doesn't prove anything!”
14 "Even if I am giving testimony about myself," replied Jesus, "my testimony is true; for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you know neither of these two things.
“Even if I am my own witness, my testimony is true,” Jesus told them, “for I know where I came from and where I'm going. But you don't know where I came from or where I'm going.
15 You judge according to appearances: I am judging no one.
You judge in a typically human way, but I don't judge anyone.
16 And even if I do judge, my judgement is just; for I am not alone, but the Father who sent me is with me.
Even if I did judge, my judgment would be right because I am not doing this alone. The Father who sent me is with me.
17 In your own Law, too, it is written that the testimony of two men is true.
Your own law states that the testimony of two witnesses is valid.
18 I am one giving testimony about myself, and the Father who sent me gives testimony about me."
I am my own witness, and my other witness is my Father who sent me.”
19 "Where is your Father?" they asked. "You know my Father as little as you know me." He replied; "if you knew me, you would know my Father also."
“Where is your father?” they asked him. “You don't know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me then you would know my Father as well.”
20 These sayings He uttered in the Treasury, while teaching in the Temple; yet no one arrested Him, because His time had not yet come.
Jesus explained this while he was teaching near the Temple treasury. Yet no one arrested him because his time had not yet come.
21 Again He said to them, "I am going away. Then you will try to find me, but you will die in your sins. Where I am going, it is impossible for you to come."
Jesus told them again, “I'm leaving, and you'll search for me, but you'll die in your sin. You can't come where I'm going.”
22 The Jews began to ask one another, "Is he going to kill himself, do you think, that he says, 'Where I am going, it is impossible for you to come'?"
The Jews wondered out loud, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means when he says ‘You can't come where I'm going’?”
23 "You," He continued, "are from below, I am from above: you are of this present world, I am not of this present world.
Jesus told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 That is why I told you that you will die in your sins; for, unless you believe that I am He, that is what will happen."
That is why I told you that you'll die in your sins. For if you don't trust in me, the ‘I am,’ you'll die in your sins.”
25 "You--who are you?" they asked. "How is it that I am speaking to you at all?" replied Jesus.
Then they asked him, “Who are you?” “Exactly who I told you I was from the beginning,” Jesus replied.
26 "Many things I have to speak and to judge concerning you. But He who sent me is true, and the things which I have heard from Him are those which I have come into the world to speak."
“There's much I could say about you, and much I could condemn. But the one who sent me tells the truth, and what I'm saying to you here in this world is what I heard from him.”
27 They did not perceive that He was speaking to them of the Father.
They didn't understand that he was talking to them about the Father. So Jesus explained to them:
28 So Jesus added, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He. Of myself I do nothing; but as the Father has taught me, so I speak.
“When you have lifted up the Son of man then you'll know that I am the ‘I am,’ and that I do nothing of myself, but only say what the Father taught me.
29 And He who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone: for I do always what is pleasing to Him."
The one who sent me is with me; he has not abandoned me, for I always do what pleases him.”
30 As He thus spoke, many became believers in Him.
Many who heard Jesus say these things put their trust in him.
31 Jesus therefore said to those of the Jews who had now believed in Him, "As for you, if you hold fast to my teaching, then you are truly my disciples;
Then Jesus said to those Jews who trusted in him, “If you follow my teaching then you really are my disciples.
32 and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free."
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 "We are descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and have never at any time been in slavery to any one. What do those words of yours mean, 'You shall become free'?"
“We're descendants of Abraham! We've never been slaves to anyone,” they answered. “How can you say that we'll be set free?”
34 "In most solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that every one who commits sin is the slave of sin.
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
A slave doesn't have a permanent place in the family, but the son is part of the family forever. (aiōn g165)
36 If then the Son shall make you free, you will be free indeed.
If the Son sets you free, then you're truly free.
37 You are descendants of Abraham, I know; but you want to kill me, because my teaching gains no ground within you.
I know you're Abraham's descendants, yet you're trying to kill me because you refuse to accept my words.
38 The words I speak are those I have learnt in the presence of the Father. Therefore you also should do what you have heard from your father."
I'm telling you what the Father has revealed to me, while you do what your father told you.”
39 "Our father is Abraham," they said. "If you were Abraham's children," replied Jesus, "it is Abraham's deeds that you would be doing.
“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you really were children of Abraham, you'd do what Abraham did,” Jesus told them.
40 But, in fact, you are longing to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth which I have heard from God. Abraham did not do that.
“But you are trying to kill me now, because I told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham would never have done that.
41 You are doing the deeds of your father." "We," they replied, "are not illegitimate children. We have one Father, namely God."
You're doing what your father does.” “Well we are not illegitimate,” they responded. “God alone is our father!”
42 "If God were your Father," said Jesus, "you would love me; for it is from God that I came and I am now here. I have not come of myself, but He sent me.
Jesus replied, “If God really was your father, you would love me. I came from God and now I am here. The decision to come wasn't mine, but the one who sent me.
43 How is it you do not understand me when I speak? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my words.
Why can't you understand what I'm saying? It's because you refuse to hear my message!
44 The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth--for there is no truth in him. Whenever he utters his lie, he utters it out of his own store; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.
Your father is the Devil, and you love to follow your father's evil desires. He was a murderer from the beginning. He never stood for the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies he reveals his true character, for he's a liar and the father of lies.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.
So because I tell you the truth, you don't believe me!
46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?
Can any one of you prove that I'm guilty of sin? If I'm telling you the truth, why don't you believe me?
47 He who is a child of God listens to God's words. You do not listen to them: and why? It is because you are not God's children."
Anyone who belongs to God listens to what God says. The reason you don't listen is because you don't belong to God.”
48 "Are we not right," answered the Jews, "in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?"
“Aren't we right to call you a Samaritan who is demon-possessed?” said the Jews.
49 "I am not possessed by a demon," replied Jesus. "On the contrary I honour my Father, and you dishonour me.
“No, I don't have a demon,” Jesus replied. “I honor my Father, but you dishonor me.
50 I, however, am not aiming at glory for myself: there is One who aims at glory for me--and who judges.
I'm not here looking to glorify myself. But there is one who does this for me and who judges in my favor.
51 In most solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall have obeyed my teaching he shall in no case ever see death." (aiōn g165)
I tell you the truth, anyone who follows my teaching will never die.” (aiōn g165)
52 "Now," exclaimed the Jews, "we know that you are possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the Prophets, and yet you say, 'If any one shall have obeyed my teaching, he shall in no case ever taste death.' (aiōn g165)
“Now we know you're demon-possessed,” said the Jews. “Abraham died, and the prophets did too, and you're telling us ‘anyone who follows my teaching will never die’! (aiōn g165)
53 Are you really greater than our forefather Abraham? For he died. And the prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?"
Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and the prophets died. Who do you think you are?”
54 "Were I to glorify myself," answered Jesus, "I should have no real glory. There is One who glorifies me--namely my Father, who you say is your God.
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. But it is God himself who glorifies me, the one you claim, ‘He is our God.’
55 You do not know Him, but I know Him perfectly; and were I to deny my knowledge of Him, I should resemble you, and be a liar. On the contrary I do know Him, and I obey His commands.
You don't know him, but I know him. If I were to say, ‘I don't know him,’ I'd be a liar, just like you. But I do know him, and I do what he says.
56 Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad."
Your father Abraham was delighted as he looked forward to see my coming, and was so happy when he saw it.”
57 "You are not yet fifty years old," cried the Jews, "and have you seen Abraham?"
The Jews replied, “You're not even fifty years old, and you've seen Abraham?”
58 "In most solemn truth," answered Jesus, "I tell you that before Abraham came into existence, I am."
“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am,” said Jesus.
59 Thereupon they took up stones with which to stone Him, but He hid Himself and went away out of the Temple.
At this they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus was hidden from them and he left the Temple.
