THE PEOPLE ARE DIVIDED OVER JESUS

40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This truly is the Prophet.”as 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Doesn’t the Scriptureat say that the Messiah comes from David’sau offspringF and from the town of Bethlehem,av where David lived?” 43 So the crowd was dividedaw because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize him,ax but no one laid hands on him.

DEBATE OVER JESUS’S CLAIMS

45 Then the servantsay came to the chief priestsaz and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him?”

46 The servants answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”G,ba

47 Then the Pharisees responded to them, “Are you fooledbb too? 48 Have any of the rulersbc or Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed.”

50 Nicodemusbd—the one who came to him previously and who was one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”a

52 “You aren’t from Galileeb too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”c

[The earliest * do not include 7:53–8:11.]*

[53 Then each one went to his house. 8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.d

AN ADULTERESS FORGIVEN

2 At dawn he went to the templee again, and all the people were coming to him.f He sat downg and began to teach them.

3 Then the scribes and the Phariseesh brought a woman caught in adultery,i making her stand in the center. 4 “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.j 5 In the law Mosesk commanded us to stone such women.l So what do you say?” 6 They asked this to trap him,m in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sinn among youo should be the first to throw a stone at her.”p 8 Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, Lord,”* she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,”q said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”]

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I amr the lights of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”t