^8:13So the Pharisees²² objected,²³ “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!”²⁴^8:14Jesus answered,²⁵ “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people²⁶ do not know where I came from or where I am going.²⁷^8:15You people²⁸ judge by outward appearances;²⁹ I do not judge anyone.³⁰^8:16But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate,³¹ because I am not alone when I judge,³² but I and the Father who sent me do so together.³³^8:17It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.³⁴^8:18I testify about myself³⁵ and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

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Footnotes

22 See the note on Pharisees in .
23 Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”
24 Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.
25 Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
26 The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.
27 You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.
28 The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.
29 Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by σάρξ 5.
30 What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement “I do not judge anyone”? It is clear that Jesus did judge (even in the next verse). The point is that he didn’t practice the same kind of judgment that the Pharisees did. Their kind of judgment was condemnatory. They tried to condemn people. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it (3:17). Nevertheless, and not contradictory to this, the coming of Jesus did bring judgment, because it forced people to make a choice. Would they accept Jesus or reject him? Would they come to the light or shrink back into the darkness? As they responded, so were they judged—just as 3:19–21 previously stated. One’s response to Jesus determines one’s eternal destiny.
31 Grk “my judgment is true.”
32 The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
33 The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
34 An allusion to Deut 17:6.
35 Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, 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. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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

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. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

“Even if I testify about myself,” Jesus replied, “my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge by human standards. I judge no one. And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

NLTNew Living Translation

The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”

Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify concerning yourself! Your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify concerning myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I have come from and where I am going. But you do not know where I have come from or where I am going. You judge according to externals; I do not judge anyone. But even if I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. And even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. I am the one who testifies concerning myself, and the Father who sent me testifies concerning me.”

KJV 1900King James Version

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

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