John 8

8¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ^d

An Adulteress Forgiven

²At dawn He went to the temple complex ^eagain, and all the people were coming to Him. ^fHe sat down ^gand began to teach them.

³Then the scribes and the Pharisees ^hbrought a woman caught in adultery, ⁱmaking her stand in the center. ⁴“Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. ^j5In the law Moses ^kcommanded us to stone such women. ^lSo what do You say?” ⁶They asked this to trap Him, ^min order that they might have evidence to accuse Him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. ⁷When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin ⁿamong you ^oshould be the first to throw a stone at her.” ^p

⁸Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. ⁹When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center. ¹⁰When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “^•Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹“No one, Lord,” ^qshe answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,” ^rsaid Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” ^s

The Light of the World

¹²Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am ^tthe light ^uof the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” ^v

¹³So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” ^w

¹⁴“Even if I testify about Myself,” Jesus replied, “My testimony is valid, ^xbecause 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. ^y15You judge ^zby human standards. ^abI judge no one. ^c16And if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent Me judge ^dtogether. ^e17Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid. ^f18I am the One who testifies ^gabout Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”

¹⁹Then they asked Him, “Where is Your Father?”

“You know neither Me nor My Father,” ^hJesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.” ⁱ²⁰He spoke these words by the treasury, ^jkwhile teaching in the temple complex. But no one seized Him, because His hour ^lhad not come.

Jesus Predicts His Departure

²¹Then He said to them again, “I’m going away; ^myou will look for Me, and you will die in your sin. ⁿWhere I’m going, you cannot come.” ^o

²²So the Jews said again, “He won’t kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I’m going, you cannot come’ ^p?”

²³“You are from below,” He told them, “I am from above. ^qYou are of this world; ^rI am not of this ^•world. ^s24Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, ^tyou will die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are You?” they questioned.

“Precisely what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them. ²⁶“I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the One who sent Me ^uis true, and what I have heard from Him—these things I tell the world.” ^v

²⁷They did not know He was speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the ^•Son of Man, ^wthen you will know that I am ^xHe, and that I do nothing on My own. ^yBut just as the Father taught Me, I say these things. ²⁹The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, ^zbecause I always do what pleases Him.”

Truth and Freedom

³⁰As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. ³¹So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, ^abyou really are My disciples. ³²You will know the truth, ^cand the truth will set you free.”

³³“We are descendants ^dof Abraham,” ^ethey answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴Jesus responded, “^•I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a ^•slave of sin. ^f35A slave does not remain in the household forever, ^gbut a son does remain forever. ^h36Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. ³⁷I know you are descendants ⁱof Abraham, ^jbut you are trying to kill Me because My word ^kis not welcome among you. ³⁸I speak what I have seen ^lin the presence of the Father; ^mntherefore, you do what you have heard from your father.”

³⁹“Our father is Abraham!” they replied.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. ^o40But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth ^pthat I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁴¹You’re doing what your father does.” ^q

“We weren’t born ^rof sexual immorality,” ^sthey said. “We have one Father—God.” ^t

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, ^ubecause I came from God ^vand I am here. For I didn’t come on My own, but He sent Me. ⁴³Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to ^wMy word. ^x44You are of your father the Devil, ^yand you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer ^zfrom the beginning ^aand has not stood in the truth, ^bbecause there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, ^cbecause he is a liar and the father of liars. ^d45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. ⁴⁶Who among you can convict Me of sin? ^eIf I tell the truth, why don’t you believe Me? ⁴⁷The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”

Jesus and Abraham

⁴⁸The Jews responded to Him, “Aren’t we right in saying that You’re a Samaritan ^fand have a demon?” ^g

⁴⁹“I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor My Father and you dishonor Me. ⁵⁰I do not seek My glory; ^hthe One who seeks it also judges. ⁵¹I assure you: If anyone keeps My word, ⁱhe will never see death—ever!”

⁵²Then the Jews said, “Now we know You have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death—ever!’ ⁵³Are You greater than our father Abraham who died? Even the prophets died. Who do You pretend to be?” ^j

⁵⁴“If I glorify Myself,” Jesus answered, “My glory is nothing. My Father—you say about Him, ‘He is our God’—He is the One who glorifies Me. ⁵⁵You’ve never known Him, but I know Him. If I were to say I don’t know Him, ^kI would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, ^land I keep His word. ⁵⁶Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it ^mand rejoiced.”

⁵⁷The Jews replied, “You aren’t 50 years old yet, and You’ve seen Abraham?” ⁿ

⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am.” ^op

⁵⁹At that, they picked up stones ^qto throw at Him. ^rBut Jesus was hidden ^stand went out of the temple complex. ^uv