John 8

The Adulterous Woman

1But Jesus went to 1the Mount of Olives. 2And early in the morning He came again into the temple area, and all the people were coming to Him; and 2He sat down and began teaching them. 3Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, and after placing her in the center of the courtyard, 4they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5Now in the Law, 3Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6Now they were saying this to 4test Him, 5so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7When they persisted in asking Him, 6He straightened up and said to them, “7He who is without sin among you, let him be the 8first to throw a stone at her.” 8And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9Now when they heard this, they began leaving, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman where she was, in the center of the courtyard. 10And 9straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11She said, “No one, 10Lord.” And Jesus said, “11I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on do not 12sin any longer.”]]

Jesus Is the Light of the World

12Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “13I am the Light of the world; 14the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13So the Pharisees said to Him, “15You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not 16true.” 14Jesus answered and said to them, “17Even if I am testifying about Myself, My testimony is 18true, because I know 19where I came from and where I am going; but 20you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 1521You judge 22according to the flesh; 23I am not judging anyone. 16But even 24if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17Even in 25your Law it has been written that the testimony of 26two people is 27true. 18I am He who testifies about Myself, and 28the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; 29if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20These words He spoke 30in 31the treasury, as 32He taught in the temple area; and no one arrested Him, because 33His hour had not yet come.

21Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and 34you will look for Me, and 35will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22So 36the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘37Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23And He was saying to them, “38You are from below, I am from above; 39you are of this world, 40I am not of this world. 24Therefore I said to you that you 41will die in your sins; for unless you believe that 4243I am, 44you will die in your sins.” 25Then they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “45What have I even been saying to you from the beginning? 26I have many things to say and to judge regarding you, but 46He who sent Me is true; and 47the things which I heard from Him, these I say to the world.” 27They did not realize that He was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you 48lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that 4950I am, and 51I do nothing 52on My own, but I say these things as the Father instructed Me. 29And He who sent Me is with Me; 53He 54has not left Me alone, for 55I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30As He said these things, 56many came to believe in Him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

31So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “57If you continue in My word, then you are truly My 58disciples; 32and 59you will know the truth, and 60the truth will set you free.” 33They answered Him, “61We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, 62everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35Now 63the slave does not remain in the house forever; 64the son does remain forever. 36So if the Son 65sets you free, you really will be free. 37I know that you are 66Abraham’s descendants; yet 67you are seeking to kill Me, because My word 68has no place in you. 38I speak of the things which I have seen 69with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from 70your father.”

39They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is 71our father.” Jesus said to them, “72If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40But as it is, 73you are seeking to kill Me, a Man who has 74told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41You are doing the deeds of 75your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; 76we have one Father: God.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, 77you would love Me, 78for I came forth from God and am here; for I have 79not even come 80on My own, but 8182He sent Me. 43Why do you not understand 8384what I am saying? It is because you cannot 85listen to My word. 4486You are of 87your father the devil, and 88you want to do the desires of your father. 89He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because 90there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells 91a lie, he 92speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of 93lies. 45But because 94I say the truth, you do not believe Me. 46Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If 95I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 4796The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

4897The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a 98Samaritan, and You 99have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I do not 100have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50But 101I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. 51Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone 102follows My word, he will never 103see death.” 52104The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You 105have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone 106follows My word, he will never 107taste of death.’ 53You 108are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54Jesus answered, “109If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; 110it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55and 111you have not come to know Him, 112but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be 113a liar like you; 114but I do know Him, and I 115follow His word. 56116Your father Abraham was 117overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” 57118So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham 119was born, 120121I am.” 59Therefore they 122picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus 123hid Himself and left the temple grounds.