John 8

1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2At daybreak he returned to the temple courts. All the people kept coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle of the gathering. 4Then they said to him, to test him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5In the Law, Moses ordered that women like this be stoned. What do you say, then?” 6They said this to test him, so that they would have something to accuse him of. But Jesus bent down and, with his finger, began writing on the ground. He took no notice of them. 7As they went on asking him, he stood up straight and said to them, “Whoever among you has no sin, let that person throw the first stone at her.” 8Then he bent down again and went on writing on the ground. 9When they heard this, convicted by their conscience, they left one after another, the oldest first. Jesus was left by himself, and the woman was still there in the middle. 10Jesus straightened up and, seeing no one there but the woman, said to her, “Where are they, the people who were accusing you? Did no one condemn you?” 11She said, “No one, Sir.” Then Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]

12Jesus spoke to them once more: “I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will never walk in the darkness; they will have the light of life.” 13The Pharisees then said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not true.” 14Jesus replied, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I am going. You, however, have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards; I am not judging anyone. 16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone in it: it is I together with the Father who sent me. 17Even in your own law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me also testifies about me.” 19So they asked him, “Where is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know me, and you do not know my Father either. If you knew me, you would know my Father as well.” 20He spoke these words in the treasury area while he was teaching in the temple courts. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

21Once more he said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, and you will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.” 22At this the Jewish leaders said, “Surely he is not going to kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?” 23He went on to say to them, “You come from below; I come from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world. 24That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” 25So they asked him, “Just who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why am I even talking to you at all? 26I have much to say about you, and much to judge. But the one who sent me is true, and I tell the world what I have heard from him.” 27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say these things just as the Father taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because at all times I do what is pleasing to him.” 30While he was saying this, many people came to believe in him.

31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, you really are my disciples. 32You will know the truth, and the truth will free you.” 33They answered him, “We are descended from Abraham, and we have never been slaves to anybody. What do you mean, ‘You will become free’?” 34Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who goes on sinning is a slave of sin. 35A slave does not remain in the household for good; a son remains for good. 36So if the Son frees you, you will be truly free. 37I know that you are descended from Abraham. Yet you are trying to kill me, because my word is making no headway in you. 38I speak of what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you, in the same way, do what you have heard from the father.”

39They replied, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, then you would be doing what Abraham did. 40But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth I heard from God. That is not what Abraham did. 41You are doing the works of your own father.” They said to him, “We were not born out of sexual sin. We have one Father: God.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came out from God and have arrived here. I have not come on my own authority; it was he who sent me. 43Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my word. 44Your father is the devil, and you choose to do what your father wants. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he never stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he is speaking from what is his own, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But as for me, it is because I tell the truth that you do not believe me. 46Which of you can prove that I have sinned? If it is the truth I speak, why do you not believe me? 47Anyone who comes from God listens to God’s words. You do not listen, and this is why: you are not from God.”

48The Jews who were arguing with him answered, “Are we not right to say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. Rather, I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and he judges. 51Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, they will never see death.” 52The Jews there said to him, “Now we are sure that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, they will never taste death.’ 53Surely you are not greater than our father Abraham? He died. The prophets died too! Who do you think you are?” 54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. The one who glorifies me is my Father, the one of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55You have never known him, but I know him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word. 56Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day. He saw it, and it made him glad.” 57So the Jews there said to him, “You are not even fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59At this they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple courts.