John 8

₁₂Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ₁₃So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” ₁₄Jesus 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. ₁₅You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. ₁₆Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Fatherwho sent me. ₁₇In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. ₁₈I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” ₁₉They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ₂₀These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

₂₁So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” ₂₂So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” ₂₃He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ₂₄I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” ₂₅So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. ₂₆I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” ₂₇They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. ₂₈So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. ₂₉And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” ₃₀As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

₃₁So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ₃₂and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ₃₃They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham 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, everyone who practices sin is a slaveto sin. ₃₅The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. ₃₆So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ₃₇I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. ₃₈I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

₃₉They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, ₄₀but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ₄₁You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” ₄₂Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. ₄₃Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. ₄₄You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ₄₅But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ₄₆Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ₄₇Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

₄₈The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” ₄₉Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. ₅₀Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. ₅₁Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” ₅₂The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ ₅₃Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” ₅₄Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ ₅₅But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. ₅₆Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” ₅₇So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” ₅₈Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” ₅₉So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.