John 8

₂At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round him, and he sat down to teach them. ₃The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ₄and said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ₅In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ ₆They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ₇When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ ₈Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

₉At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ₁₀Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?’

₁₁‘No-one, sir,’ she said.

‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’

₁₂When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’

₁₃The Pharisees challenged him, ‘Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.’

₁₄Jesus 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. ₁₅You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no-one. ₁₆But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. ₁₇In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. ₁₈I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.’

₁₉Then they asked him, ‘Where is your father?’

‘You do not know me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ ₂₀He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no-one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

₂₁Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.’

₂₂This made the Jews ask, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, “Where I go, you cannot come”?’

₂₃But he continued, ‘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; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.’

₂₅‘Who are you?’ they asked.

‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,’ Jesus replied. ₂₆‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.’

₂₇They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ₂₈So Jesus said, ‘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 but speak just what the Father has taught me. ₂₉The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’ ₃₀Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

₃₁To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ₃₂Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’

₃₃They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’

₃₄Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ₃₅Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever. ₃₆So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ₃₇I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ₃₈I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.’

₃₉‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered.

‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘then you would do what Abraham did. ₄₀As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. ₄₁You are doing the works of your own father.’

‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself.’

₄₂Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. ₄₃Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ₄₄You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ₄₅Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ₄₆Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ₄₇Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.’

₄₈The Jews answered him, ‘Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?’

₄₉‘I am not possessed by a demon,’ said Jesus, ‘but I honour my Father and you dishonour me. ₅₀I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ₅₁Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.’

₅₂At this they exclaimed, ‘Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ₅₃Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?’

₅₄Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ₅₅Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. ₅₆Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’

₅₇‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ they said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’

₅₈‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ ₅₉At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.