JohnChapter 8
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1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he went back into the temple courts. All the people came to him. He sat down and taught them. 3Then the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to him. She had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in front of them all 4and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone a woman like this. So what do you say?" 6They said this to test him. They wanted a reason to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. 7They kept asking him questions. So he stood up and said to them, "Let the one among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Then he bent down again and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard this, they began to leave one by one. The older ones left first. At last only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Then Jesus stood up and asked her, "Woman, where are the people who accused you? Has no one judged you guilty?" 11"No one, Lord," she answered. "Then I don't judge you guilty either," Jesus said. "Now go, and don't sin anymore."] 12Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness. He will have the light of life." 13So the Pharisees said to him, "You are speaking for yourself. What you say about yourself proves nothing." 14Jesus answered, "Even if I speak for myself, what I say is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don't know where I came from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards. I don't judge anyone.a 16But even if I do judge, my judging is true. That's because I am not alone. I am with the Father who sent me. 17It is written even in your own Law that what two men say together is true. 18I am one who speaks about myself. And the Father who sent me speaks about me too." 19"Where is your Father?" they asked him. "You do not know me or my Father," Jesus answered. "If you knew me, you would know my Father too." 20He said these words while he was teaching in the temple courts, near the place where offerings were given. But no one grabbed him, because his time had not come yet.b 21Again Jesus said to them, "I am going away. You will look for me, but you will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going." 22So the Jewish leaders began to ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'You cannot come where I am going'?"c 23Then he told them, "You are from below. I am from above. You belong to this world. I do not belong to this world. 24That's why I told you that you would die in your sins. You must believe that I am he. If you don't, you will die in your sins."d 25"Who are you?" they asked. "I am just what I have been telling you from the beginning," Jesus answered. 26"I have a lot to say about you and a lot to judge. But the one who sent me is true. And I tell the world what I have heard from him." 27They didn't understand that he was telling them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he. You will know that I do nothing on my own. I say just what the Father has taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him." 30While Jesus was saying these things, many people believed in him. 31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you keep living by my word, you really are my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33"We are Abraham's children," they answered. "We have never been slaves to anyone. How can you say we will be set free?" 34Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35A slave doesn't stay in the family forever. But a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will really be free. 37I know you are Abraham's children. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no place in you. 38I tell what I have seen with the Father. And you do what you have heard from your father." 39"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "you would do what Abraham did. 40But now you are trying to kill me. I am a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham never did anything like that. 41You are doing what your own father does." "We are not children born outside of marriage," they said. "Our only Father is God himself." 42Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me. I have come here from God. I did not come on my own. He sent me. 43Why don't you understand what I am saying? It's because you are not able to accept my message. 44You belong to your father, the devil. You want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He refuses to stand for the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he is speaking his own language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But I tell the truth, so you don't believe me! 46Can any of you prove I am guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. You don't hear because you don't belong to God." 48The Jewish leaders answered him, "Aren't we right to say you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" 49"I don't have a demon," Jesus answered. "I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. 50I am not looking for glory for myself. But there is one who wants glory for me, and he is the Judge. 51I tell you the truth, if anyone obeys my word, he will never see death." 52The Jewish leaders said, "Now we know you have a demon! Abraham died, and so did the prophets. But you say anyone who 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 answered, "If I give glory to myself, my glory means nothing. My Father is the one who gives me glory. You say about him, 'He is our God.' 55You don't know him, but I know him. If I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56Your father Abraham was full of joy that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad." 57Then the Jewish leaders said to him, "You aren't even fifty years old. And you have seen Abraham?" 58"I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "before Abraham was born, I am!"e 59Then they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden, and he went out of the temple area.