John 8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple [[a]court], and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them,
3 When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him.
4 Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery.
5 Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such [women—offenders] shall be stoned to death. But what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?(A)
6 This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger.
7 However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.
8 Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger.
9 They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court.
10 When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?
11 She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.
12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life.
13 Whereupon the Pharisees told Him, You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid and is worthless.
14 Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, 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.
15 You [set yourselves up to] judge according to the flesh (by what you see). [You condemn by external, human standards.] I do not [set Myself up to] judge or condemn or sentence anyone.
16 Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true [My decision is right]; for I am not alone [in making it], but [there are two of Us] I and the Father, Who sent Me.
17 In your [own] Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid.(B)
18 I am One [of the Two] bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me.
19 Then they said to Him, Where is this [b]Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.
20 Jesus said these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple [[c]court]; but no one ventured to arrest Him, because His hour had not yet come.
21 Therefore He said again to them, I am going away, and you will be looking for Me, and you will die in (under the curse of) your sin. Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come.
22 At this the Jews began to ask among themselves, Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come?
23 He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world (of this earthly order); I am not of this world.
24 That is why I told you that you will die in (under the curse of) your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He [Whom I claim to be—if you do not adhere to, trust in, and rely on Me], you will die in your sins.
25 Then they said to Him, Who are You anyway? Jesus replied, [Why do I even speak to you!] I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first.
26 I have much to say about you and to judge and condemn. But He Who sent Me is true (reliable), and I tell the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him.
27 They did not perceive (know, understand) that He was speaking to them about the Father.
28 So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will realize (know, understand) that I am He [for Whom you look] and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say [exactly] what My Father has taught Me.
29 And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.
30 As He said these things, many believed in Him [trusted, relied on, and adhered to Him].
31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.
32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.
33 They answered Him, We are Abraham’s offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free?
34 Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin.
35 Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever.
36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.
37 [Yes] I know that you are Abraham’s offspring; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no entrance (makes no progress, does not find any place) in you.
38 I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father’s side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father.
39 They retorted, Abraham is our father. Jesus said, If you were [truly] Abraham’s children, then you would do the works of Abraham [follow his example, do as Abraham did].
40 But now [instead] you are wanting and seeking to kill Me, a Man Who has told you the truth which I have heard from God. This is not the way Abraham acted.
41 You are doing the works of your [own] father. They said to Him, We are not illegitimate children and born out of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect Me and welcome Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God [out of His very presence]. I did not even come on My own authority or of My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me.
43 Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. [You cannot bear to listen to My message; your ears are shut to My teaching.]
44 You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [do not trust Me, do not rely on Me, or adhere to Me].
46 Who of you convicts Me of wrongdoing or finds Me guilty of sin? Then if I speak truth, why do you not believe Me [trust Me, rely on, and adhere to Me]?
47 Whoever is of God listens to God. [Those who belong to God hear the words of God.] This is the reason that you do not listen [to those words, to Me]: because you do not belong to God and are not of God or in harmony with Him.
48 The Jews answered Him, Are we not right when we say You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon [that You are under the power of an evil spirit]?
49 Jesus answered, I am not possessed by a demon. On the contrary, I honor and reverence My Father and you dishonor (despise, vilify, and scorn) Me.
50 However, I am not in search of honor for Myself. [I do not seek and am not aiming for My own glory.] There is One Who [looks after that; He] seeks [My glory], and He is the Judge.
51 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My word], he will by no means ever see and experience death.
52 The Jews said to Him, Now we know that You are under the power of a demon ([d]insane). Abraham died, and also the prophets, yet You say, If a man keeps My word, he will never taste of death into all eternity.
53 Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and all the prophets died! Who do You make Yourself out to be?
54 Jesus answered, If I were to glorify Myself (magnify, praise, and honor Myself), I would have no real glory, for My glory would be nothing and worthless. [My honor must come to Me from My Father.] It is My Father Who glorifies Me [Who extols Me, magnifies, and praises Me], of Whom you say that He is your God.
55 Yet you do not know Him or recognize Him and are not acquainted with Him, but I know Him. If I should say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word [obey His teachings, am faithful to His message].
56 Your forefather Abraham was extremely happy at the hope and prospect of seeing My day (My incarnation); and he did see it and was delighted.(C)
57 Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?
58 Jesus replied, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am.(D)
59 So they took up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus, by mixing with the crowd, concealed Himself and went out of the temple [[e]enclosure].
Footnotes
- John 8:2 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
- John 8:19 Capitalized because of Who He is, the everlasting Father, not who the speaker may have thought He was.
- John 8:20 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
- John 8:52 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- John 8:59 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
John 8
Darby Translation
8 But Jesus went to the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and he sat down and taught them.
3 And the scribes and the Pharisees bring [to him] a woman taken in adultery, and having set her in the midst,
4 they say to him, Teacher, this woman has been taken in the very act, committing adultery.
5 Now in the law Moses has commanded us to stone such; thou therefore, what sayest thou?
6 But this they said proving him, that they might have [something] to accuse him [of]. But Jesus, having stooped down, wrote with his finger on the ground.
7 But when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said to them, Let him that is without sin among you first cast the stone at her.
8 And again stooping down he wrote on the ground.
9 But they, having heard [that], went out one by one beginning from the elder ones until the last; and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing there.
10 And Jesus, lifting himself up and seeing no one but the woman, said to her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Has no one condemned thee?
11 And she said, No one, sir. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, Thou bearest witness concerning thyself; thy witness is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said to them, Even if I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is true, because I know whence I came and whither I go: but ye know not whence I come and whither I go.
15 Ye judge according to the flesh, I judge no one.
16 And if also I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who has sent me.
17 And in your law too it is written that the testimony of two men is true:
18 I am [one] who bear witness concerning myself, and the Father who has sent me bears witness concerning me.
19 They said to him therefore, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye know neither me nor my Father. If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father.
20 These words spoke he in the treasury, teaching in the temple; and no one took him, for his hour was not yet come.
21 He said therefore again to them, I go away, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sin; where I go ye cannot come.
22 The Jews therefore said, Will he kill himself, that he says, Where I go ye cannot come?
23 And he said to them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above. Ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore to you, that ye shall die in your sins; for unless ye shall believe that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins.
25 They said therefore to him, Who art thou? [And] Jesus said to them, Altogether that which I also say to you.
26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but he that has sent me is true, and I, what I have heard from him, these things I say to the world.
27 They knew not that he spoke to them of the Father.
28 Jesus therefore said to them, When ye shall have lifted up the Son of man, then ye shall know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me I speak these things.
29 And he that has sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I do always the things that are pleasing to him.
30 As he spoke these things many believed on him.
31 Jesus therefore said to the Jews who believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples;
32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
33 They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and have never been under bondage to any one; how sayest thou, Ye shall become free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Every one that practises sin is the bondman of sin.
35 Now the bondman abides not in the house for ever: the son abides for ever.
36 If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free.
37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word has no entrance in you.
38 I speak what I have seen with my Father, and ye then do what ye have seen with your father.
39 They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus says to them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham;
40 but now ye seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you, which I have heard from God: this did not Abraham.
41 Ye do the works of your father. They said [therefore] to him, We are not born of fornication; we have one father, God.
42 Jesus said to them, If God were your father ye would have loved me, for I came forth from God and am come [from him]; for neither am I come of myself, but *he* has sent me.
43 Why do ye not know my speech? Because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of the devil, as [your] father, and ye desire to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks falsehood, he speaks of what is his own; for he is a liar and its father:
45 and because I speak the truth, ye do not believe me.
46 Which of you convinces me of sin? If I speak truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God hears the words of God: therefore ye hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.
48 The Jews answered and said to him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon?
49 Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me.
50 But I do not seek my own glory: there is he that seeks and judges.
51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If any one shall keep my word, he shall never see death.
52 The Jews therefore said to him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham has died, and the prophets, and thou sayest, If any one keep my word, he shall never taste death.
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who has died? and the prophets have died: whom makest thou thyself?
54 Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing: it is my Father who glorifies me, [of] whom ye say, He is our God.
55 And ye know him not; but I know him; and if I said, I know him not, I should be like you, a liar. But I know him, and I keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham exulted in that he should see my day, and he saw and rejoiced.
57 The Jews therefore said to him, Thou hast not yet fifty years, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 They took up therefore stones that they might cast [them] at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, [going through the midst of them, and thus passed on.]
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)