Johannes 8
Det Norsk Bibelselskap 1930
8 Men Jesus gikk til Oljeberget.
2 Og tidlig om morgenen kom han atter til templet, og alt folket kom til ham, og han satte sig og lærte dem.
3 Da kom de skriftlærde og fariseerne med en kvinne som var grepet i hor, og de stilte henne frem for ham
4 og sa til ham: Mester! denne kvinne er grepet på fersk gjerning i hor.
5 I loven har Moses foreskrevet oss at slike kvinner skal stenes; hvad sier nu du?
6 Dette sa de for å friste ham, så de kunde få klagemål imot ham. Men Jesus bukket sig ned og skrev med fingeren på jorden.
7 Og da de blev ved å spørre, rettet han sig op og sa: Den av eder som er uten synd, han kaste den første sten på henne!
8 Og han bukket sig atter ned og skrev på jorden.
9 Men da de hørte det, gikk de ut, den ene efter den annen, de eldste først; og Jesus blev alene tilbake med kvinnen som stod der.
10 Da rettet Jesus sig op og sa til henne: Kvinne! hvor er de? Har ingen fordømt dig?
11 Hun sa: Nei, Herre! ingen. Da sa Jesus: Heller ikke jeg fordømmer dig; gå bort, og synd ikke mere!
12 Atter talte da Jesus til dem og sa: Jeg er verdens lys; den som følger mig, skal ikke vandre i mørket, men ha livsens lys.
13 Fariseerne sa da til ham: Du vidner om dig selv; ditt vidnesbyrd er ikke sant.
14 Jesus svarte og sa til dem: Om jeg også vidner om mig selv, er mitt vidnesbyrd sant; for jeg vet hvorfra jeg er kommet, og hvor jeg går hen; men I vet ikke hvorfra jeg kommer, eller hvor jeg går hen.
15 I dømmer efter kjødet; jeg dømmer ingen.
16 Men om jeg også dømmer, da er min dom rett; for jeg er ikke alene, men jeg og Faderen, som har sendt mig;
17 men også i eders lov står det skrevet at to menneskers vidnesbyrd er sant.
18 Jeg er den som vidner om mig, og Faderen, som har utsendt mig, vidner om mig.
19 De sa da til ham: Hvor er din Fader? Jesus svarte: I kjenner hverken mig eller min Fader; kjente I mig, da kjente I også min Fader.
20 Disse ord talte han ved tempelkisten, mens han lærte i templet, og ingen grep ham; for hans time var ennu ikke kommet.
21 Han sa da atter til dem: Jeg går bort, og I skal lete efter mig, og I skal dø i eders synd; dit jeg går, kan I ikke komme.
22 Jødene sa da: Han vil vel ikke drepe sig selv, siden han sier: Dit jeg går, kan I ikke komme?
23 Og han sa til dem: I er nedenfra, jeg er ovenfra; I er av denne verden, jeg er ikke av denne verden.
24 Derfor sa jeg til eder: I skal dø i eders synder; for tror I ikke at det er mig, da skal I dø i eders synder.
25 De sa da til ham: Hvem er du? Jesus sa til dem: Nettop det jeg sier eder.
26 Jeg har meget å si og å dømme om eder; men han som har sendt mig, er sanndru, og det jeg har hørt av ham, det taler jeg til verden.
27 De skjønte ikke at det var om Faderen han talte til dem.
28 Jesus sa da: Når I får ophøiet Menneskesønnen, da skal I skjønne at det er mig, og at jeg intet gjør av mig selv, men taler dette således som min Fader har lært mig.
29 Og han som har sendt mig, er med mig; han har ikke latt mig alene, fordi jeg alltid gjør det som er ham til behag.
30 Da han talte dette, trodde mange på ham.
31 Jesus sa da til de jøder som var kommet til tro på ham: Dersom I blir i mitt ord, da er I i sannhet mine disipler,
32 og I skal kjenne sannheten, og sannheten skal frigjøre eder.
33 De svarte ham: Vi er av Abrahams ætt og har aldri vært nogens træler; hvorledes kan da du si: I skal bli fri?
34 Jesus svarte dem: Sannelig, sannelig sier jeg eder: Hver den som gjør synd, er syndens træl.
35 Men trælen blir ikke i huset til evig tid; sønnen blir der til evig tid.
36 Får da Sønnen frigjort eder, da blir I virkelig fri.
37 Jeg vet at I er av Abrahams ætt; men I står mig efter livet, fordi mitt ord ikke finner rum i eder.
38 Jeg taler det jeg har sett hos min Fader; så gjør også I det I har hørt av eders far.
39 De svarte ham: Vår far er Abraham! Jesus sier til dem: Var I Abrahams barn, da gjorde I Abrahams gjerninger;
40 men nu står I mig efter livet, et menneske som har sagt eder sannheten, som jeg har hørt av Gud; det gjorde ikke Abraham.
41 I gjør eders fars gjerninger. De sa til ham: Vi er ikke avlet i hor, vi har én far, Gud.
42 Jesus sa til dem: Var Gud eders far, da elsket I mig; for jeg er utgått fra Gud og kommer fra ham; for jeg er heller ikke kommet av mig selv, men han har utsendt mig.
43 Hvorfor skjønner I ikke min tale? Fordi I ikke tåler å høre mitt ord.
44 I har djevelen til far, og I vil gjøre eders fars lyster; han var en manndraper fra begynnelsen og står ikke i sannheten; for sannhet er ikke i ham. Når han taler løgn, taler han av sitt eget, for han er en løgner og løgnens far.
45 Men mig tror I ikke, fordi jeg sier eder sannheten.
46 Hvem av eder kan overbevise mig om synd? Men sier jeg sannhet, hvorfor tror I mig da ikke?
47 Den som er av Gud, hører Guds ord; derfor hører I ikke, fordi I ikke er av Gud.
48 Jødene svarte ham: Sier vi ikke med rette at du er en samaritan og er besatt?
49 Jesus svarte: Jeg er ikke besatt, men jeg ærer min Fader, og I vanærer mig.
50 Men jeg søker ikke min ære; det er en som søker den og dømmer.
51 Sannelig, sannelig sier jeg eder: Om nogen holder mitt ord, skal han aldri i evighet se døden.
52 Jødene sa til ham: Nu skjønner vi at du er besatt. Abraham er død, og profetene likeså, og du sier: Om nogen holder mitt ord, skal han aldri i evighet smake døden!
53 Du er da vel ikke større enn vår far Abraham, som døde? og profetene døde; hvem gjør du dig selv til?
54 Jesus svarte: Ærer jeg mig selv, da er min ære intet; det er min Fader som ærer mig, han som I sier er eders Gud.
55 Og I kjenner ham ikke, men jeg kjenner ham; og om jeg sier at jeg ikke kjenner ham, da blir jeg en løgner som I. Men jeg kjenner ham og holder hans ord.
56 Abraham, eders far, frydet sig til å se min dag; og han så den og gledet sig.
57 Jødene sa da til ham: Du er ennu ikke femti år og har sett Abraham?
58 Jesus sa til dem: Sannelig, sannelig sier jeg eder: Før Abraham blev til, er jeg.
59 Da tok de stener op for å kaste på ham; men Jesus skjulte sig og gikk ut av templet.
John 8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 8
Jesus, Savior of Sinners
A Woman Caught in Adultery.[a] [7:53Then each of them returned home. 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At daybreak he entered the temple courts, and all the people gathered around him. He sat down and began to teach them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in adultery. Forcing her to stand in their midst, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.[b] 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.[c] What do you have to say?”
6 They asked him this question as a test so that they could bring a charge against him. Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they continued to persist in their question, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”[d] 8 Then he again bent down and wrote on the ground.
9 When they heard his response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She replied, “No one, sir.” “Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus said. “Go on your way, and sin no more.”]
The Light Triumphs over Darkness
12 The Light of the World.[e] Jesus addressed them once again, saying,
“I am[f] the light of the world.
The one who follows me
will never walk in darkness.
Rather, he will have the light of life.”
13 On hearing this, the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf. Your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus replied,
“Even though I testify on my own behalf,
my testimony is true,
because I know where I have come from
and where I am going,
whereas you do not know
where I have come from
or where I am going.
15 You judge by the flesh,
whereas I do not judge anyone.
16 Yet even if I do judge,
my judgment is true
because it is not I alone who judge,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
17 “In your Law it is written
that the testimony of two witnesses is true.
18 I testify on my own behalf,
and the Father who sent me
also testifies on my behalf.”
19 They continued to question him, saying, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered,
“You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me,
you would know my Father also.”
20 He spoke these words while he was teaching at the treasury of the temple.[g] However, no one arrested him because his hour had not yet come.
21 I AM![h] Again he said to them,
“I am going away,
and you will search for me
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22 Then the Jews wondered, “Is he planning to kill himself—because he was saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He continued,
“You belong to what is below,
whereas I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I am not of this world.
24 That is why I told you
that you would die in your sins.
For if you do not believe
that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you then?” they asked him. Jesus answered,
“Just what I have been telling you
from the beginning.
26 I have much to say about you,
and much to condemn.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I have heard from him
I declare to the world.”
27 They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28 Therefore, Jesus said,
“When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know
that I AM,
that I do nothing on my own authority
and I say nothing except what
the Father has taught me.
29 He who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
for I always do what pleases him.”
30 On hearing these words, many came to believe in him.
31 Jesus and Abraham.[i] Then Jesus said to those Jews who did believe in him,
“If you remain faithful to my word,
you will truly be my disciples.
32 You will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who sins
is a slave of sin.
35 A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son remains in it forever.
36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free,
you then will truly be free.
37 “I know that you are descendants of Abraham,
but you seek to kill me
because my word has no place in your heart.
38 I speak of what I have seen
in my Father’s presence,
whereas you do what you have heard
from your father.”
39 The Jews said to him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them,
“If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works that Abraham did.
40 But 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.
41 You are doing the works of your father!”
They retorted, “We are not illegitimate children. We have one father—God.” 42 Jesus said to them,
“If God were your father,
you would love me,
for I came from God;
neither did I come of my own will,
but he was the one who sent me.
43 Why do you not understand
what I am saying?
It is because you cannot bear
to hear my words.
44 “You are from your father, the devil,
and you choose to carry out your father’s desires.
He was a murderer from the beginning,
and he does not abide by the truth,
for there is no truth in him.
When he lies,
he speaks in accord with his own nature,
for he is a liar
and the father of lies.
45 But because I speak the truth
you refuse to believe me.
46 “Which of you can convict me of sin?
If I say what is true,
why do you not believe me?
47 Whoever comes from God
listens to the words of God.
The reason why you refuse to listen
is that you do not belong to God.”
48 The Jews answered, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed?” 49 Jesus said,
“I am not possessed.
I honor my Father,
but you dishonor me.
50 I do not seek my own glory.
There is one who seeks it,
and he is the judge.
51 Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word
will never see death.”
52 The Jews retorted, “Now we are positive that you are possessed. Abraham died, and the Prophets are dead. Yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He is dead, and the Prophets are also dead. Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus answered,
“If I glorify myself,
that glory is of no value.
It is my Father who glorifies me,
the one about whom you say,
‘He is our God,’
55 even though you do not know him.
However, I do know him.
If I would say
that I do not know him,
I would be a liar like you.
But I do know him,
and I keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced
that he would see my day.
He saw it and was glad.”[j]
57 The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old. How can you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus responded,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham was,
I AM.”[k]
59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but he hid himself and left the temple.
Footnotes
- John 8:1 This story is missing in a number of ancient manuscripts and is inserted at other points in others; it does not seem to be from the author of the fourth Gospel, for it is written in quite a different style. However, it has been accepted by the Church as the work of an inspired author.
We are struck by the portrait of Jesus found herein: his silence, his sober gesture, his refusal to use religion as a pretext to spy on and judge others, and his courage to proclaim his own truth. It is pointless to ask what he wrote on the ground. Let us dwell on what he considered the Law to be: it condemns sin not so that people may judge one another but so that they may feel the need to be saved by God. And it is to this salvation that he bears witness. - John 8:4 Caught in the very act of adultery: Jewish law required witnesses to have seen the act.
- John 8:5 Stone such women: stoning was required only if the woman was a betrothed virgin (Deut 22:23-24). The Law also demanded the execution of both parties (Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22).
- John 8:7 The Law stipulated that the first stones were to be cast by the witnesses (Deut 17:7).
- John 8:12 Here is another symbol, which has the feast of Lights for its setting and enables us to understand more fully the part Jesus intends to play in the life of human beings: he is light. We may think of the luminous cloud during the journey in the wilderness (see Ex 13:21; Wis 18:3), the form in which God was leading his people.
- John 8:12 I am: see notes on Jn 6:20 and 6:35.
- John 8:20 The treasury of the temple: not the place where the offerings were stored, since this was closed to the public, but the adjacent room where the boxes for the offerings stood (see Mk 12:41; Lk 21:1).
- John 8:21 The discussion is continued so that the reader may come into direct contact with the mystery of Jesus. Who then is he? He does not belong to the world of sin but gathers around himself those who believe in him. Without this faith in him, people remain shut up in death, cast off from God. A sudden word is uttered: I am, the name by which God revealed himself to Moses (Ex 3:14). Jesus is so closely united to his Father that he can claim the title “Lord” for himself. Jesus will appear as Judge and Lord when he is lifted up on the cross (Jn 3:14; 19:37).
- John 8:31 The Jews can rightly protest that they are not illegitimate children, that is, using the imagery of the time, they have not grown up in idolatry but in faith in the true God. But that is not enough. To oppose Jesus and reject the truth means entering into an agreement with the devil. Jesus says that he is superior even to Abraham, the father of the people.
- John 8:56 Abraham rejoiced at the promise given to him by the Lord that the future Messiah would come from his descendants (Gen 12:7; 15:2f; 17:15f; see Gal 3:16). My day: that is, the presence of the Messiah, whom Abraham saw and greeted “from a distance” (Heb 11:13).
- John 8:58 I AM: see notes on Jn 6:20 and 6:35.
