8 ^[a][But Jesus went to the hill which is called the Mount of Olives.

The Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus

² Early the next morning, Jesus returned to the temple in Jerusalem. All the people came to him. He sat down and he began to teach them. ³ The Pharisees and the teachers of God's Law brought a woman to him. They had found her with another man. She was having sex with a man who was not her husband. They made her stand in front of all the people there. ⁴ They said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we found this woman. She was having sex with a man who was not her husband. ⁵ In God's Law Moses says that we should throw stones at this kind of woman, to kill her. What do you say about this?’ ⁶ They asked this question for a reason. They wanted Jesus to say something wrong, so that they could punish him. But Jesus bent himself down. He started to write on the ground with his finger.

⁷ The Pharisees and the teachers of God's Law continued to ask Jesus questions. So he stood up and he said to them, ‘Any person among you who is not guilty of any sin may throw the first stone to kill her.’ ⁸ Then he bent himself down again and he wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard what Jesus said, the people began to go away. They went one by one. The older people went first. After some time, only Jesus remained with the woman. She was still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus stood up. He said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Is there nobody still here who wants to punish you?’ ¹¹ She said, ‘There is nobody, sir.’ So Jesus said, ‘I also do not want to punish you. Go away now and change the way you live. Do not do wrong things again.’]

Jesus is the light of the world

¹² Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, ‘I am the light of the world.^[b] Those people who become my disciples will never walk in the dark. No, they will have the light that gives life.’

¹³ The Pharisees began to argue with him. They said, ‘You are saying things about yourself. But there is nobody else to agree that these things are true.’

¹⁴ Jesus answered, ‘What I say is true. Even if I do speak about myself, my words are true. I know where I have come from. I also know where I will go. As for you, you do not know where I came from. You do not know where I will go. ¹⁵ You judge in the way that people think. I do not judge anyone. ¹⁶ But if I did judge anyone, I would decide correctly what is right. That is because I am not alone. The Father has sent me, and he is with me. ¹⁷ Your own Law says, “There must be two people to agree that something is true.”^{[c] 18} I speak what is true about myself. The Father, who sent me, also speaks what is true about me.’

¹⁹ Then they asked him, ‘So where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know either me or my Father. If you really knew me, you would also know my Father.’ ²⁰ Jesus said all these words while he taught in the yard of the temple. He was near the place where they kept the gifts of money. But nobody took hold of him, because it was not the right time for that yet.

Jesus says that he comes from above

²¹ Jesus said to them again, ‘I will go away and you will look for me. But even when you die, God will still not have forgiven your sins. You cannot go where I will go.’ ²² So the Jewish leaders said to each other, ‘Perhaps he means that he will kill himself. He says, “You cannot go where I will go.” Perhaps that is why he says this.’ ²³ Jesus answered, ‘You belong to the things down here in the world. But I have come from above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. ²⁴ I told you that when you die, God will not have forgiven you. You must believe that “I am who I am.”^[d] If not, you will die and God will certainly not have forgiven you.’

²⁵ Then the Jewish leaders asked Jesus, ‘So, who are you?’ He answered, ‘I have told you who I am from the beginning. ²⁶ I have many things I could say about you. I could show that you have done many wrong things. But the one who sent me speaks to me. I tell people only what I have heard him say to me. What he says is true.’ ²⁷ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about his Father.^{[e] 28} So Jesus said to them, ‘You will lift up the Son of Man on a cross. Then you will know that “I am who I am”. And you will know that I do nothing by myself. I say only what the Father has taught me to say. ²⁹ He who sent me is with me. I always do the things that make him happy. So he has never gone away and left me alone.’ ³⁰ Many people who heard Jesus say these things believed in him.^[f]

The truth about God will make you free

³¹ Then Jesus said to the Jews who now believed him, ‘Continue to obey the words that I have spoken to you. If you do that, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know what is true. And that will make you free.’ ³³ They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone's slaves. But you say that we will become free. What do you mean?’

³⁴ Jesus answered them, ‘I tell you this: Everyone who does wrong things is a slave to sin. ³⁵ A slave does not belong to a family for ever. But a son does belong to a family for ever. ³⁶ So, if the Son makes you free, you will really be free. ³⁷ I know that you belong to Abraham's family. But you are looking for a way to kill me. That is because you have no place in yourselves for my words. ³⁸ I speak about the things that my Father has shown me. You do the things that you have heard from your father.’

³⁹ They answered, ‘Abraham is our father!’ Jesus replied, ‘If you really belonged to Abraham's family, you would do the same kind of things that Abraham did. ⁴⁰ I have told you the true message that I have heard from God. But you want to kill me. Abraham did not do anything like that! ⁴¹ You do the same things that your own father does.’

They said to Jesus, ‘God himself is our only Father, and we are his proper sons!’

⁴² Jesus said to them, ‘If God was your Father, you would love me. I came from God and now I am here with you. I did not come on my own behalf, but God sent me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot really accept my message. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to do the things that he wants. From the beginning, he has been someone who murders people. He refuses to accept the truth, because there is nothing true in him. When he tells lies, he is showing what he is really like. He always tells lies. He is the father of all lies. ⁴⁵ As for me, I tell you what is true. And that is why you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ None of you can show that I have done anything wrong. You should believe me, because I am telling you God's true message. ⁴⁷ Someone who belongs to God accepts God's message. But you do not belong to God. That is why you do not accept his message.’

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, ‘What we say about you is right! You are from Samaria and you have a demon in you!’^{[g] 49} Jesus replied, ‘There is no demon in me. I want people to know how great my Father is. But you want people to think bad things about me. ⁵⁰ I myself do not want people to praise me. But there is someone who wants people to praise me. He is the one who decides if I am right. ⁵¹ I tell you this: Anyone who obeys my words will never die.’ ⁵² The Jews said, ‘Now we know that a demon lives in you! Abraham and all the prophets died. But you say, “Anyone who obeys my words will never know death!” ⁵³ You cannot be greater than our father Abraham, and he died! You cannot be greater than the prophets, and they all died! Who do you think that you are?’

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, ‘If I myself wanted people to praise me, that would be worth nothing. But it is my Father who wants that. And you say that he is your God. ⁵⁵ You have never known him, but I know him. I might say, “I do not know him.” But then I would be telling a lie. So I would be like you. But I do know him, and I obey his words. ⁵⁶ Your ancestor Abraham knew that I would come at some time. He was happy to know that he would see that time. He did see that time, and he was very happy.’

⁵⁷ The Jews said, ‘You are not 50 years old yet. But you say that you have seen Abraham!’ ⁵⁸ Jesus said, ‘I tell you this: Before Abraham was even born, “I am”.’^{[h] 59} Then they picked up stones. They wanted to throw them at him and kill him. But Jesus hid himself from them. He went away from the temple.