10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus(A) and asking, “Where is he?”

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”

Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”(B) 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.(C)

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.(D) 15 The Jews(E) there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning(F) without having been taught?”(G)

16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.(H) 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out(I) whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory,(J) but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law?(K) Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”(L)

20 “You are demon-possessed,”(M) the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle,(N) and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision(O) (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs),(P) you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”(Q)

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?(R) 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities(S) really concluded that he is the Messiah?(T) 27 But we know where this man is from;(U) when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts,(V) cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from.(W) I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true.(X) You do not know him, 29 but I know him(Y) because I am from him and he sent me.”(Z)

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him,(AA) because his hour had not yet come.(AB) 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him.(AC) They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs(AD) than this man?”

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time,(AE) and then I am going to the one who sent me.(AF) 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”(AG)

35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered(AH) among the Greeks,(AI) and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”(AJ)

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival,(AK) Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.(AL) 38 Whoever believes(AM) in me, as Scripture has said,(AN) rivers of living water(AO) will flow from within them.”[a](AP) 39 By this he meant the Spirit,(AQ) whom those who believed in him were later to receive.(AR) Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.(AS)

40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”(AT)

41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?(AU) 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants(AV) and from Bethlehem,(AW) the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided(AX) because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.(AY)

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,”(AZ) the guards replied.

47 “You mean he has deceived you also?”(BA) the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?(BB) 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50 Nicodemus,(BC) who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”(BD)


[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

53 Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(BE)

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

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When 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(BJ) at her.”(BK) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At 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. 10 Jesus 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,”(BL) Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(BM)


Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am(BN) the light of the world.(BO) Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(BP)

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”(BQ)

14 Jesus 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.(BR) But you have no idea where I come from(BS) or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards;(BT) I pass judgment on no one.(BU) 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.(BV) 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.(BW) 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”(BX)

19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,”(BY) Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(BZ) 20 He spoke these words while teaching(CA) in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put.(CB) Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.(CC)

Footnotes

  1. John 7:38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”

10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43 So there was a division among the people because of him.

44 And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

45 Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

47 Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

50 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

53 And every man went unto his own house.

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.