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An Adulteress Forgiven

But Jesus went to (A)the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and (B)He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law (C)Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, (D)testing Him, (E)so that they might have evidence to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, (F)He straightened up and said to them, (G)Let him who is without sin among you be the (H)first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 (I)Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, [a]Lord.” And Jesus said, (J)I do not condemn you, either. Go, and from now on (K)sin no more.”]

I Am the Light of the World

12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, (L)I am the Light of the world; (M)he who follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “(N)You are bearing witness about Yourself; Your witness is not [b]true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, (O)Even if I bear witness about Myself, My witness is [c]true, for I know (P)where I came from and where I am going; but (Q)you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 (R)You judge [d]according to the flesh; (S)I am not judging anyone. 16 But even (T)if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in (U)your law it has been written that the witness of (V)two men is [e]true. 18 I am He who bears witness about Myself, and (W)the Father who sent Me bears witness about Me.” 19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; (X)if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20 These words He spoke in (Y)the treasury, as (Z)He was teaching in the temple; and no one seized Him, because (AA)His hour had not yet come.

21 Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and (AB)you will seek Me, and (AC)will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So (AD)the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, since He says, (AE)Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, (AF)You are from below, I am from above. (AG)You are of this world, (AH)I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you (AI)will die in your sins. For unless you believe that [f](AJ)I am He, (AK)you will die in your sins.” 25 So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, [g]What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but (AL)He who sent Me is true; and (AM)the things which I heard from Him, these I am saying to the world.” 27 They did not know that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you (AN)lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that [h](AO)I am He, and (AP)I do nothing from Myself, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me; (AQ)He [i]has not left Me alone, for (AR)I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He was speaking these things, (AS)many believed in Him.

The Son Will Make You Free

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, (AT)If you abide in My word, then you are truly My (AU)disciples; 32 and (AV)you will know the truth, and (AW)the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “(AX)We are Abraham’s seed and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (AY)everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 (AZ)And the slave does not remain in the house forever; (BA)the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son (BB)makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are (BC)Abraham’s seed; yet (BD)you are seeking to kill Me, because My word [j]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [k]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from (BE)your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is (BF)our father.” Jesus *said to them, (BG)If you are Abraham’s children, you would do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now (BH)you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has (BI)told you the truth, which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of (BJ)your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of sexual immorality; (BK)we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, (BL)you would love Me, (BM)for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have (BN)not even come of Myself, but [l](BO)He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand [m](BP)what I am saying? It is because you cannot (BQ)hear My word. 44 (BR)You are of (BS)your father the devil, and (BT)you want to do the desires of your father. (BU)He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because (BV)there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [n]a lie, he (BW)speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [o]lies. 45 But because (BX)I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If (BY)I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 (BZ)He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

48 (CA)The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a (CB)Samaritan and (CC)have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not (CD)have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But (CE)I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone (CF)keeps My word he will never (CG)see death—ever.” 52 (CH)The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You (CI)have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone (CJ)keeps My word, he will never (CK)taste of death—ever.’ 53 Surely You (CL)are not greater than our father Abraham who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, (CM)If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; (CN)it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and (CO)you have not known Him, (CP)but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be (CQ)a liar like you, (CR)but I do know Him and (CS)keep His word. 56 (CT)Your father Abraham (CU)rejoiced [p]to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 (CV)So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, (CW)I am.” 59 Therefore they (CX)picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus [q](CY)hid Himself and went out of the temple.

Footnotes

  1. John 8:11 Or Sir
  2. John 8:13 Or valid
  3. John 8:14 Or valid
  4. John 8:15 By a carnal standard
  5. John 8:17 Valid or admissible
  6. John 8:24 Cf. Ex 3:14; Is 43:10 I AM HE
  7. John 8:25 Or That which I have been saying to you from the beginning
  8. John 8:28 Lit I AM (v 24 note)
  9. John 8:29 Or did not leave
  10. John 8:37 Or makes no progress
  11. John 8:38 Or in the presence of
  12. John 8:42 Lit that One
  13. John 8:43 Or My way of speaking
  14. John 8:44 Lit the lie
  15. John 8:44 Lit it
  16. John 8:56 Lit in order that he might see
  17. John 8:59 Lit was hidden

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)

An Adulteress Forgiven

At dawn he went to the temple(B) again, and all the people were coming to him.(C) He sat down(D) and began to teach them.

Then the scribes and the Pharisees(E) brought a woman caught in adultery,(F) making her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.(G) In the law Moses(H) commanded us to stone such women.(I) So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him,(J) in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin(K) among you(L) should be the first to throw a stone at her.”(M) Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, Lord,”[a] she answered.

“Neither do I condemn you,”(N) said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”]

The Light of the World

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am(O) the light(P) of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”(Q)

13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

14 “Even if I testify about myself,” Jesus replied, “my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.(R) 15 You judge(S) by human standards.[b](T) I judge no one.(U) 16 And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.(V) 17 Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.(W) 18 I am the one who testifies(X) about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

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

“You know neither me nor my Father,”(Y) Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”(Z) 20 He spoke these words by the treasury,(AA) while teaching in the temple. But no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus Predicts His Departure

21 Then he said to them again, “I’m going away; (AB) you will look for me, and you will die in your sin.(AC) Where I’m going, you cannot come.”(AD)

22 So the Jews said again, “He won’t kill himself, will he, since he says, ‘Where I’m going, you cannot come’(AE)?”

23 “You are from below,” he told them, “I am from above.(AF) You are of this world; (AG) I am not of this world.(AH) 24 Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

25 “Who are you?” they questioned.

“Exactly what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them. 26 “I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the one who sent me(AI) is true, and what I have heard from him—these things I tell the world.”(AJ)

27 They did not know he was speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man,(AK) then you will know that I am(AL) he, and that I do nothing on my own.(AM) But just as the Father taught me, I say these things. 29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,(AN) because I always do what pleases him.”

Truth and Freedom

30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,[c](AO) you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth,(AP) and the truth will set you free.”

33 “We are descendants[d] of Abraham,”(AQ) they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.(AR) 35 A slave does not remain in the household forever,(AS) but a son does remain forever.(AT) 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. 37 I know you are descendants of Abraham,(AU) but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. 38 I speak what I have seen(AV) in the presence of the Father; [e](AW) so then, you do what you have heard from your father.”

39 “Our father is Abraham,” they replied.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did.(AX) 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth(AY) that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You’re doing what your father does.”(AZ)

“We weren’t born(BA) of sexual immorality,”(BB) they said. “We have one Father—God.”(BC)

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,(BD) because I came from God(BE) and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to[f] my word.(BF) 44 You are of your father the devil,(BG) and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer(BH) from the beginning(BI) and does not stand in the truth,(BJ) because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature,[g] because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you can convict me of sin?(BK) If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”

Jesus and Abraham

48 The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan(BL) and have a demon?” (BM)

49 “I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory; (BN) there is one who seeks it and judges. 51 Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word,(BO) he will never see death.”

52 Then the Jews said, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?”

54 “If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me. 55 You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him,(BP) I would be a liar like you. But I do know him,(BQ) and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it(BR) and was glad.”

57 The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?” [h]

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”(BS)

59 So they picked up stones(BT) to throw at him.(BU) But Jesus was hidden[i](BV) and went out of the temple.[j](BW)

Footnotes

  1. 8:11 Or Sir; Jn 4:15,49; 5:7; 6:34; 9:36
  2. 8:15 Lit You judge according to the flesh
  3. 8:31 Or my teaching, or my message, also in v. 37
  4. 8:33 Or offspring; lit seed, also in v. 37; Jn 7:42
  5. 8:38 Other mss read of my Father
  6. 8:43 Or cannot hear
  7. 8:44 Lit from his own things
  8. 8:57 Other mss read and Abraham has seen you?
  9. 8:59 Or Jesus hid himself
  10. 8:59 Other mss add and having gone through their midst, he passed by