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,”(A) the guards replied.

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

50 Nicodemus,(D) 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.”(E)


[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.(F)

45 The guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked, “Why didn’t you bring him?”

46 The guards answered, “No one has ever spoken the way he does.”

47 The Pharisees replied, “Have you too been deceived? 48 Have any of the leaders believed in him? Has any Pharisee? 49 No, only this crowd, which doesn’t know the Law. And they are under God’s curse!”

50 Nicodemus, who was one of them and had come to Jesus earlier, said, 51 “Our Law doesn’t judge someone without first hearing him and learning what he is doing, does it?”

52 They answered him, “You are not from Galilee too, are you? Look it up and you will see that the prophet doesn’t come from Galilee.”

Pharisees test Jesus

53 They each went to their own homes, And Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.