John 8
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.(A)
An Adulteress Forgiven
2 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.
3 Then the scribes and the Pharisees(E) brought a woman caught in adultery,(F) making her stand in the centre. 4 ‘Teacher,’ they said to him, ‘this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.(G) 5 In the law Moses(H) commanded us to stone such women.(I) So what do you say? ’ 6 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. 7 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) 8 Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the centre. 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 any more.’]
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 judgement 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 for ever,(AS) but a son does remain for ever.(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 honour my Father and you dishonour 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
- 8:11 Or Sir; Jn 4:15,49; 5:7; 6:34; 9:36
- 8:15 Lit You judge according to the flesh
- 8:31 Or my teaching, or my message, also in v. 37
- 8:33 Or offspring; lit seed, also in v. 37; Jn 7:42
- 8:38 Other mss read of my Father
- 8:43 Or cannot hear
- 8:44 Lit from his own things
- 8:57 Other mss read and Abraham has seen you?
- 8:59 Or Jesus hid himself
- 8:59 Other mss add and having gone through their midst, he passed by
John 8
EasyEnglish Bible
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.
Footnotes
- 8:1 Many old copies of John's book do not have John 8:1-11.
- 8:12 Jesus said that he was the light of the world. The Jews lit a special light in the temple during the Festival of Tabernacles.
- 8:17 See Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15.
- 8:24 The Jews used ‘I am’ as the name of God. Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world’ or only the words ‘I am’. He was saying that he is God.
- 8:27 The people did not believe that Jesus' Father was God.
- 8:30 Some people believed Jesus, but many did not believe him.
- 8:48 ‘You are from Samaria’. They were saying Jesus was not a Jew
- 8:58 The Jews used ‘I am’ as the name of God. When Jesus said, ‘I am,’ they would have recognized this name. Jesus was saying that he is God.
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