A Woman Caught in Adultery

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning he came again to the temple courts.[a] And all the people were coming,[b] and he sat down and[c] began to teach[d] them.

Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman[e] caught in adultery. And standing her in their midst, they said to him, testing him,[f] “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery! Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” (Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion[g] to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write[h] with his[i] finger on the ground, taking no notice.[j] And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said[k] to them, “The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!” And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. Now when they[l] heard it,[m] being convicted by their conscience,[n] they began to depart,[o] one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus[p] was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst. 10 So Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman,[q] said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours?[r] Does no one condemn you?” 11 And she said, “No one, Lord.” So Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and[s] sin no more.”]][t]

Jesus, the Light of the World

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify concerning yourself! Your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify concerning myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I have come from and where I am going. But you do not know where I have come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to externals; I do not judge anyone. 16 But even if I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 And even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true.[u] 18 I am the one who testifies concerning myself, and the Father who sent me testifies concerning me.”

19 So they were saying to him, “Where is your father?” Jesus replied, “You know neither me nor my Father! If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words by the treasury while[v] teaching in the temple courts,[w] and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me and will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come!” 22 Then the Jews began to say,[x] “Perhaps he will kill himself, because he is saying, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 23 And he said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world. 24 Thus I said to 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 So they began to say to him,[y] “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What[z] I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but the one who sent me is true, and the things which I heard from him, these things I say to the world.” 27 (They did not know that he was speaking to them about the Father.)

28 Then Jesus said,[aa] “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will recognize that I am he, and I do nothing from myself, but just as the Father taught me, I say these things. 29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 While[ab] he was saying these things, many believed in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have not been enslaved to anyone at any time. How do you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus replied to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And the slave does not remain in the household forever;[ac] the son remains forever.[ad] 36 So if the son sets you free, you will be truly free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. 38 I speak the things that I have seen with the Father; so also you do the things that you have heard from the Father.”

The Priority of Jesus Over Abraham

39 They answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus said to them, “If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! 40 But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father!”

They said[ae] to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. For I have not come from myself, but that one sent me. 43 Why[af] do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature,[ag] because he is a liar and the father of lies.[ah] 45 But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you convicts me concerning sin? If I am telling the truth, why[ai] do you not believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God.”

48 The Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not correctly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus replied, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me! 50 But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges! 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death forever.”[aj]

52 The Jews[ak] said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death forever.’[al] 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?[am] And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you! But I know him and I keep his word. 56 Abraham your father rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it[an] and was glad.”

57 So the Jews said to him, “You are[ao] not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones in order to throw them[ap] at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple courts.[aq]

Footnotes

  1. John 8:2 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  2. John 8:2 Some manuscripts have “were coming to him”
  3. John 8:2 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sat down”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. John 8:2 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”)
  5. John 8:3 Some manuscripts have “brought a woman”
  6. John 8:4 Some manuscripts omit “testing him
  7. John 8:6 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  8. John 8:6 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to write”)
  9. John 8:6 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  10. John 8:6 Some manuscripts omit “taking no notice”
  11. John 8:7 Some manuscripts have “he straightened up and said”
  12. John 8:9 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
  13. John 8:9 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  14. John 8:9 Some manuscripts omit “being convicted by their conscience”
  15. John 8:9 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to depart”)
  16. John 8:9 Some manuscripts have “he”
  17. John 8:10 Some manuscripts omit “and seeing no one except the woman”
  18. John 8:10 Some manuscripts have “said to her, ‘Woman, where are they?”
  19. John 8:11 Some manuscripts have “and from now on”
  20. John 8:11 John 7:53–8:11 is not found in the earliest and best manuscripts and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John; one significant group of Greek manuscripts places it after Luke 21:38
  21. John 8:17 An allusion to Deut 17:6
  22. John 8:20 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“teaching”) which is understood as temporal
  23. John 8:20 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
  24. John 8:22 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  25. John 8:25 *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
  26. John 8:25 Literally “that which”
  27. John 8:28 Some manuscripts have “said to them”
  28. John 8:30 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was saying”)
  29. John 8:35 Literally “for the age”
  30. John 8:35 Literally “for the age”
  31. John 8:41 Some manuscripts have “Then they said”
  32. John 8:43 Literally “because of what”
  33. John 8:44 *The word “nature” is not in the Greek text but is implied
  34. John 8:44 Literally “of it”
  35. John 8:46 Literally “because of what”
  36. John 8:51 Literally “for the age”
  37. John 8:52 Some manuscripts have “Then the Jews”
  38. John 8:52 Literally “for the age”
  39. John 8:53 *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “are you
  40. John 8:56 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  41. John 8:57 Literally “you have”
  42. John 8:59 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  43. John 8:59 *Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself

y Jesús se fue al monte de los Olivos. Por la mañana Jesús volvió al templo, y todo el pueblo se le acercó; y él se sentó y les enseñaba. Entonces los escribas y los fariseos le llevaron a una mujer que había sido sorprendida cometiendo adulterio. La pusieron en medio, y le dijeron: «Maestro, esta mujer ha sido sorprendida en el acto mismo de adulterio. En la ley, Moisés nos ordenó apedrear a mujeres como ésta.(A) ¿Y tú, qué dices?» Ellos decían esto para ponerle una trampa, y así poder acusarlo. Pero Jesús se inclinó y, con el dedo, escribía en el suelo. Como ellos insistían en sus preguntas, él se enderezó y les dijo: «Aquel de ustedes que esté sin pecado, que le arroje la primera piedra.» Y Jesús volvió a inclinarse, y siguió escribiendo en el suelo. Ellos, al oír esto, se fueron retirando uno a uno, comenzando por los más viejos y siguiendo por los más jóvenes. Sólo se quedó Jesús, y la mujer permanecía en medio. 10 Entonces Jesús se enderezó y le dijo: «Y, mujer, ¿dónde están todos? ¿Ya nadie te condena?» 11 Ella dijo: «Nadie, Señor.» Entonces Jesús le dijo: «Tampoco yo te condeno. Vete, y no peques más.»][a]

Jesús, la luz del mundo

12 En otra ocasión, Jesús dijo: «Yo soy la luz del mundo;(B) el que me sigue, no andará en tinieblas, sino que tendrá la luz de la vida.» 13 Entonces los fariseos le dijeron: «Tú das testimonio acerca de ti mismo; tu testimonio no es verdadero.»(C) 14 Jesús les respondió: «Aunque yo doy testimonio acerca de mí mismo, mi testimonio es verdadero, porque sé de dónde he venido y a dónde voy; pero ustedes no saben de dónde vengo ni a dónde voy. 15 Ustedes juzgan según criterios humanos; yo no juzgo a nadie. 16 Y si acaso juzgo, mi juicio es verdadero; porque no soy sólo yo, sino el Padre, que me envió, y yo. 17 En la ley de ustedes está escrito que el testimonio de dos hombres es verdadero. 18 Yo soy quien da testimonio de mí mismo, y el Padre, que me envió, da testimonio de mí.» 19 Ellos le dijeron: «¿Y dónde está tu Padre?» Jesús respondió: «Ustedes no me conocen a mí, ni tampoco conocen a mi Padre. Si me conocieran a mí, también conocerían a mi Padre.» 20 Jesús pronunció estas palabras en el lugar de las ofrendas, cuando enseñaba en el templo; y nadie lo aprehendió, porque aún no había llegado su hora.

A donde yo voy, ustedes no pueden venir

21 Una vez más, Jesús les dijo: «Yo me voy, y ustedes me buscarán; pero en su pecado morirán. A donde yo voy, ustedes no pueden venir.» 22 Los judíos decían: «¿Acaso se matará a sí mismo? Pues dice: “A donde yo voy, ustedes no pueden venir.”» 23 Él les dijo: «Ustedes son de aquí abajo; yo soy de allá arriba. Ustedes son de este mundo; yo no soy de este mundo. 24 Por eso les dije que morirán en sus pecados; porque si ustedes no creen que yo soy, en sus pecados morirán.» 25 Ellos le dijeron: «¿Y quién eres tú?» Jesús les respondió: «Lo que desde el principio les he dicho. 26 Mucho es lo que tengo que decir y juzgar de ustedes. Pero el que me envió es verdadero; y yo le digo al mundo lo que de él sé.» 27 Pero ellos no entendieron que les hablaba del Padre. 28 Entonces Jesús les dijo: «Cuando ustedes hayan levantado al Hijo del Hombre, sabrán entonces que yo soy, y que nada hago por mí mismo, sino que hablo según lo que el Padre me enseñó. 29 Porque el que me envió está conmigo, y no me ha dejado solo, porque yo hago siempre lo que a él le agrada.» 30 Luego de que él dijo estas cosas, muchos creyeron en él.

La verdad los hará libres

31 Entonces Jesús dijo a los judíos que habían creído en él: «Si ustedes permanecen en mi palabra, serán verdaderamente mis discípulos; 32 y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres.» 33 Le respondieron: «Nosotros somos descendientes de Abrahán,(D) y jamás hemos sido esclavos de nadie. ¿Cómo puedes decir: “Ustedes serán libres”?»

34 Jesús les respondió: «De cierto, de cierto les digo, que todo aquel que comete pecado, esclavo es del pecado. 35 Y el esclavo no se queda en la casa para siempre; el hijo sí se queda para siempre. 36 Así que, si el Hijo los liberta, serán verdaderamente libres. 37 Yo sé que ustedes son descendientes de Abrahán; pero intentan matarme porque mi palabra no halla cabida en ustedes. 38 Yo hablo de lo que he visto con el Padre, pero ustedes hacen lo que han oído de parte de su padre.»

39 Ellos le respondieron: «Nuestro padre es Abrahán.» Jesús les dijo: «Si fueran hijos de Abrahán, harían las obras de Abrahán. 40 Pero ahora intentan matarme; a mí, que les he dicho la verdad, la cual he escuchado de Dios. Esto no lo hizo Abrahán. 41 Ustedes hacen las obras de su padre.» Entonces le dijeron: «Nosotros no hemos nacido de un acto de inmoralidad. Tenemos un padre, que es Dios.» 42 Y Jesús les dijo: «Si su padre fuera Dios, ciertamente me amarían; porque yo he salido y he venido de Dios. No he venido por mi propia cuenta, sino que él me envió. 43 ¿Por qué no entienden mi lenguaje? Pues porque no pueden escuchar mi palabra. 44 Ustedes son de su padre el diablo, y quieren cumplir con los deseos de su padre, quien desde el principio ha sido un homicida. No se mantiene en la verdad, porque no hay verdad en él. Cuando habla mentira, habla de lo que le es propio; porque es mentiroso y padre de la mentira. 45 Pero a mí, que digo la verdad, no me creen. 46 ¿Quién de ustedes puede acusarme de haber pecado? Y si digo la verdad, ¿por qué no me creen? 47 El que es de Dios, escucha las palabras de Dios; pero ustedes no las escuchan, porque no son de Dios.»

La preexistencia de Cristo

48 Los judíos le respondieron: «¿Acaso no tenemos razón al decir que tú eres samaritano, y que tienes un demonio?» 49 Respondió Jesús: «Demonio no tengo. Yo lo que hago es honrar a mi Padre, pero ustedes me deshonran. 50 Y yo no busco mi gloria. Pero hay uno que la busca, y que juzga. 51 De cierto, de cierto les digo que, el que obedece mi palabra, nunca verá la muerte.» 52 Entonces los judíos le dijeron: «Ahora estamos seguros de que tienes un demonio. Abrahán murió, lo mismo que los profetas; ¿y tú dices: “El que guarda mi palabra, nunca verá la muerte”? 53 ¿Acaso eres tú mayor que nuestro padre Abrahán, el cual murió? ¡Y también los profetas murieron! ¿Quién te crees tú?» 54 Jesús respondió: «Si yo me glorifico a mí mismo, mi gloria nada es; pero el que me glorifica es mi Padre, el que ustedes dicen que es su Dios. 55 Ustedes no lo conocen, pero yo sí lo conozco. Y si yo dijera que no lo conozco, sería un mentiroso como ustedes. Pero lo conozco, y obedezco su palabra. 56 Abrahán, el padre de ustedes, se alegró al saber que vería mi día. Y lo vio, y se alegró.» 57 Los judíos le dijeron: «Ni siquiera tienes cincuenta años, ¿y has visto a Abrahán?» 58 Jesús les dijo: «De cierto, de cierto les digo: Antes de que Abrahán fuera, yo soy.» 59 Entonces tomaron piedras para arrojárselas; pero Jesús se escondió y salió del templo.

Footnotes

  1. Juan 8:11 El texto entre corchetes sólo se halla en mss. tardíos.

The Woman Caught in Adultery

Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them. The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. (A)In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?” They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger. (B)As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her.” Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there. 10 He straightened up and said to her, “Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she answered.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again.”][a]

Jesus the Light of the World

12 (C)Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. “I am the light of the world,” he said. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.”

13 (D)The Pharisees said to him, “Now you are testifying on your own behalf; what you say proves nothing.”

14 “No,” Jesus answered, “even though I do testify on my own behalf, what I say is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. You do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You make judgments in a purely human way; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I were to do so, my judgment would be true, because I am not alone in this; the Father who sent me is with me. 17 (E)It is written in your Law that when two witnesses agree, what they say is true. 18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me also testifies on my behalf.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked him.

“You know neither me nor my Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

20 Jesus said all this as he taught in the Temple, in the room where the offering boxes were placed. And no one arrested him, because his hour had not come.

You Cannot Go Where I Am Going

21 Again Jesus said to them, “I will go away; you will look for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot go where I am going.”

22 So the Jewish authorities said, “He says that we cannot go where he is going. Does this mean that he will kill himself?”

23 Jesus answered, “You belong to this world here below, but I come from above. You are from this world, but I am not from this world. 24 That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’.”

25 “Who are you?” they asked him.

Jesus answered, “What I have told you from the very beginning.[b] 26 I have much to say about you, much to condemn you for. The one who sent me, however, is truthful, and I tell the world only what I have heard from him.”

27 They did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about the Father. 28 So he said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, you will know that ‘I Am Who I Am’; then you will know that I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say. 29 And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”

30 Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; 32 (F)you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 (G)“We are the descendants of Abraham,” they answered, “and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, ‘You will be free’?”

34 Jesus said to them, “I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave does not belong to a family permanently, but a son belongs there forever. 36 If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching. 38 I talk about what my Father has shown me, but you do what your father has told you.”

39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.”

“If you really were Abraham's children,” Jesus replied, “you would do[c] the same things that he did. 40 All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this! 41 You are doing what your father did.”

“God himself is the only Father we have,” they answered, “and we are his true children.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God really were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own authority, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message. 44 (H)You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. 45 But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you can prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, then why do you not believe me? 47 He who comes from God listens to God's words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen.”

Jesus and Abraham

48 They asked Jesus, “Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?”

49 “I have no demon,” Jesus answered. “I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking honor for myself. But there is one who is seeking it and who judges in my favor. 51 I am telling you the truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die.”

52 They said to him, “Now we know for sure that you have a demon! Abraham died, and the prophets died, yet you say that whoever obeys your teaching will never die. 53 Our father Abraham died; you do not claim to be greater than Abraham, do you? And the prophets also died. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I were to honor myself, that honor would be worth nothing. The one who honors me is my Father—the very one you say is your God. 55 You have never known him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad.”

57 They said to him, “You are not even fifty years old—and you have seen Abraham?”[d]

58 “I am telling you the truth,” Jesus replied. “Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’.”

59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.

Footnotes

  1. John 8:11 Many manuscripts and early translations do not have this passage (8.1-11); others have it after Jn 21.24; others have it after Lk 21.38; one manuscript has it after Jn 7.36.
  2. John 8:25 What I have told you from the very beginning; or Why should I speak to you at all?
  3. John 8:39 If you really were … you would do; some manuscripts have If you are … do.
  4. John 8:57 you have seen Abraham?; some manuscripts have has Abraham seen you?