John 8

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he returned to the temple, and all the people came. He sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought him a woman caught in adultery and stood her in the midst. To test him, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. What, then, do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they would have grounds to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger, paying them no attention. When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he bent down again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, convicted by their conscience, they began to leave one by one, starting with the oldest. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still in the midst. Jesus straightened up and, seeing no one but the woman, said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.” Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees said to him, “You bear witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered them, “Even if I bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. In your own law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father too.” He spoke these words in the treasury as he taught in the temple. No one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. Then he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” Then they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the one who sent me is true, and I speak to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, and that I do nothing on my own, but speak these things as the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” As he spoke these things, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you truly are my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever; a son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no room in you. I speak of what I have seen with the Father, and you do what you have heard from the father.” They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came forth from God and have come here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you can convict me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. This is why you do not hear: you are not of God.” The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it and judges. Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too. Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, the one of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ Yet you have not 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 know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, before Abraham came to be, I am.” Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Rights and attribution