John 8

King James Version

1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 8

New International Reader’s Version

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At sunrise he arrived again in the temple courtyard. All the people gathered around him there. He sat down to teach them.3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman. She had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of the group.4 They said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who was not her husband.5 In the Law, Moses commanded us to kill such women by throwing stones at them. Now what do you say?’6 They were trying to trap Jesus with that question. They wanted to have a reason to bring charges against him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.7 They kept asking him questions. So he stood up and said to them, ‘Has any one of you not sinned? Then you be the first to throw a stone at her.’8 He bent down again and wrote on the ground.9 Those who heard what he had said began to go away. They left one at a time, the older ones first. Soon only Jesus was left. The woman was still standing there.10 Jesus stood up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Hasn’t anyone found you guilty?’11 ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then I don’t find you guilty either,’ Jesus said. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’12 Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness. They will have that light. They will have life.’13 The Pharisees argued with him. ‘Here you are,’ they said, ‘appearing as your own witness. But your witness does not count.’14 Jesus answered, ‘Even if I am a witness about myself, what I say does count. I know where I came from. And I know where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.15 You judge by human standards. I don’t judge anyone.16 But if I do judge, what I decide is true. This is because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.17 Your own Law says that the witness of two people proves the truth about something.18 I am a witness about myself. The other witness about me is the Father, who sent me.’19 Then they asked him, ‘Where is your father?’ ‘You do not know me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’20 He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple courtyard. He was near the place where the offerings were put. But no one arrested him. That’s because the time for him to die had not yet come.21 Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. You can’t come where I am going.’22 This made the Jews ask, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, “You can’t come where I am going”?’23 But Jesus said, ‘You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world.24 I told you that you would die in your sins. This will happen if you don’t believe that I am he. If you don’t believe, you will certainly die in your sins.’25 ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,’ Jesus replied.26 ‘I have a lot to say that will judge you. But the one who sent me can be trusted. And I tell the world what I have heard from him.’27 They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father.28 So Jesus said, ‘You will lift up the Son of Man. Then you will know that I am he. You will also know that I do nothing on my own. I speak just what the Father has taught me.29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.’30 Even while Jesus was speaking, many people believed in him.31 Jesus spoke to the Jews who had believed him. ‘If you obey my teaching,’ he said, ‘you are really my disciples.32 Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.’33 They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s children. We have never been slaves of anyone. So how can you say that we will be set free?’34 Jesus replied, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.35 A slave has no lasting place in the family. But a son belongs to the family for ever.36 So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free.37 I know you are Abraham’s children. But you are looking for a way to kill me. You have no room for my word.38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. You are doing what you have heard from your father.’39 ‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered. Jesus said, ‘Are you really Abraham’s children? If you are, you will do what Abraham did.40 But you are looking for a way to kill me. I am a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do the things you want to do.41 You are doing what your own father does.’ ‘We have the right to claim to be God’s children,’ they objected. ‘The only Father we have is God himself.’42 Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me. I have come here from God. I have not come on my own. God sent me.43 Why aren’t my words clear to you? Because you can’t really hear what I say.44 You belong to your father, the devil. You want to obey your father’s wishes. From the beginning, the devil was a murderer. He has never obeyed the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his natural language. He does this because he is a liar. He is the father of lies.45 But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me!46 Can any of you prove I am guilty of sinning? Am I not telling the truth? Then why don’t you believe me?47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you don’t hear is that you don’t belong to God.’48 The Jews answered Jesus, ‘Aren’t we right when we say you are a Samaritan? Aren’t you controlled by a demon?’49 ‘I am not controlled by a demon,’ said Jesus. ‘I honour my Father. You do not honour me.50 I am not seeking glory for myself. But there is one who brings glory to me. He is the judge.51 What I’m about to tell you is true. Whoever obeys my word will never die.’52 Then they cried out, ‘Now we know you are controlled by a demon! Abraham died. So did the prophets. But you say that whoever obeys your word will never die.53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died. So did the prophets. Who do you think you are?’54 Jesus replied, ‘If I bring glory to myself, my glory means nothing. You claim that my Father is your God. He is the one who brings glory to me.55 You do not know him. But I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him. And I obey his word.56 Your father Abraham was filled with joy at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad.’57 ‘You are not even 50 years old,’ they said to Jesus. ‘And you have seen Abraham?’58 ‘What I’m about to tell you is true,’ Jesus answered. ‘Before Abraham was born, I am!’59 When he said this, they picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus hid himself. He slipped away from the temple area.