John 8
8
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2At sunrise he arrived again in the temple courtyard. All the people gathered around him there. He sat down to teach them. 3The 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. 4They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who was not her husband. 5In the Law, Moses commanded us to kill such women by throwing stones at them. Now what do you say?” 6They 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. 7They 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.” 8He bent down again and wrote on the ground.
9Those 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. 10Jesus 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.”
Challenge to What Jesus Says About Himself
12Jesus 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.”
13The Pharisees argued with him. “Here you are,” they said, “appearing as your own witness. But your witness does not count.”
14Jesus 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. 15You judge by human standards. I don’t judge anyone. 16But if I do judge, what I decide is true. This is because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17Your own Law says that the witness of two people proves the truth about something. 18I am a witness about myself. The other witness about me is the Father, who sent me.”
19Then 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.” 20He 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.
Challenge to Who Jesus Claims to Be
21Once 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.”
22This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘You can’t come where I am going’?”
23But Jesus said, “You are from below. I am from heaven. You are from this world. I am not from this world. 24I 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.”
27They did not understand that Jesus was telling them about his Father. 28So 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. 29The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” 30Even while Jesus was speaking, many people believed in him.
Challenge to the Claim to Be Children of Abraham
31Jesus spoke to the Jews who had believed him. “If you obey my teaching,” he said, “you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.”
33They 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?”
34Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35A slave has no lasting place in the family. But a son belongs to the family forever. 36So if the Son of Man sets you free, you will really be free. 37I know that you are Abraham’s children. But you are looking for a way to kill me. You have no room for my word. 38I 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. 40But 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. 41You 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.”
42Jesus 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. 43Why aren’t my words clear to you? Because you can’t really hear what I say. 44You 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. 45But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me! 46Can any of you prove I am guilty of sinning? Am I not telling the truth? Then why don’t you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you don’t hear is that you don’t belong to God.”
Jesus Makes Claims About Himself
48The 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 honor my Father. You do not honor me. 50I am not seeking glory for myself. But there is one who brings glory to me. He is the judge. 51What I’m about to tell you is true. Whoever obeys my word will never die.”
52Then 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. 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died. So did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54Jesus 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. 55You 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. 56Your 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!” 59When he said this, they picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus hid himself. He slipped away from the temple area.
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John 8: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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John 8
8
1but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?” 6This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus looked up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.”#8.11 The most ancient authorities omit 7.53–8.11; other authorities add the passage here or after 7.36 or after 21.25 or after Luke 21.38, with variations of text
12 #
Jn 9.5; 12.35; 1.4. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13#Jn 5.31-39. The Pharisees then said to him, “You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going. 15#Jn 7.24; 3.17. You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. 16#Jn 5.30. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he#8.16 Other ancient authorities read the Father who sent me. 17#Deut 19.15; Mt 18.16. In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; 18I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.” 19#Jn 14.7. They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father; if you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20#Mk 12.41; Jn 7.30. These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
21 #
Jn 7.33-36. Again he said to them, “I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22Then said the Jews, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23#Jn 3.31; 17.14; 1 Jn 4.5. He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24#Jn 8.28; 4.26; 13.19; Mk 13.6. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” 25They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Even what I have told you from the beginning.#8.25 Or Why do I talk to you at all? 26I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. 28#Jn 3.14; 12.32. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. 29And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30#Jn 7.31; 10.42; 11.45. As he spoke thus, many believed in him.
31 #
Jn 15.7; 2 Jn 9. Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32#2 Cor 3.17; Gal 5.1. and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33#Mt 3.9; Gal 3.7. They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 #
Rom 6.16; 2 Pet 2.19. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35#Gen 21.10; Gal 4.30. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
39They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did, 40but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; this is not what Abraham did. 41#Deut 32.6; Is 63.16; 64.8. You do what your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.” 42#Jn 13.3; 16.28. Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44#1 Jn 3.8,15; Gen 3.4; 1 Jn 2.4; Mt 12.34. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46#1 Jn 3.5; Jn 18.37. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
48 #
Jn 7.20; 10.20; 4.9. The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge. 51Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53#Jn 4.12. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?” 54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. 55But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. 56#Mt 13.17; Heb 11.13. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57#Jn 2.20. The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”#8.57 Other ancient authorities read has Abraham seen you? 58#Jn 1.1; 17.5,24. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59#Jn 10.31; 11.8. So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
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