John 8
8
A Woman Caught in Adultery
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Now early in the morning he came again to the temple courts.#*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself And all the people were coming,#Some manuscripts have “were coming to him” and he sat down and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sat down”) has been translated as a finite verb began to teach#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”) them.
3Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman#Some manuscripts have “brought a woman” caught in adultery. And standing her in their midst, 4they said to him, testing him,#Some manuscripts omit “testing him” “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery! 5Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6(Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to write”) with his#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun finger on the ground, taking no notice.#Some manuscripts omit “taking no notice” 7And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said#Some manuscripts have “he straightened up and said” to them, “The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!” 8And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. 9Now when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation being convicted by their conscience,#Some manuscripts omit “being convicted by their conscience” they began to depart,#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to depart”) one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus#Some manuscripts have “he” was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst. 10So Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman,#Some manuscripts omit “and seeing no one except the woman” said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours?#Some manuscripts have “said to her, ‘Woman, where are they?” Does no one condemn you?” 11And she said, “No one, Lord.” So Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and#Some manuscripts have “and from now on” sin no more.”〛#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
Jesus, the Light of the World
12Then 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.” 13So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify concerning yourself! Your testimony is not true.” 14Jesus 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. 15You judge according to externals; I do not judge anyone. 16But even if I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. 17And even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true.#An allusion to Deut 17:6 18I am the one who testifies concerning myself, and the Father who sent me testifies concerning me.”
19So 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.” 20He spoke these words by the treasury while#*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“teaching”) which is understood as temporal teaching in the temple courts,#*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21So 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!” 22Then the Jews began to say,#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”) “Perhaps he will kill himself, because he is saying, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ ” 23And he said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world. 24Thus 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.”
25So they began to say to him,#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”) “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What#Literally “that which” I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26I 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.)
28Then Jesus said,#Some manuscripts have “said to them” “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. 29And 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.” 30While#*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was saying”) he was saying these things, many believed in him.
The Truth Will Set You Free
31Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They 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’?” 34Jesus replied to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35And the slave does not remain in the household forever;#Literally “for the age” the son remains forever.#Literally “for the age” 36So if the son sets you free, you will be truly free. 37I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. 38I 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
39They answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus said to them, “If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! 40But 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. 41You are doing the deeds of your father!”
They said#Some manuscripts have “Then they said” to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!” 42Jesus 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. 43Why#Literally “because of what” do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44You 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,#*The word “nature” is not in the Greek text but is implied because he is a liar and the father of lies.#Literally “of it” 45But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. 46Who among you convicts me concerning sin? If I am telling the truth, why#Literally “because of what” do you not believe me? 47The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God.”
48The Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not correctly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus replied, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me! 50But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges! 51Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death forever.”#Literally “for the age”
52The Jews#Some manuscripts have “Then the Jews” 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.’#Literally “for the age” 53You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “are you” And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be?” 54Jesus 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.’ 55And 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. 56Abraham your father rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and was glad.”
57So the Jews said to him, “You are#Literally “you have” not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!” 59Then they picked up stones in order to throw them#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple courts.#*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
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John 8: LEB
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John 8
8
1but Jesus walked out to the Mount of Olives. 2Then early the next morning he went to the temple. The people came to him, and he sat down#8.2 sat down: See the note at 6.3,4. and started teaching them.
3The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses brought in a woman who had been caught in bed with a man who wasn't her husband. They made her stand in the middle of the crowd. 4Then they said, “Teacher, this woman was caught sleeping with a man who isn't her husband. 5The Law of Moses teaches that a woman like this should be stoned to death! What do you say?”#Lv 20.10; Dt 22.22-24.
6They asked Jesus this question, because they wanted to test him and bring some charge against him. But Jesus simply bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger.
7They kept on asking Jesus about the woman. Finally, he stood up and said, “If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her!” 8Once again he bent over and began writing on the ground. 9The people left one by one, beginning with the oldest. Finally, Jesus and the woman were there alone.
10Jesus stood up and asked her, “Where is everyone? Isn't there anyone left to accuse you?”
11“No sir,” the woman answered.
Then Jesus told her, “I am not going to accuse you either. You may go now, but don't sin any more.”#8.11 don't sin any more: Verses 1-11 are not in some manuscripts. In other manuscripts these verses are placed after 7.36 or after 21.25 or after Luke 21.38, with some differences in the text.
Jesus is the light for the world
12Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”#Mt 5.14; Jn 9.5.
13The Pharisees objected, “You are the only one speaking for yourself, and what you say isn't true!”#Jn 5.31.
14Jesus replied:
Even if I do speak for myself, what I say is true! I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don't know where I am from or where I am going. 15You judge in the same way that everyone else does, but I don't judge anyone. 16If I did judge, I would judge fairly, because I would not be doing it alone. The Father who sent me is here with me. 17Your Law requires two witnesses to prove that something is true.#Dt 19.15. 18I am one of my witnesses, and the Father who sent me is the other one.
19“Where is your Father?” they asked.
“You don't know me or my Father!” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father.”
20Jesus said this while he was still teaching in the place where the temple treasures were stored. But no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.#8.20 his time had not yet come: See the note at 2.4.
You cannot go where I am going
21Jesus also told them, “I am going away, and you will look for me. But you cannot go where I am going, and you will die with your sins unforgiven.”
22The Jewish leaders asked, “Does he intend to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying we cannot go where he is going?”
23Jesus answered, “You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't. 24That is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am,#8.24 I am: For the Jewish people the most holy name of God is “Yahweh”, which may be translated “I am”. In the Gospel of John “I am” is sometimes used by Jesus to show that he is that one. you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven.”
25“Who are you?” they asked Jesus.
Jesus answered, “I am exactly who I told you at the beginning. 26There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him.”
27No one understood that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.
28Jesus went on to say, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man,#8.28 lifted up the Son of Man: See the note at 7.39. you will know who I am. You will also know that I don't do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me.”
30After Jesus said this, many of the people put their faith in him.
The truth will set you free
31Jesus told the people who had faith in him, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. 32You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33They answered, “We are Abraham's children! We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?”#Mt 3.9; Lk 3.8.
34Jesus replied:
I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! 35And slaves don't stay in the family for ever, though the Son will always remain in the family. 36If the Son gives you freedom, you are free! 37I know that you are from Abraham's family. Yet you want to kill me, because my message isn't really in your hearts. 38I am telling you what my Father has shown me, just as you are doing what your father has taught you.
Your father is the devil
39The people said to Jesus, “Abraham is our father!”
Jesus replied, “If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did. 40Instead, you want to kill me for telling you the truth that God gave me. Abraham never did anything like that. 41But you are doing exactly what your father does.”
“Don't accuse us of having someone else as our father!” they said. “We just have one father, and he is God.”
42Jesus answered:
If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and only from him. He sent me. I did not come on my own. 43Why can't you understand what I am talking about? Can't you stand to hear what I am saying? 44Your father is the devil, and you do exactly what he wants. He has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.
45Everything I have told you is true, and you still refuse to have faith in me. 46Can any of you accuse me of sin? If you cannot, why won't you have faith in me? After all, I am telling you the truth. 47Anyone who belongs to God will listen to his message. But you refuse to listen, because you don't belong to God.
Jesus and Abraham
48The people told Jesus, “We were right to say that you are a Samaritan#8.48 Samaritan: See 4.9 and the note there. and that you have a demon in you!”
49Jesus answered, “I don't have a demon in me. I honour my Father, and you refuse to honour me. 50I don't want honour for myself. But there is one who wants me to be honoured, and he is also the one who judges. 51I tell you for certain that if you obey my words, you will never die.”
52Then the people said, “Now we are sure that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and so are the prophets. How can you say that no one who obeys your words will ever die? 53Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54Jesus replied, “If I honoured myself, it would mean nothing. My Father is the one who honours me. You claim that he is your God, 55even though you don't really know him. If I said I didn't know him, I would be a liar, just like all of you. But I know him, and I do what he says. 56Your father Abraham was really glad to see me.”
57“You are not even fifty years old!” they said. “How could you have seen Abraham?”
58Jesus answered, “I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am.”#8.58 I am: See the note at 8.24. 59The people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but he hid and left the temple.
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