John 8 — TCENT

8Verse 1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.^{Verse 2+}Early in the morning he again went to the temple courts.⁺All the people⁺came, and he sat down and taught them.^{Verse 3}Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought⁺him a woman who had been caught in adultery. Making her stand before them all,^{Verse 4}they said to Jesus,⁺testing him, “Teacher,⁺this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.^{Verse 5}In⁺the law, Moses commanded us⁺that such women should be stoned; what then do yoʋ⁺say?”^{Verse 6}(They said this to test him, so that they might⁺have⁺something to accuse him of.) But Jesus stooped down and wrote⁺with his finger on the⁺ground, taking no notice.^{Verse 7}When they continued asking him, he⁺stood up and said to them,“Let him among you who is without sin⁺be the first to throw a stone at her.”^{Verse 8}And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.^{Verse 9}When they heard this, they⁺were convicted by their own consciences and⁺began to go away one by one, starting with the older⁺men. So Jesus was left⁺alone, with the woman⁺there before him.^{Verse 10}Then Jesus⁺stood up and⁺saw no one but the woman. So he⁺said to her,“Where are⁺yoʋr accusers? Has no one condemned yoʋ?”^{Verse 11}She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus⁺said,“Neither do I⁺pass judgment on yoʋ;⁺go and sin no more.”

I Am the Light of the World

^{Verse 12}Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will certainly not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”^{Verse 13}So the Pharisees said to him, “Yoʋ are testifying about yoʋrself, so yoʋr testimony is not valid.”^{Verse 14}Jesus answered them,“Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is valid, for 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.^{Verse 15}You judge according to the flesh, but I judge no one.^{Verse 16}Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for I am not alone, but I stand with the Father who sent me.^{Verse 17}In your own law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.^{Verse 18}I testify about myself, and the Father who sent me also testifies about me.”^{Verse 19}Then they said to him, “Where is yoʋr father?” Jesus answered,“You neither know me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father as well.”^{Verse 20}(Jesus spoke these words in the treasury as he taught in the temple courts. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.)

Where I Am Going, You Cannot Come

^{Verse 21}Then Jesus said to them again,“I am going away, and you will seek me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”^{Verse 22}So the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying,‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”^{Verse 23}He said to them,“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^{Verse 24}Therefore 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.”^{Verse 25}They said to him, “Who are yoʋ?” Jesus said to them,“Exactly what I have been saying to you from the beginning.^{Verse 26}I have many things to say about you and to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I tell the world what I have heard from him.”^{Verse 27}(They did not know that he was speaking to them about the Father.)^{Verse 28}So Jesus said⁺to them,“When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own authority, but I speak these things just as⁺my Father taught me.^{Verse 29}He who sent me is with me.⁺The Father has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”^{Verse 30}As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

The Truth Will Set You Free

^{Verse 31}Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him,“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.^{Verse 32}Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^{Verse 33}They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How then can yoʋ say,‘You will be set free’?”^{Verse 34}Jesus answered them,“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.^{Verse 35}The slave does not abide in the house forever; the son abides forever.^{Verse 36}So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.^{Verse 37}I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you are seeking to kill me because your hearts have no room for my word.^{Verse 38}I speak of what I have seen with⁺my Father; so you also⁺are doing what you have⁺seen with your father.”^{Verse 39}They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them,“If you⁺were children of Abraham, you would be doing the works of Abraham.^{Verse 40}But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do such a thing.^{Verse 41}You are doing the works of your father.”They said to him, “We were not born of fornication. We have one Father—God.”^{Verse 42}Jesus said to them,“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come of my own accord, but he sent me.^{Verse 43}Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot bear to accept my word.^{Verse 44}You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks lies, he speaks from his own character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.^{Verse 45}But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.^{Verse 46}Which one of you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?^{Verse 47}Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is because you do not belong to God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

^{Verse 48}The Jews answered him, “Do we not rightly say that yoʋ are a Samaritan and have a demon?”^{Verse 49}Jesus answered,“I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.^{Verse 50}I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.^{Verse 51}Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will certainly never see death.”^{Verse 52}The Jews said to him, “Now we know that yoʋ have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet yoʋ say,‘If anyone keeps my word, he will certainly never taste death.’^{Verse 53}Are yoʋ greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do yoʋ make yoʋrself out to be?”^{Verse 54}Jesus answered,“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you⁺say, ‘He is our God.’^{Verse 55}You do not know 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 keep his word.^{Verse 56}Your father Abraham was glad that he would see my day. He saw it and rejoiced.”^{Verse 57}Then the Jews said to him, “Yoʋ are not yet fifty years old, and yoʋ have seen Abraham?”^{Verse 58}Jesus said to them,“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”^{Verse 59}So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple grounds.⁺And passing through the crowd, he walked away.