8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
8:2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round him, and he sat down to teach them.
8:3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
8:4 and said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
8:5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?
8:6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.
8:8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
8:9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
8:10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no-one condemned you?
8:11 No-one, sir, she said. Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.
8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
8:13 The Pharisees challenged him, Here you are, appearing as your own witness your testimony is not valid.
8:14 Jesus answered, Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
8:15 You judge by human standards I pass judgment on no-one.
8:16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.
8:17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.
8:18 I am one who testifies for myself my other witness is the Father, who sent me.
8:19 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.
8:20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no-one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
8:21 Once more Jesus said to them, I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.
8:22 This made the Jews ask, Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, `Where I go, you cannot come’?
8:23 But he continued, You are from below I am from above. You are of this world I am not of this world.
8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, [Or I am he also in verse 28] you will indeed die in your sins.
8:25 Who are you? they asked. Just what I have been claiming all along, Jesus replied.
8:26 I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.
8:27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
8:28 So Jesus said, When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
8:29 The one who sent me is with me he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.
8:30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
8:33 They answered him, We are Abraham’s descendants [Greek: seed also in verse 37] and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?
8:34 Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
8:35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever.
8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
8:37 I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
8:38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. [Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.]
8:39 Abraham is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham’s children, said Jesus, then you would [Some early manuscripts If you are Abraham’s children, said Jesus, then] do the things Abraham did.
8:40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.
8:41 You are doing the things your own father does. We are not illegitimate children, they protested. The only Father we have is God himself.
8:42 Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own but he sent me.
8:43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.
8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the fa
8:45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
8:46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?
8:47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
8:48 The Jews answered him, Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?
8:49 I am not possessed by a demon, said Jesus, but I honour my Father and you dishonour me.
8:50 I am not seeking glory for myself but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
8:51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.
8:52 At this the Jews exclaimed, Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death.
8:53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?
8:54 Jesus replied, If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
8:55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word.
8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day he saw it and was glad.
8:57 You are not yet fifty years old, the Jews said to him, and you have seen Abraham!
8:58 I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am!
8:59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.