but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he
came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat
down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they
said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of
adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?” This 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. And 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.” And once more he bent down and
wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by
one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with
the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No
one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from
now on sin no more.”]]
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing
witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus
answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is
true, 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. You judge according
to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment
is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who
sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people
is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the
Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 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.” 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.
So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me,
and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am
going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I
am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I
told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe
that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who
are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you
from the beginning. I 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.” They did not understand that he had been speaking
to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “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 just as the Father
taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,
for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was
saying these things, many believed in him.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in
my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are
offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is
it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who
practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the
house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of
Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in
you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what
you have heard from your father.”
They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them,
“If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works
Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you
the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You
are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were
not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus
said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I
came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he
sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you
cannot bear to hear my word. 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 does not stand in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for
he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth,
you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I
tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears
the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you
are not of God.”
The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a
Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a
demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not
seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never
see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a
demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone
keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our
father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make
yourself out to be?” 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.’ But you have not known him. 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. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he
would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus
said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I
am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid
himself and went out of the temple.
