but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"

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. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

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. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."

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.You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

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."He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.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."

This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"

But he continued, "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; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins."

"Who are you?" they asked."Just what I have been telling you from the beginning," Jesus replied."I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.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 but speak just what the Father has taught me.The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him."Even as he spoke, many believed in him.To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father. "

"Abraham is our father," they answered."If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do what Abraham did.As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.

You are doing the works of your own father.""We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. 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 father of lies.Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?"

"I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death."

At this they exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death.Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"

Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.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 obey his word.Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."

"You are not yet fifty years old," they said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

"Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

John 8

A Woman Caught in Adultery

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.s2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teacht them.3 The experts in the lawt and the Phariseess brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them4 and said to Jesus,t “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to deaths such women.s What then do you say?”6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges againstt him.)s Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.t7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straightt and replied,t “Whoever among you is guiltlesst may be the first to throw a stone at her.”

8 Thent he bent over again and wrote on the ground.
9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones,t until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.10 Jesus stood up straightt and said to her, “Woman,s where are they? Did no one condemn you?”

11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]]ss

Jesus as the Light of the World

12 Then Jesus spoke out again,t “I am the light of the world.s The one who follows me will nevert walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”13 So the Phariseess objected,t “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!”s14 Jesus answered,t “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you peoplet do not know where I came from or where I am going.s15 You peoplet judge by outward appearances;t I do not judge anyone.s16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate,t because I am not alone when I judge,t but I and the Father who sent me do so together.t17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.s

18 I testify about myselft and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
19 Then they began askingt him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.”s

20 (Jesust spoke these words near the offering boxtss while he was teaching in the temple courts.t No one seized him because his timet had not yet come.)s

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

21 Then Jesust said to them again,t “I am going away, and you will look for met but will die in your sin.t Where I am going you cannot come.”22 So the Jewish leaderst began to say,t “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’”23 Jesus replied,t “You peoplet are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world.

24 Thus I told yout that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he,ts you will die in your sins.”
25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied,t “What I have told you from the beginning.26 I have many things to say and to judget about you, but the Fathert who sent me is truthful,t and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.”t

27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.)s
28 Then Jesus said,t “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he,t and I do nothing on my own initiative,t but I speak just what the Father taught me.t29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,t because I always do those things that please him.”

30 While he was saying these things, many peoplet believed in him.

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

31 Then Jesus said to those Judeanst who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching,t you are reallyt my disciples32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”ts33 “We are descendantst of Abraham,” they replied,t “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say,t ‘You will become free’?”34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth,t everyone who practicest sin is a slavet of sin.35 The slave does not remain in the familyt forever, but the son remains forever.s36 So if the sont sets you free, you will be really free.37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants.t But you wantt to kill me, because my teachingt makes no progress among you.t

38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with thes Father;t as for you,t practice the things you have heard from thes Father!”
39 They answered him,t “Abraham is our father!”t Jesus replied,t “If you ares Abraham’s children, you would be doingst the deeds of Abraham.40 But now you are tryingt to kill me, a man who has told yout the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this!t

41 You peoplet are doing the deeds of your father.”
Thens they said to Jesus,t “We were not born as a result of immorality!s We have only one Father, God himself.”42 Jesus replied,t “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here.t It have not come on my own initiative,t but het sent me.43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot acceptt my teaching.t44 You peoplet are fromt your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires.t Het was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth,t because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies,t he speaks according to his own nature,t because he is a liar and the father of lies.t45 But because I am telling yout the truth, you do not believe me.46 Who among you can prove me guiltyt of any sin?t If I am telling yout the truth, why don’t you believe me?

47 The one who belongs tot God listens and respondst to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond,t because you don’t belong to God.”t
48 The Judeanst replied,t “Aren’t we correct in sayingt that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?”t49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon,t but I honor my Father – and yett you dishonor me.50 I am not trying to gett praise for myself.t There is one who demandst it, and he also judges.t

51 I tell you the solemn truth,t if anyone obeyst my teaching,t he will never see death.”ts
52 Thens the Judeanst responded,t “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon!t Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yett you say, ‘If anyone obeyst my teaching,t he will never experiencet death.’t53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?t And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?”54 Jesus replied,t “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.t The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you peoplet say, ‘He is our God.’55 Yett you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him,t I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obeyt his teaching.t

56 Your father Abraham was overjoyedt to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”t
57 Then the Judeanst replied,t “You are not yet fifty years old!t Havet you seen Abraham?”58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,t before Abraham came into existence,t I am!”s

59 Then they picked upt stones to throw at him,s but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area.st