1 And Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning he returned to the temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and taught them.
3 The legal experts and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. Placing her in the center of the group,
4 they said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.
5 In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone women like this. What do you say?"
6 They said this to test him, because they wanted a reason to bring an accusation against him. Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
7 They continued to question him, so he stood up and replied, "Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone."
8 Bending down again, he wrote on the ground.
9 Those who heard him went away, one by one, beginning with the elders. Finally, only Jesus and the woman were left in the middle of the crowd.
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Is there no one to condemn you?"
11 She said, "No one, sir." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, don’t sin anymore."
12 Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
13 Then the Pharisees said to him, "Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn’t valid."
14 Jesus replied, "Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.
15 You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one.
16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I’m not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me.
17 In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true.
18 I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other."
19 They asked him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You don’t know me and you don’t know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."
20 He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn’t yet come.
21 Jesus continued, "I’m going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you can’t come."
22 The Jewish leaders said, "He isn’t going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, ‘Where I’m going, you can’t come’?"
23 He said to them, "You are from below; I’m from above. You are from this world; I’m not from this world.
24 This is why I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins."
25 "Who are you?" they asked. Jesus replied, "I’m exactly who I have claimed to be from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say in judgment concerning you. The one who sent me is true, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
27 They didn’t know he was speaking about his Father.
28 So Jesus said to them, "When the Human One is lifted up, then you will know that I Am. Then you will know that I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me.
29 He who sent me is with me. He doesn’t leave me by myself, because I always do what makes him happy."
30 While Jesus was saying these things, many people came to believe in him.
31 Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33 They responded, "We are Abraham’s children; we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. How can you say that we will be set free?"
34 Jesus answered, "I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is.
36 Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free.
37 I know that you are Abraham’s children, yet you want to kill me because you don’t welcome my teaching.
38 I’m telling you what I’ve seen when I am with the Father, but you are doing what you’ve heard from your father."
39 They replied, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus responded, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do Abraham’s works.
40 Instead, you want to kill me, though I am the one who has spoken the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.
41 You are doing your father’s works." They said, "Our ancestry isn’t in question! The only Father we have is God!"
42 Jesus replied, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God. Here I am. I haven’t come on my own. God sent me.
43 Why don’t you understand what I’m saying? It’s because you can’t really hear my words.
44 Your father is the devil. You are his children, and you want to do what your father wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has never stood for the truth, because there’s no truth in him. Whenever that liar speaks, he speaks according to his own nature, because he’s a liar and the father of liars.
45 Because I speak the truth, you don’t believe me.
46 Who among you can show I’m guilty of sin? Since I speak the truth, why don’t you believe me?
47 God’s children listen to God’s words. You don’t listen to me because you aren’t God’s children."
48 The Jewish opposition answered, "We were right to say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon, weren’t we?"
49 "I don’t have a demon," Jesus replied. "But I honor my Father and you dishonor me.
50 I’m not trying to bring glory to myself. There’s one who is seeking to glorify me, and he’s the judge.
51 I assure you that whoever keeps my word will never die."
52 The Jewish opposition said to Jesus, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never die.’
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and the prophets died, so who do you make yourself out to be?"
54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is meaningless. My Father, who you say is your God, is the one who glorifies me.
55 You don’t know him, but I do. If I said I didn’t know him, I would be like you, a liar. But I do know him, and I keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see my day. He saw it and was happy."
57 "You aren’t even 50 years old!" the Jewish opposition replied. "How can you say that you have seen Abraham?"
58 "I assure you," Jesus replied, "before Abraham was, I Am."
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple.