John 8
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?” 6 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. 7 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.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus looked up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again.”[a][b]
Jesus the Light of the World
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 The Pharisees then said to him, “You are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come and whither I am going, but you do not know whence I come or whither I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone that judge, but I and he[c] who sent me. 17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true; 18 I bear witness to myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness to me.” 19 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.” 20 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.
Jesus Foretells His Death
21 Again he said to them, “I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin;[d] where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 Then said the Jews, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” 25 They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Even what I have told you from the beginning.[e] 26 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.” 27 They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. 28 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 authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30 As he spoke thus, many believed in him.
True Disciples
31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
Jesus and Abraham
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; this is not what Abraham did. 41 You do what your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”[f] 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 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 has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But, because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 He who is of God hears the words of God; the reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I have not a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it and he will be the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God. 55 But you have not known him; I know him. If I said, I do not know him, I should be a liar like you; but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it[g] and was glad.” 57 The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[h] 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”[i] 59 So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.
Footnotes
- John 8:11 Some ancient authorities insert 7.53—8.11 either at the end of this gospel or after Luke 21.38, with variations of text. Others omit it altogether.
- 7.53–8.11 This passage, though absent from some of the most ancient manuscripts, is regarded as inspired and canonical by the church. The style suggests that it is not by St. John, and that it belongs to the Synoptic tradition.
- John 8:16 Other ancient authorities read the Father
- 8.21 die in your sin: Theirs is that sin against the truth which is the sin against the Spirit; cf. Mt 12.31.
- John 8:25 Or Why do I talk to you at all?
- 8.41 They mean, “We are not idolaters,” and protest their fidelity to God their Father; see notes on Rev 14.4 and 17.2.
- 8.56 he saw it either in prophetic vision while on earth or by some special privilege after death.
- John 8:57 Other ancient authorities read has Abraham seen you?
- 8.58 The present tense indicates Christ’s eternal existence as God.
John 8
Jubilee Bible 2000
8 ¶ Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down and taught them.
3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery, and when they had set her in the midst,
4 they said unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might be able to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 And those who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest even unto the last; and Jesus was left alone and the woman that had been in the midst.
10 Jesus, lifting himself up and seeing no one but the woman, said unto her, Woman, where are thine accusers? Has no one condemned thee?
11 And she said, No one, Lord. Then Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more.
12 ¶ Then Jesus spoke again unto them, saying, I AM the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.
13 Then the Pharisees said unto him, Thou dost bear witness of thyself; thy witness is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear witness of myself, my witness is true, for I know from where I came and where I go; but ye do not know where I came from and where I go.
15 Ye judge after the flesh, but I judge no one.
16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
18 I AM one that bears witness of myself, and the Father that sent me bears witness of me.
19 Then they said unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father; if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury as he taught in the temple, and no one laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come.
21 ¶ Then Jesus said again unto them, I am going away, and ye shall seek me, but ye shall die in your sins; where I go, ye shall not be able to come.
22 Then the Jews said, Will he kill himself? because he says, Where I go, ye shall not be able to come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from below, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this world.
24 Therefore I said unto you that ye shall die in your sins, for if ye do not believe that I AM, ye shall die in your sins.
25 And said they unto him, Who art thou? Then Jesus said unto them, He that I said unto you also from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge regarding you, but he that sent me is true; and those things which I have heard of him, I speak in the world.
27 But they did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father.
28 Then Jesus said unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then ye shall know that I AM and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father has taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him.
30 As he spoke these words, many believed in him.
31 ¶ Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye shall be my disciples indeed;
32 and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
33 They answered him, We are Abraham’s seed, and we have never served anyone; how sayest thou, Ye shall be set free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the slave of sin.
35 And the slave does not abide in the house for ever, but the Son abides for ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall set you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed, but ye seek to kill me because my word has no place in you.
38 ¶ I speak that which I have seen with my Father, and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, If ye were Abraham’s sons, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God; Abraham did not do this.
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then they said to him, We are not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would surely love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither did I come of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father ye desire to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye do not believe me.
46 ¶ Which of you reproves me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God hears God’s words; ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God.
48 Then the Jews answered, and said unto him, Do we not say well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a demon?
49 Jesus answered, I do not have a demon; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.
50 And I seek not my own glory; there is one that seeks it and judges.
51 ¶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, If anyone keeps my word, he shall not see death forever.
52 Then the Jews said unto him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham died and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keeps my word, he shall not taste death forever?
53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham who died? and the prophets died; whom makest thou thyself?
54 Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father that glorifies me, of whom ye say that he is your God;
55 yet ye have not known him, but I know him; and if I should say, I do not know him, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him and keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.
57 Then the Jews said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.
59 Then they took up stones to cast at him, but Jesus concealed himself and went out of the temple, and going through the midst of them, went away.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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