John 8 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

8 ¹ while 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 began to teach them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them, ⁴ they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. ⁵ Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”^(A)6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”^(B)8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.^(C)10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, sir.”^[a] And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”]]^[b](D)

Jesus the Light of the World

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”^(E)13 Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” ¹⁴ Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge by human standards;^[c] I judge no one. ¹⁶ Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid, for it is not I alone who judge but I and the Father^[d] who sent me. ¹⁷ In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid.^(F)18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.”^(G)19 Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”^(H)20 He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.^(I)

Jesus Foretells His Death

²¹ Again he said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”^(J)22 Then the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” ²³ He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are from this world, I am not from this world.^(K)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.”^[e](L)25 They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all?^[f]26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”^(M)27 They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he^[g] and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.^(N)29 And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.”^(O)30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

True Disciples

³¹ Then Jesus 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.”^(P)33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”^(Q)

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.^(R)35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.^(S)36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are descendants of Abraham, yet you look for an opportunity to kill me because there is no place in you for my word. ³⁸ I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.”^[h](T)

Jesus and Abraham

³⁹ They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would do^[i] what Abraham did,^(U)40 but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one Father, God himself.”^(V)42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God, and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.^(W)43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. ⁴⁴ You are from your father the devil, and you choose 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 according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^(X)45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.^[j]46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”^(Y)

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”^(Z)49 Jesus answered, “I do not have 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 is the judge.^(AA)51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”^(AB)52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’^(AC)53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?”^(AD)54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’^(AE)55 though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word.^(AF)56 Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.”^(AG)57 Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”^[k]58 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”^(AH)59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.^(AI)

Footnotes

1. 8.11Or Lord
2. 8.11The most ancient authorities lack 7.53–8.11; other authorities add the passage here or after 7.36 or after 21.25 or after Luke 21.38, with variations of text; some mark the passage as doubtful.
3. 8.15Gk according to the flesh
4. 8.16Other ancient authorities read he
5. 8.24Gk I am
6. 8.25Or What I have told you from the beginning
7. 8.28Gk I am
8. 8.38Other ancient authorities read you do what you have heard from your father
9. 8.39Other ancient authorities read you were . . . you would do or you are . . . then do
10. 8.45Or You do not believe even though I tell the truth
11. 8.57Other ancient authorities read has Abraham seen you?

Cross references

1. 8.5 : Lev 20.10; Deut 22.22
2. 8.7 : Deut 17.7; Rom 2.1, 22
3. 8.9 : Rom 2.22
4. 8.11 : Jn 3.17; 5.14
5. 8.12 : Jn 1.4; 9.5; 12.35
6. 8.17 : Deut 17.6; Mt 18.16
7. 8.18 : Jn 5.37
8. 8.19 : Jn 14.7; 16.3
9. 8.20 : Mk 12.41; Jn 7.30
10. 8.21 : Jn 7.34
11. 8.23 : Jn 3.31; 17.14
12. 8.24 : Mk 13.6; Jn 4.26; 13.19
13. 8.26 : Jn 3.32; 7.28; 15.15
14. 8.28 : Jn 3.11, 14; 5.19; 12.32
15. 8.29 : Jn 4.34; 5.30; 6.38
16. 8.32 : Rom 8.2; Jas 2.12
17. 8.33 : Mt 3.9
18. 8.34 : Rom 6.16; 2 Pet 2.19
19. 8.35 : Gal 4.30
20. 8.38 : Jn 5.19, 30; 14.10, 24
21. 8.39 : Rom 9.7; Gal 3.7
22. 8.41 : Isa 63.16; 64.8
23. 8.42 : Jn 7.28; 16.17, 28; 17.8; 1 Jn 5.1
24. 8.44 : vv 38, 41; Mt 12.34; 1 Jn 2.4; 3.8
25. 8.47 : 1 Jn 4.6
26. 8.48 : v 52; Jn 7.20; 10.20
27. 8.50 : Jn 5.41
28. 8.51 : Mt 16.28; Jn 14.23; 15.20; 17.6; Heb 11.5
29. 8.52 : Jn 7.20; 14.23; 15.20; 17.6
30. 8.53 : Jn 4.12
31. 8.54 : v 50; Jn 16.14
32. 8.55 : Jn 7.28, 29; 15.10
33. 8.56 : Mt 13.17; Heb 11.13
34. 8.58 : Jn 1.1; 17.5, 24; Rev 1.8
35. 8.59 : Jn 10.31; 11.8; 12.36