- But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
- At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered round 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, If any one of you is without sin, let him 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.
- When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
- 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 right, 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 men is valid.
- 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 area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no-one seized him, because his time 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 the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.
- Who are you? they asked. Just what I have been claiming all along, Jesus replied.
- I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, 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 the one I claim to be 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 put their faith 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, I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
- Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever.
- So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
- I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready 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 do 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 the things Abraham did.
- As it is, you are determined 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 things your own father does. 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 came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he 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 desire. 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?
- He who 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 honour my Father and you dishonour me.
- I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
- I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.
- At this the Jews exclaimed, Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he 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 keep 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, the Jews said to him, and you have seen Abraham!
- I tell you the truth, 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.
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