John 8

₁[Jesus went to the Mount_of_Olives. ₂Early the next morning He came back to the temple. A crowd of people came to Jesus. He sat down and He started to teach them. ₃Someone saw that a woman had committed_adultery. He went to the teachers_of_the_Laws and Pharisees and told them about it. They took the woman to Jesus and they made her stand where all the people could see her. ₄Then they said to Jesus: ‘Teacher, someone saw this woman committing_adultery. ₅The laws of Moses say that we must kill this woman with stones. What do You say? What must we do?’

₆They came to Jesus and asked Him this because they wanted Him to say something wrong, so they could accuse Him at the Jewish_Council. But Jesus bowed down and with his finger He wrote on the ground. ₇They asked Jesus again what He thought they must do. Then Jesus stood up and He said to them: ‘If there is any one of you who has never done anything wrong, he can throw the first stone at her.’

₈Jesus bowed down and wrote on the ground again. ₉When the people heard what Jesus had said, they all went away. The oldest people went first and then the other people started to walk away. Later only Jesus was there with the woman standing in front of Him. ₁₀Jesus stood up and He asked her: ‘Where are the people who accused you? Is there no one who wants to throw stones at you?’

₁₁She said: ‘No, Lord, there is no one.’

Jesus said to her: ‘I will also not judge you. You may go, but you must not sin again.’]

₁₂Jesus started to teach the people again. He said: ‘I am the light for the people of the world. Any person who follows Me will not walk in the dark. He will have the light that brings life.’

₁₃The Pharisees said to Jesus: ‘Now You talk about Yourself. You said that we can not believe what You say about Yourself.’ ₁₄Jesus said to them: ‘Yes, I talk about Myself but what I say about Myself is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don't know where I came from or where I am going. ₁₅You look at the outside of people and then you judge people. I don't judge anyone. ₁₆When I judge people, the way I judge is right, because it is not I who judge alone. The Father who has sent Me to the world judges with Me. ₁₇In your laws it is written that when 2 people say the same about someone, it is true. ₁₈And there are 2 who say the same things about Me. Both I and the Father who has sent Me to the world say the same things.’

₁₉The people asked Jesus: ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus said: ‘You don't know Me and you don't know my Father. Yes, you don't know my Father because you don't know Me.’

₂₀Jesus said all these things in the temple. He was standing near the offering-box where He was teaching people. No one tried to arrest Him because it was not the right time for that to happen.

₂₁Jesus talked to the Jews again. He said: ‘I am going away and you will look for Me, but you will not find Me. You are sinners and when you die, you will still be full of sin. Where I am going, you can not go.’

₂₂The Jews said: ‘He says we can not go where He is going. Is He going to kill Himself? We don't think He will do that.’

₂₃Jesus said to them: ‘You come from the world, but I come from heaven. Yes, you are people of this world, but I am not from this world. ₂₄I told you that you are sinners and when you die, you will still be full of sin. If you do not believe that I am God, then you will die and you will still be full of sin.’

₂₅The Jews asked Jesus: ‘Who are You?’

Jesus said to them: ‘I have told you who I am from the beginning, and that is who I am. ₂₆I can say many other things about you and I can judge you, but I will not do it because I say only what I have heard from God who has sent Me, and He always does what is right.’

₂₇The Jews did not understand that Jesus talked about the Father in heaven. ₂₈Jesus said to them: ‘When you have lifted and hanged Me, the Son of man, on the cross, then you will know that I am also God. Then you will know that I am the Son who does not do things because I want to do them. No, I do only the things that my Father teaches Me to do. ₂₉The Father who has sent Me to the world will not leave Me alone. He is always with Me, because I always do the things that He wants Me to do.’

₃₀While Jesus was saying these things, a lot of Jews started to believe in Him.

₃₁Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him: ‘If you believe in Me and you do what I say, then you really are my disciples. ₃₂Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’

₃₃They said to Jesus: ‘We are the descendants of Abraham. We have never been slaves. We are free. Why do You say we will become free?’ ₃₄Jesus said to them: ‘I tell you this and it is sure: If a person sins, then he is a slave to sin. ₃₅A slave does not always stay with the family, but a son always stays in the family. ₃₆If I, the Son, set you free, then you will really be free. ₃₇I know you are the descendants of Abraham, but you want to kill Me because you do not want to believe what I say. ₃₈I tell you what my Father has shown Me. You do what your father has shown you.’

₃₉The Jews said to Jesus: ‘Abraham is our father.’

Jesus said to them: ‘If you are sons of Abraham, then you will do what Abraham did. ₄₀But now you want to kill Me because I tell the truth that God has told Me. Abraham did not do anything like that. ₄₁No, you do the things that your father has done.’

The Jews said to Jesus: ‘God is the only Father we have. We are his true children.’

₄₂Jesus said to them: ‘God is not your Father because you do not love Me. I came from God and I am here with you. I did not decide to come. No, it was God who sent Me to the world. ₄₃Why don't you understand what I am telling you? It is because you do not_really want to listen to what I am saying. ₄₄The devil is your father and you do what he wants you to do. The devil lies and since the beginning of the world he has been killing people. He does not speak the truth because he does not know what the truth is. The devil always lies. That is all he can do. He lies and he also makes people lie.

₄₅That is why you don't believe Me when I speak the truth. ₄₆Not one of you can show that I have sinned or done something wrong. Why don't you believe Me when I tell the truth? ₄₇Anyone who belongs to God listens to what God says. But you do not listen to what God says because you do not belong to Him.’

₄₈The Jews said to Jesus: ‘We were right when we said that You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon in You that makes You speak like this.’ ₄₉Jesus said: ‘No, there is not a demon in Me. I honour my Father, but you don't honour Me. ₅₀It is not I who want you to honour Me. It is my Father who wants you to honour Me. He is the One who judges people. ₅₁I tell you this and it is sure: If someone does what I say, he will not die_forever.’

₅₂Then the Jews said to Jesus: ‘Now we know that there is a demon in You who makes You say this. Abraham has died and the prophets have died. But now You say if someone does what You say, he will not die_forever. ₅₃You are not more important than Abraham, and he has died. You are not more important than the prophets and they have died. Don't think that You are more important.’

₅₄Jesus said: ‘It is not I who say that I am important, because if I say it Myself, then my words will be worthless. It is my Father, who you say is your God, who says that I am important.

₅₅But you do not know the Father. I know Him. If I say I do not know the Father, then I do not speak the truth, and then I will be like you. No, I know the Father and I do what He says. ₅₆Your father Abraham was very happy when he longed for the day that I would come. He knew it and he was happy.’

₅₇The Jews said to Jesus: ‘That is not_true. You have not seen Abraham. You are young. You are not even 50 years old.’ ₅₈Jesus said to them: ‘I tell you this and it is sure: I am God. I was alive even before Abraham lived.’

₅₉Then the Jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus to kill Him, but Jesus went out of the temple, and they could not see Him.