1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he returned to the Temple where many people gathered around him and he sat down and taught them. 3 The religious teachers and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught committing adultery and made her stand before everyone.

4 They said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say?” 6 They said this to try and trap Jesus so they could condemn him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

7 They kept on demanding an answer, so he stood up and told them, “Whichever one of you has never sinned may throw the first stone at her.” 8 Then he bent down again and went on writing on the ground.

9 When they heard this they began to leave, one by one, starting with the oldest until Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Where are they? Didn't anybody stay to condemn you?”

11 “No one did, sir,” she replied.

“I don't condemn you either,” Jesus told her. “Go, and don't sin anymore.”

12 Jesus spoke again to the people, telling them, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me you won't walk in darkness for you will have the life-giving light.”

13 The Pharisees replied, “You can't be your own witness!* Or, “you're just making claims about yourself!” What you say doesn't prove anything!”

14 “Even if I am my own witness, my testimony is true,” Jesus told them, “for I know where I came from and where I'm going. But you don't know where I came from or where I'm going. 15 You judge in a typically human way, but I don't judge anyone. 16 Even if I did judge, my judgment would be right because I am not doing this alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law states† See Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15. that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18 I am my own witness, and my other witness is my Father who sent me.”

19 “Where is your father?” they asked him.

“You don't know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me then you would know my Father as well.” 20 Jesus explained this while he was teaching near the Temple treasury. Yet no one arrested him because his time had not yet come.

21 Jesus told them again, “I'm leaving, and you'll search for me, but you'll die in your sin. You can't come where I'm going.”

22 The Jews wondered out loud, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means when he says ‘You can't come where I'm going’?”

23 Jesus told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 That is why I told you that you'll die in your sins. For if you don't trust in me, the ‘I am,’ you'll die in your sins.”

25 Then they asked him, “Who are you?”

“Exactly who I told you I was from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “There's much I could say about you, and much I could condemn. But the One who sent me tells the truth, and what I'm saying to you here in this world is what I heard from him.”

27 They didn't understand that he was talking to them about the Father. So Jesus explained to them:

28 “When you have lifted up the Son of man then you'll know that I am the ‘I am,’ and that I do nothing of myself, but only say what the Father taught me. 29 The One who sent me is with me; he has not abandoned me, for I always do what pleases him.” 30 Many who heard Jesus say these things put their trust in him.

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who trusted in him, “If you follow my teaching then you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 “We're descendants of Abraham! We've never been slaves to anyone,” they answered. “How can you say that we'll be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave doesn't have a permanent place in the family, but the son is part of the family forever. 36 If the Son sets you free, then you're truly free. 37 I know you're Abraham's descendants, yet you're trying to kill me because you refuse to accept my words. 38 I'm telling you what the Father has revealed to me,‡ Or “what I have seen with the Father.” while you do what your father told you.”

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you really were children of Abraham, you'd do what Abraham did,” Jesus told them. 40 “But you are trying to kill me now, because I told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham would never have done that. 41 You're doing what your father does.”

“Well we§ The word in the original is emphasized, implying that while they were not illegitimate, Jesus was. are not illegitimate,” they responded. “God alone is our father!”

42 Jesus replied, “If God really was your father, you would love me. I came from God and now I am here. The decision to come wasn't mine, but the One who sent me. 43 Why can't you understand what I'm saying? It's because you refuse to hear my message! 44 Your father is the Devil, and you love to follow your father's evil desires. He was a murderer from the beginning. He never stood for the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies he reveals his true character, for he's a liar and the father of lies. 45 So because I tell you the truth, you don't believe me! 46 Can any one of you prove that I'm guilty of sin? If I'm telling you the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 Anyone who belongs to God listens to what God says. The reason you don't listen is because you don't belong to God.”

48 “Aren't we right to call you a Samaritan who is demon-possessed?” said the Jews.

49 “No, I don't have a demon,” Jesus replied. “I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. 50 I'm not here looking to glorify myself. But there is One who does this for me and who judges in my favor. 51 I tell you the truth, anyone who follows my teaching will never die.”

52 “Now we know you're demon-possessed,” said the Jews. “Abraham died, and the prophets did too, and you're telling us ‘anyone who follows my teaching will never die’! 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and the prophets died. Who do you think you are?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. But it is God himself who glorifies me, the one you claim, ‘He is our God.’ 55 You don't know him, but I know him. If I were to say, ‘I don't know him,’ I'd be a liar, just like you. But I do know him, and I do what he says. 56 Your father Abraham was delighted as he looked forward to see my coming, and was so happy when he saw it.”

57 The Jews replied, “You're not even fifty years old, and you've seen Abraham?”

58 “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am,”* Literally, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Once again Jesus uses the name of God himself given in Exodus 3:14. That the significance is not lost on his hearers is shown in their reaction of wanting to stone him for blasphemy. said Jesus.

59 At this they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus was hidden from them and he left the Temple.