1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2Very early in the morning, he returned to the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and began teaching them.
3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of everyone.
4They said to him, “Teacher, we caught this woman in the act of adultery.
5According to our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What do you say about her?”
6They said this to test him, hoping to find a way to accuse him. But Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
7When they kept asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the person among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
8Then he bent down again and wrote on the ground with his finger.
9When they heard this, their consciences bothered them, and they left one by one, starting with the oldest until only Jesus was left with the woman still standing in the middle.
10Jesus stood, saw her, and asked, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”
11She answered, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now, and stop sinning.”
12Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
13So the Pharisees told him, “You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not valid.”
14Jesus answered them, “Even if I do testify about myself, my testimony 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 judge based on human standards. I don’t judge anyone.
16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent me.
17It is also written in your own law that the testimony of two witnesses is valid.
18I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
19So they asked him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father as well.”
20Jesus said these things in the treasury while teaching in the temple. But no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.
21Then Jesus told them again, “I am going away, and you will look for me, but you will die in your sins. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22So the Jews wondered, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
23He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not belong to this world.
24That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.”
25So they asked him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.
26I have many things to say and to judge concerning you. However, the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the world what I have heard from him.”
27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.
28So Jesus told them, “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, but I speak only what the Father has taught me.
29The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
30As he said these things, many people believed in him.
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you continue to follow my teaching, you are truly my followers.
32You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be set free'?"
34Jesus replied, "I tell you the honest truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35A slave does not belong to the family forever, but a son does.
36So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.
37I know you are descendants of Abraham. Yet you are trying to kill me, because my message has no place in your hearts.
38I tell you what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."
39They told him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus replied, "If you were truly Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.
40But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did anything like that.
41You are doing the work of your real father." They said to him, "We are not illegitimate children. We have one Father, God."
42So Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and am here. I did not come on my own; he sent me.
43Why don't you understand what I am saying? Because you cannot listen to my message.
44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
45But because I tell you the truth, you don't believe me.
46Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?
47Anyone who belongs to God listens to God's words. The reason you don't listen is that you don't belong to God."
48Then the Jewish leaders replied to him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and possessed by a demon?"
49Jesus answered, "I am not possessed by a demon. I honor my Father, but you dishonor me.
50But I am not looking for my own glory. There is someone else who is seeking it and who judges.
51I tell you the truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, they will never experience death.”
52The Jews then said to him, “Now we know you have a demon! Abraham died, and so did the prophets. Yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys my teaching, they will never taste death.’
53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?”
54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you say is our God, is the one who glorifies me.
55You don’t know him, but I do. If I were to say I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I obey his teaching.
56Your father Abraham was joyful at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad.”
57The Jews then said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?”
58Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM.”
59So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple area, passing through the middle of them.