CHAPTER 8
Early in the morning
He went back
into
the
temple courts.
All
the
people
came
to
Him,
and
He sat down
to teach
them.
The
scribes
and
Pharisees,
however,
brought
to
Him
a woman
caught
in
adultery.
They made her stand
before them
They said
this
to test
Him,
in order
to have a basis
for accusing
Him.
But
Jesus
bent
down
and began to write
on
the
ground
with
His finger.
When
they continued
to question
Him,
He straightened up
and
said
to them,
“Let him who is
without sin
among you
be the
first
to cast
a stone
at
her.”
When they heard this,
they began to go away
one
by
one,
beginning
with
the
older ones,
until
only
Jesus
was left,
with
the
woman
standing
there.
Then
Jesus
straightened up
and asked
her,
“Woman,
where
are
your
accusers?
Has no one
condemned
you?”
“No one,
Lord,”
she answered.
“Then neither
do I
condemn
you,”
Jesus
declared.
“Now
go
and
sin
no more.”
Once again,
Jesus
spoke
to the people
and said,
“I
am
the
light
of the
world.
Whoever
follows
Me
will never walk
in
the
darkness,
but
will have
the
light
of life."
Jesus
replied,
“Even if
I
testify
about
Myself,
My
testimony
is
valid,
because
I know
where
I came from
and
where
I am going.
But
you
do not
know
where
I came from
or
where
I am going.
But
even
if
I
do judge,
My
judgment
is
true,
because
I am
not
alone when I judge ;
I am with
the
Father,
who sent
Me.
“Where
is
Your
Father?”
they asked
Him.
“You do not know
Me
or
My
Father,”
Jesus
answered.
“If
you knew
Me,
you would know
My
Father
as well.”
He spoke
these
words
while teaching
in
the
temple courts,
near
the
treasury.
Yet
no one
seized
Him,
because
His
hour
had not yet
come.
Again
He said
to them,
“I
am going away,
and
you will look for
Me,
but
you will die
in
your
sin.
Where
I
am going,
you
cannot
come.”
So
the
Jews
began to ask,
“Will He kill
Himself,
since
He says,
‘Where
I
am going,
you
cannot
come’?”
Then
He told
them,
“You
are
from
below;
I
am
from
above.
You
are
of
this
world;
I
am
not
of
this
world.
That is why
I told
you
that
you would die
in
your
sins.
For
unless
you believe
that
I
am He,
you will die
in
your
sins.”
“Who
are
You?”
they asked.
“Just
what
I have been telling
you
from the
beginning,”
Jesus
replied.
“I have
much
to say
about
you
and much
to judge.
But
the One who
sent
Me
is
truthful,
and
what
I have heard
from
Him,
I tell
the
world."
So
Jesus
said,
“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
speak
exactly
what
the
Father
has taught
Me.
So
He
said
to
the
Jews
who had believed
Him,
“If
you
continue
in
My
word,
you are
truly
My
disciples.
“We are
Abraham’s
descendants,”
they answered.
“We have never been slaves
to anyone.
How
can You
say
we will be set
free?”
I know
you are
Abraham’s
descendants,
but
you are trying
to kill
Me
because
My
word
has no place
within
you.
I speak
of what
I
have seen
in the presence of
the
Father,
and
you
do
what
you have heard
from
your
father.”
“Abraham
is
our
father,”
they replied.
“If
you were
children
of Abraham,”
said
Jesus,
“you would do
the
works
of Abraham.
But
now
you are trying
to kill
Me,
a man
who
has told
you
the
truth
that
I heard
from
God.
Abraham
never
did
such a thing.
You
are doing
the
works
of
your
father.”
“We
are not illegitimate children,”
they declared.
“Our
only
Father
is God Himself.”
Jesus
said
to them,
“If
God
were
your
Father,
you would love
Me,
for
I
have come
here
from
God.
I have not come
on
My own,
but
He
sent
Me.
You
belong to
your
father,
the
devil,
and
you want
to carry out
his
desires.
He
was
a murderer
from
the beginning,
refusing
to uphold
the
truth,
because
there is
no
truth
in
him.
When
he lies,
he speaks
his
native language,
because
he is
a liar
and
the
father
of lies.
Whoever
belongs to
God
hears
the
words
of God.
The reason
you
do not
hear
is that
you do
not
belong
to God.”
“Now
we know
that
You have
a demon!”
declared
the
Jews.
“Abraham
died,
and so did
the
prophets,
yet
You
say that
anyone who
keeps
Your
word
will never taste
death.
Jesus
answered,
“If
I
glorify
Myself,
My
glory
means
nothing.
The One who
glorifies
Me
is
My
Father,
of whom
you
say
‘He is
our
God.'
You do not know
Him,
but
I
know
Him.
If
I said
I did not know
Him,
I would be
a liar
like
you.
But
I do know
Him,
and
I keep
His
word.
At this,
they picked up
stones
to
throw
at
Him.
But
Jesus
was hidden
and
went
out of
the
temple area.