2 Early in the morning he returned to the temple, the people all came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
3 The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of committing adultery, and making her stand forward
4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
5 Now Moses has commanded us in the Law to stone such creatures; but what do you say?"
6 (They said this to test him, in order to get a charge against him.) Jesus stooped down, and began to write with his finger on the ground;
7 but as they persisted with their question, he raised himself and said to them, "Let the innocent among you throw the first stone at her";
8 then he stooped down again and wrote on the ground.
9 And on hearing what he said, they went away one by one, beginning with the older men, till Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
10 Looking up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
12 Then Jesus again addressed them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he who follows me will not walk in darkness, he will enjoy the light of life."
13 So the Pharisees said to him, "You are testifying to yourself; your evidence is not valid."
14 Jesus replied to them, "Though I do testify to myself, my evidence is valid, because I know where I have come from and where I am going to ??whereas you do not know where I have come from or where I am going to.
15 You judge by the outside. I judge no one;
16 and though I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not by myself ??there is myself and the Father who sent me.
17 Why, it is written in your own Law that the evidence of two persons is valid:
18 I testify to myself, and the Father who sent me also testifies to me."
19 "Where is your Father?" they said. Jesus replied, "You know neither me nor my Father; if you had known me you would have known my Father also."
20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he was teaching in the temple, but no one arrested him, because his time had not come yet.
21 Then he said to them again, "I go away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin; where I go, you cannot come."
22 So the Jews said, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"
23 He said to them, "You are from the world below, I am from the world above: you belong to this world, I do not belong to this world.
24 So I told you, you would die in your sins; for unless you believe who I am, you will die in your sins."
25 They said, "Who are you?" Jesus replied, "Why should I talk to you at all?
26 I have a great deal to say about you and many a judgment to pass upon you; but he who sent me is true, and so I tell the world what I have learned from him."
27 They did not understand he was speaking to them about the Father;
28 so Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, you will know then who I am, and that I do nothing of my own accord, but speak as the Father has taught me.
29 He who sent me is at my side; he has not left me alone; for I always do what pleases him."
30 As he said this, a number believed in him.
31 So Jesus addressed the Jews who had believed him, saying, "If you abide by what I say, you are really disciples of mine:
32 you will understand the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33 "We are Abraham's offspring," they retorted, "we have never been slaves to anybody. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be free'?"
34 Jesus replied, "Truly, truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave.
35 Now the slave does not remain in the household for all time; the son of the house does.
36 So, if the Son sets you free, you will be really free.
37 I know you are Abraham's offspring! Yet you want to kill me, since my word makes no headway among you!
38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you act as you have learned from your father."
39 They answered him, "Abraham is our father." "If you are Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then do as Abraham did;
40 but now you want to kill me ??to kill a man who has told you the truth, the truth I have learned from God. Abraham did not do that.
41 You do the deeds of your father." They said to him, "We are no bastards: we have one father, even God."
42 Said Jesus, "If God were your father, you would love me, for I came here from God; I did not come of my own accord, I was sent by him.
43 Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are unable to listen to what I am saying.
44 You belong to your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires; he was a slayer of men from the very beginning, and he has no place in the truth because there is no truth in him: when he tells a lie, he is expressing his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 It is because I tell the truth, that you do not believe me.
46 Which of you can convict me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
47 He who belongs to God listens to the words of God; you do not listen to them, because you do not belong to God."
49 Jesus replied, "I am not mad: I honour my Father and you dishonour me.
50 However, I do not aim at my own credit; there is One who cares for my credit, and he is judge.
51 Truly, truly I tell you, if anyone holds to what I say, he will never see death."
52 The Jews said to him, "Now we are sure you are mad. Abraham is dead, and so are all the prophets; and you declare, 'If anyone holds to what I say, he will never taste death'!
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He is dead, and the prophets are dead. Who do you claim to be?"
54 Jesus replied, "Were I to glorify myself, my glory would be nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me; you say 'He is our God,'
55 but you do not understand him. I know him. Were I to say, 'I do not know him,' I would be a liar like yourselves; but I do know him and I hold to his word.
56 Your father Abraham exulted that he was to see my Day: he did see it and he rejoiced."