John 8
Tree of Life Version
Mercy for a Sinful Woman
8 But Yeshua went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn, He came again into the Temple. All the people were coming to Him, and He sat down and began to teach them.
3 The Torah scholars and Pharisees bring in a woman who had been caught in adultery. After putting her in the middle, 4 they say to Yeshua, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of committing adultery. 5 In the Torah, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?” 6 Now they were saying this to trap Him, so that they would have grounds to accuse Him.
But Yeshua knelt down and started writing in the dirt with His finger. 7 When they kept asking Him, He stood up and said, “The sinless one among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then He knelt down again and continued writing on the ground.
9 Now when they heard, they began to leave, one by one, the oldest ones first, until Yeshua was left alone with the woman in the middle. 10 Straightening up, Yeshua said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”
11 “No one, Sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Yeshua said. “Go, and sin no more.”
The Light of the World
12 Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 Then the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself, so Your testimony is not valid.”
14 Yeshua answered them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid. For I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh, but I do not judge anyone. 16 Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because it is not I alone but I with the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your Torah it is written that the testimony of two men is true. [a] 18 I am one witness for Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness for Me.”
19 Then they said to Him, “Where is your Father?”
Yeshua answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.” 20 He spoke these words in the treasury while teaching in the Temple, but no one arrested Him because His hour had not yet come.
21 Then again Yeshua spoke to them, “I am going away. You will look for Me and die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22 “He won’t kill Himself, will He?” the Judeans asked. “Is that why He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
23 Yeshua said, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”
25 So they asked Him, “Who are you?”
Yeshua replied, “What have I been telling you from the beginning? 26 I have much to say and judge about you. But the One who sent Me is true, and I tell the world what I heard from Him.” 27 They didn’t understand that He was talking to them about the Father.
28 So Yeshua said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am. I do nothing by Myself, but speak just what the Father has taught Me. 29 The One who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him.”
30 As He was speaking these things, many people put their trust in Him.
31 Then Yeshua said to the Judeans who had trusted Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s children and have never been slaves to anyone! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Yeshua answered them, “Amen, amen I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in the household forever; the son abides forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! 37 I know you are Abraham’s children; yet you are trying to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I tell of what I have seen with the Father; so also you do what you heard from the Father.”[b]
39 “Abraham is our father,” they replied to Him.
Yeshua said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now you are seeking to kill Me—a Man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do! 41 You are doing the deeds of your father.”
They said to Him, “We were not born as illegitimate children—we have one Father, God Himself!”
42 Yeshua said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for from God I came and now I am here. For I have not come on My own, but He sent Me. 43 Why don’t you understand My speech? Because you’re not able to hear My word! 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks lies he is just being himself—for he is a liar and the father of lies.
45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sinning? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me? 47 He who belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you don’t hear[c] is because you do not belong to God.”
48 The Judean leaders responded, “Aren’t we right to say you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49 Yeshua answered, “I do not have a demon! I honor My Father, yet you dishonor Me. 50 But I do not seek My own glory; there is One who is seeking and judging. 51 Amen, amen I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
52 “Now we know You have a demon!” the Judean leaders said to Him. “Abraham and the prophets died. Yet You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste death.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are You? The prophets also died! Who do You make Yourself out to be?”
54 Yeshua answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. It is My Father who gives Me glory—the One of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ [d] 55 Yet you do not know Him, but I know Him. If I say I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you. Yet I do know Him and keep His Word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; he saw it and was thrilled.”
57 Then the Judeans said to Him, “You’re not even fifty years old and you’ve seen Abraham?”[e]
58 Yeshua answered, “Amen, amen I tell you, before Abraham was, I am!”
59 Then they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Yeshua hid Himself and went out from the Temple.[f]
John 8
Amplified Bible
The Adulterous Woman
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came back into the temple [court], and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began teaching them. 3 Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the center of the court, 4 and they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women [to death]. So what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?”(A) 6 They said this to test Him, hoping that they would have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger. 7 However, when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said, “He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”(B) 8 Then He stooped down again and started writing on the ground. 9 They listened [to His reply], and they began to go out one by one, starting with the oldest ones, until He was left alone, with the woman [standing there before Him] in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She answered, “No one, Lord!” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.”]
Jesus Is the Light of the World
12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “[a]I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 13 Then the Pharisees told Him, “You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus replied, “Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to [b]human standards [just by what you see]. I do not judge anyone. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true and My decision is right; for I am not alone [in making it], but I and the Father who sent Me [make the same judgment]. 17 Even in your own law it is written that the testimony of two persons is true [valid and admissible].(C) 18 I am One [of the Two] who testifies about Myself, and My Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19 Then the Pharisees said to Him, “Where is this Father of Yours?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20 Jesus said these things in the treasury, as He taught in the temple [courtyard]; and no one seized Him, because His time had not yet come.
21 Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, and you will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews were asking [among themselves], “Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to 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 will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am the One [I claim to be], you will die in your sins.”(D) 25 So they said to Him, “Who are You [anyway]?” Jesus replied, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to say and judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I say to the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him.” 27 They did not realize [or have the spiritual insight to understand] that He was speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will know then [without any doubt] that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but I say these things just as My Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is [always] with Me; He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.” 30 As He said these things, [c]many believed in Him.
The Truth Will Make You Free
31 So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. [d]What do You mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in a household forever; the son [of the master] does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no place [to grow] in you [and it makes no change in your heart]. 38 I tell the things that I have seen at My Father’s side [in His very presence]; so you also do the things that you heard from your father.”
39 They answered, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are [truly] Abraham’s children, then do the works of Abraham and follow his example. 40 But as it is, you want to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. This is not the way Abraham acted. 41 You are doing the works of your [own] father.” They said to Him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one [spiritual] Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father [but He is not], you would love and recognize Me, for I came from God [out of His very presence] and have arrived here. For I have not even come on My own initiative [as self-appointed], but He [is the One who] sent Me. 43 Why do you misunderstand what I am saying? It is because [your spiritual ears are deaf and] you are unable to hear [the truth of] My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [and continue in your unbelief]. 46 Which one of you [has proof and] convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 Whoever is of God and belongs to Him hears [the truth of] God’s words; for this reason you do not hear them: because you are not of God and you are not in fellowship with Him.”
48 The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right when we say You are a [e]Samaritan and [that You] have a demon [and are under its power]?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. On the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 However, I am not seeking glory for Myself. There is One who seeks [glory for Me] and judges [those who dishonor Me]. 51 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if anyone keeps My word [by living in accordance with My message] he will indeed never, ever see and experience [f]death.” 52 The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon [and are under its power]. Abraham died, and also the prophets; yet You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word, he will never, ever taste of death.’ 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too! Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is [worth] nothing. It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet you do not know Him, but I know Him fully. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham [greatly] rejoiced to see My day (My incarnation). [g]He saw it and was delighted.”(E) 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not even fifty years old, and You [claim to] have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus replied, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before Abraham was born, [h]I Am.”(F) 59 So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus concealed Himself and left the temple.
Footnotes
- John 8:12 The second of the memorable “I am” statements. See note 6:35.
- John 8:15 Lit the flesh.
- John 8:30 The response of the people in some of the following verses casts doubt on the validity of their belief.
- John 8:33 The Jews did not grasp the difference between being enslaved physically and being enslaved spiritually because of sin.
- John 8:48 This was a slur intended to incite hatred toward Jesus among Jews, who as a people were in an ancient feud with the Samaritans.
- John 8:51 I.e. spiritual death and separation from God.
- John 8:56 How Abraham saw the incarnation of Jesus is unclear. Some suggest it was simply by faith, others suggest it was through Isaac and the promise of the covenant, but more likely, he saw it from Paradise.
- John 8:58 I.e. I Am the One who is—the Lord, Heb Yahweh.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
