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John 8 (AMP)

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¹ BUT JESUS went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple , and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them, ³ When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him. ⁴ Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. ⁵ Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such shall be stoned to death. But what do You say ? ⁶ This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger. ⁷ However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. ⁸ Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger. ⁹ They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court. ¹⁰ When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? ¹¹ She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more. ¹² Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life. ¹³ Whereupon the Pharisees told Him, You are testifying on Your own behalf; Your testimony is not valid and is worthless. ¹⁴ Jesus answered, Even if I do testify on My own behalf, My testimony is true and reliable and valid, for 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 the flesh (by what you see). I do not judge or condemn or sentence anyone. ¹⁶ Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true ; for I am not alone , but I and the Father, Who sent Me. ¹⁷ In your Law it is written that the testimony (evidence) of two persons is reliable and valid. ¹⁸ I am One bearing testimony concerning Myself; and My Father, Who sent Me, He also testifies about Me. ¹⁹ Then they said to Him, Where is this Father of Yours? Jesus answered, You know My Father as little as you know Me. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also. ²⁰ Jesus said these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple ; but no one ventured to arrest Him, because His hour had not yet come. ²¹ Therefore He said again to them, I am going away, and you will be looking for Me, and you will die in (under the curse of) your sin. Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come. ²² At this the Jews began to ask among themselves, Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, Where I am going, it is not possible for you to come? ²³ He said to them, You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world (of this earthly order); I am not of this world. ²⁴ That is why I told you that you will die in (under the curse of) your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He , you will die in your sins. ²⁵ Then they said to Him, Who are You anyway? Jesus replied, I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first. ²⁶ I have much to say about you and to judge and condemn. But He Who sent Me is true (reliable), and I tell the world the things that I have heard from Him. ²⁷ They did not perceive (know, understand) that He was speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus added, When you have lifted up the Son of Man , you will realize (know, understand) that I am He and that I do nothing of Myself (of My own accord or on My own authority), but I say what My Father has taught Me. ²⁹ And He Who sent Me is ever with Me; My Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him. ³⁰ As He said these things, many believed in Him . ³¹ So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word , you are truly My disciples. ³² And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. ³³ They answered Him, We are Abraham's offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free? ³⁴ Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin. ³⁵ Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son does remain forever. ³⁶ So if the Son liberates you , then you are really and unquestionably free. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham's offspring; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no entrance (makes no progress, does not find any place) in you. ³⁸ I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father's side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father. ³⁹ They retorted, Abraham is our father. Jesus said, If you were Abraham's children, then you would do the works of Abraham . ⁴⁰ But now you are wanting and seeking to kill Me, a Man Who has told you the truth which I have heard from God. This is not the way Abraham acted. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your father. They said to Him, We are not illegitimate children and born out of fornication; we have one Father, even God. ⁴² Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect Me and welcome Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God . I did not even come on My own authority or of My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me. ⁴³ Why do you misunderstand what I say? It is because you are unable to hear what I am saying. ⁴⁴ You are of your father, the devil, and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify 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. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and of all that is false. ⁴⁵ But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me . ⁴⁶ Who of you convicts Me of wrongdoing or finds Me guilty of sin? Then if I speak truth, why do you not believe Me ? ⁴⁷ Whoever is of God listens to God. This is the reason that you do not listen : because you do not belong to God and are not of God or in harmony with Him. ⁴⁸ The Jews answered Him, Are we not right when we say You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon ? ⁴⁹ Jesus answered, I am not possessed by a demon. On the contrary, I honor and reverence My Father and you dishonor (despise, vilify, and scorn) Me. ⁵⁰ However, I am not in search of honor for Myself. There is One Who seeks , and He is the Judge. ⁵¹ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching , he will by no means ever see and experience death. ⁵² The Jews said to Him, Now we know that You are under the power of a demon (insane). Abraham died, and also the prophets, yet You say, If a man keeps My word, he will never taste of death into all eternity. ⁵³ Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, and all the prophets died! Who do You make Yourself out to be? ⁵⁴ Jesus answered, If I were to glorify Myself (magnify, praise, and honor Myself), I would have no real glory, for My glory would be nothing and worthless. It is My Father Who glorifies Me , of Whom you say that He is your God. ⁵⁵ Yet you do not know Him or recognize Him and are not acquainted with Him, but I know Him. If I should say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word . ⁵⁶ Your forefather Abraham was extremely happy at the hope and prospect of seeing My day (My incarnation); and he did see it and was delighted. ⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham? ⁵⁸ Jesus replied, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I AM. ⁵⁹ So they took up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus, by mixing with the crowd, concealed Himself and went out of the temple .