Jesus evaded a trap about condemning a woman who had been caught committing adultery.

1But Jesus went with us disciples to Olive Tree Hill and we stayed near there that night.

2Early the next morning, we returned to the Temple courtyard. Many people gathered around Jesus, so he sat down to teach them.

3Then men who taught the Jewish laws and some of [SYN] the Pharisee religious group brought a woman to him. She was seized {They had arranged to seize her} while she was having sex with a man who was not her husband. They made her stand up in front of the group that was listening to Jesus.

4Then they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was seized {we seized this woman} while she was having sex with a man who is not her husband.

5Moses commanded us in the laws that he gave us that we should throw stones at such women and kill them. So what do you say we should do?”

6They asked this question as a trap so that they could accuse him. If he said that they should not kill her, they would shame him for disobeying the law of Moses. If he said that they should kill her, they could accuse him to the Roman governor. But Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger.

7While they continued to question him, he stood up and said to them, “Whichever one of you has never sinned can be the first one to start throwing stones at her.”

8Then he stooped down and wrote some more on the ground.

9After they heard what he said, those who were questioning him went away, one by one, the older ones first and then the younger ones, knowing they were all sinners. Finally only Jesus was there, along with the woman.

10Jesus stood up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one said you must die for your sin?”

11She said, “No, sir, no one.” Then Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go home now, and do not continue your sinful life any longer!”]

Jesus replied to the Pharisees’ objection to his claim to be like a light for the people of the world.

12Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, “I am like a light [MET] for all the people in [MTY] the world. Just like a light reveals what has been in the darkness [MET], I reveal God’s truth to them. Those who walk in the darkness are unaware of what is around them. But those who become my disciples will always be aware of God’s truth [MET]. They will have my light which shows them how to have eternal life.”

13So the Pharisees said to him, “You are just telling about yourself! Since there is no one else to verify these things that you say about yourself, we do not need to accept that what you say is true.”

14Jesus replied, “Even if I were the only one to say these things about myself, what I say is true, because I know that I came from heaven, and I know that I am going back to heaven. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.

15You judge people according to human standards. The reason that I am here is not ◄to condemn people/to say that I will punish people► for their sins.

16But if I did judge people, what I decided would be correct, because I am not the only one who will decide those things. I and the one who sent me will both decide.

17It is written {Moses wrote} in your law that if at least two people testify that some event has happened, people should consider that what they say is true.

18I am telling you about myself, and the other one who is telling you about me is my Father who sent me. So you should believe that what we declare is true.”

19Then they asked him, “If you have a father whom we can question about you, where is he?” Jesus replied, “You do not know who I really am. If you knew who I really am, you would know who my Father is also.”

20He said these things when he was in the Temple courtyard, near the place where the people put their offerings. This was also very close to the place where the Jewish council met. But no one seized him to arrest him, because it was not yet time [MTY] for him to suffer and die.

Jesus replied to the Pharisees’ continued rejection of Jesus’ claims about himself.

21Jesus also said to them, “I will soon be going away. Then at the end of your life you will seek me, but you will die without God forgiving your sins. Where I will go, you will not be able to come.”

22So the Jewish leaders said among themselves, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that the reason that he said, ‘Where I go, you will not be able to come’?”

23But Jesus continued by saying to them, “You were born here in this world, but I came from heaven. You belong to those who are opposed to God [MTY]. I do not belong to them.

24I told you that you will die without God forgiving your sins. If you do not believe that I am who I say that I am, you will die without God forgiving your sins.”

25So they said to him, “You! Who do you think you are?” Jesus said to them, “Ever since I began teaching, I have been telling you who I am!

26I could judge you and say that you are guilty of many things. But instead, I will say only what the one who sent me tells me to say. What he says is true, and I tell the people in the world [MTY] what I have heard from him.”

27They did not understand that he was talking about his Father in heaven.

28So Jesus said, “I am the one who came down from heaven, but when you lift me up on a cross to kill me, you will know who I am. You will also know that I do not do anything with my own authority. Instead, I say just what my Father has taught me.

29He is the one who sent me, and he helps me. Because I always do the things that please him, he has never abandoned me.”

30As Jesus was saying these things, many people believed that he was ◄from God/the Messiah►.

Jesus told his critics which people were true believers like Abraham and which ones really were serving Satan.

31Then Jesus said to the Jews who now said they believed in him, “If you continue to live in accordance with my message, you will truly be my disciples.

32Then you will know God’s truth, and as a result of your believing his truth, he [PRS] will free you from being controlled by the one who has made you his slaves.”

33They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham. We have never been anyone’s slaves. So why do you say we will be freed from being someone’s slaves?”

34Jesus replied, “Listen carefully to what I am going to tell you. All those who continue to sin are forced to obey their sinful desires [MET], just like a slave is forced to obey his master.

35A slave is not a permanent member of a family. But a son is a member of a family forever. Similarly, you say you are members of God’s family because you are descendants of Abraham, but really, because you are like slaves of your sinful desires, you are no longer permanent members of God’s family.

36So if you allow me to free you, you will truly be free.

37I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you are trying to kill me because you are not allowing [PRS] my message to continue to change your inner being.

38I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you do the things that you have heard from your father.”

39They replied to him, “Abraham is our ancestor.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s descendants, your character would be like Abraham’s character, and you would do good things like Abraham did.

40I have been telling you the truth that I heard from God, but you are trying to kill me. Abraham did not do things like that.

41No! You are doing the things that your real father does.” They said to him, “We do not know about you, but we are not illegitimate children. And spiritually, we have only one Father. That is God, and you do not know who your father is!”

42Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, because I came from God, and now I have come here to this world. My coming was not ◄because I appointed myself/with my own authority►. He sent me.

43◄And I will tell you why you do not understand what I say./Do you know why you do not understand what I say?► [RHQ] It is because you do not want to accept my message.

44You belong to your father, ◄the devil/Satan►, and you desire to do what he wants. He has caused people to become murderers from the time when people first sinned. He has abandoned God’s truth because he is a liar by his nature. Whenever he lies, he is speaking according to his nature, because he is a liar and is the one who originates [MET] all lies.

45But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me!

46Since I have never sinned, ◄none of you can show that I have sinned./can anyone among you show that I have sinned?► [RHQ] So, since I tell you the truth, ◄there is no good reason for your not believing me!/why is it that you do not believe me?► [RHQ]

47Those who belong to God habitually obey God’s message. You do not belong to God, so you do not obey his message.”

48The Jewish leaders [SYN] replied to him, “◄We are certainly right by saying that you believe what is false as the Samaritans do!/Are we not right by saying that you believe what is false as the Samaritans do?► [RHQ] And that ◄a demon/an evil spirit► controls you!”

49Jesus replied, “A demon does not control me! I honor my Father, and you do not honor me!

50I am not trying to honor myself. There is someone else who desires to honor me, and he is the one who will judge whether it is I who am telling the truth or whether it is you who are telling the truth.

51But the truth is that anyone who obeys what I say will never die!”

52Then the Jewish leaders [SYN], thinking that he was talking about ordinary death and not about spiritual death, said to him, “Now we are sure that a demon controls you! Abraham and the prophets died long ago! But you say that anyone who obeys what you teach will never die!

53◄You are certainly not greater than our ancestor Abraham!/Do you think you are greater than our ancestor Abraham?► [RHQ] He died, and all the prophets died, so who do you think you are by saying something like that?”

54Jesus replied, “If I were honoring myself, that would be worthless. My Father is the one who you say is your God. He is the one who honors me.

55Although you do not know him, I know him and have a close relationship with him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like you are. But I know him, and I obey what he says.

56Your ancestor Abraham was happy when he thought about what I would do during my life [MTY]. It was as though he saw that, and was happy.”

57Then the Jewish leaders [SYN] said to him, “You are not 50 years old yet! So ◄you certainly did not see him!/how could you have seen him?► [RHQ] Because he died long ago!”

58Jesus said to them, “The truth is that I existed before Abraham was born!”

59So, because they were very angry about Jesus thus saying that he ◄had eternally existed/was equal with God►, they picked up stones to throw at him to kill him. But Jesus caused them not to be able to see him, and he left the Temple courtyard.