8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, 15 until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight 16 and said to her, “Woman, 17 where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 8:11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] 18
8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, 19 “I am the light of the world. 20 The one who follows me will never 21 walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees 22 objected, 23 “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” 24 8:14 Jesus answered, 25 “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people 26 do not know where I came from or where I am going. 27 8:15 You people 28 judge by outward appearances; 29 I do not judge anyone. 30 8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, 31 because I am not alone when I judge, 32 but I and the Father who sent me do so together. 33 8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 34 8:18 I testify about myself 35 and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
8:19 Then they began asking 36 him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” 37 8:20 (Jesus 38 spoke these words near the offering box 39 while he was teaching in the temple courts. 40 No one seized him because his time 41 had not yet come.) 42
8:21 Then Jesus 43 said to them again, 44 “I am going away, and you will look for me 45 but will die in your sin. 46 Where I am going you cannot come.” 8:22 So the Jewish leaders 47 began to say, 48 “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 8:23 Jesus replied, 49 “You people 50 are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 8:24 Thus I told you 51 that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, 52 you will die in your sins.”
8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, 53 “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge 54 about you, but the Father 55 who sent me is truthful, 56 and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” 57 8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) 58
8:28 Then Jesus said, 59 “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, 60 and I do nothing on my own initiative, 61 but I speak just what the Father taught me. 62 8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, 63 because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people 64 believed in him.
8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans 65 who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, 66 you are really 67 my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 68 8:33 “We are descendants 69 of Abraham,” they replied, 70 “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, 71 ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 72 everyone who practices 73 sin is a slave 74 of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family 75 forever, but the son remains forever. 76 8:36 So if the son 77 sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. 78 But you want 79 to kill me, because my teaching 80 makes no progress among you. 81 8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the 82 Father; 83 as for you, 84 practice the things you have heard from the 85 Father!”
8:39 They answered him, 86 “Abraham is our father!” 87 Jesus replied, 88 “If you are 89 Abraham’s children, you would be doing 90 the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying 91 to kill me, a man who has told you 92 the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 93 8:41 You people 94 are doing the deeds of your father.”
Then 95 they said to Jesus, 96 “We were not born as a result of immorality! 97 We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, 98 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. 99 I 100 have not come on my own initiative, 101 but he 102 sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept 103 my teaching. 104 8:44 You people 105 are from 106 your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. 107 He 108 was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, 109 because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, 110 he speaks according to his own nature, 111 because he is a liar and the father of lies. 112 8:45 But because I am telling you 113 the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty 114 of any sin? 115 If I am telling you 116 the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to 117 God listens and responds 118 to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, 119 because you don’t belong to God.” 120
8:48 The Judeans 121 replied, 122 “Aren’t we correct in saying 123 that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 124 8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, 125 but I honor my Father – and yet 126 you dishonor me.