The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 But Jesus went to the Mountain of Olives.
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[Then everyone went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the Temple and all the people came to him and he was seated teaching them.
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Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them.
3 Now the scribes and Pharisees came, with a woman who had been taken in the act of sinning against the married relation;
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The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery, and they made her stand before them all.
4 And putting her forward, they said to him, Master, this woman has been taken in the very act of sinning against the married relation.
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"Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.
5 Now in the law Moses gave directions that such women were to be stoned; what do you say about it?
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In our Law Moses commanded that such a woman must be stoned to death. Now, what do you say?"
6 They said this, testing him, so that they might have something against him. But Jesus, with his head bent down, made letters on the floor with his finger.
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They said this to trap Jesus, so that they could accuse him. But he bent over and wrote on the ground with his finger.
7 But when they went on with their questions, he got up and said to them, Let him among you who is without sin be the first to send a stone at her.
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As they stood there asking him questions, he straightened up and said to them, "Whichever one of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her."
8 And again, with bent head, he made letters on the floor.
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Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground.
9 And when his words came to their ears, they went out one by one, starting with the oldest even to the last, because they were conscious of what was in their hearts: and Jesus was there by himself with the woman before him.
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When they heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing there.
10 Then Jesus got up, and seeing nobody but the woman, he said to her, Where are the men who said things against you? did no one give a decision against you?
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He straightened up and said to her, "Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?"
11 And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, And I do not give a decision against you: go, and never do wrong again.]
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"No one, sir," she answered. "Well, then," Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again."]
12 Then again Jesus said to them, I am the light of the world; he who comes with me will not be walking in the dark but will have the light of life.
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Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."
13 So the Pharisees said to him, The witness you give is about yourself: your witness is not true.
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The Pharisees said to him, "Now you are testifying on your own behalf; what you say proves nothing."
14 Jesus said in answer, Even if I give witness about myself, my witness is true, because I have knowledge of where I came from and where I am going; but you have no knowledge of where I come from or of where I am going.
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"No," Jesus answered, "even though I do testify on my own behalf, what I say is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. You do not know where I came from or where I am going.
15 You are judging from what you see; I am judging no man.
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You make judgments in a purely human way; I pass judgment on no one.
16 Even if I am judging, my decision is right, because I am not by myself--with me is the Father who sent me.
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But if I were to do so, my judgment would be true, because I am not alone in this; the Father who sent me is with me.
17 Even in your law it is said that the witness of two men is true.
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It is written in your Law that when two witnesses agree, what they say is true.
18 I give witness about myself and the Father who sent me gives witness about me.
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I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me also testifies on my behalf."
19 Then they said to him, Where is your Father? Jesus said in answer, You have no knowledge of me or of my Father: if you had knowledge of me you would have knowledge of my Father.
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"Where is your father?" they asked him. "You know neither me nor my Father," Jesus answered. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."
20 Jesus said these words in the place where the offerings were stored, while he was teaching in the Temple: but no man took him because his time was still to come.
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Jesus said all this as he taught in the Temple, in the room where the offering boxes were placed. And no one arrested him, because his hour had not come.
21 Then he said to them again, I am going away and you will be looking for me, but death will overtake you in your sins. It is not possible for you to come where I am going.
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Again Jesus said to them, "I will go away; you will look for me, but you will die in your sins. You cannot go where I am going."
22 So the Jews said, Will he take his life? Is that why he says, Where I go it is not possible for you to come?
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So the Jewish authorities said, "He says that we cannot go where he is going. Does this mean that he will kill himself?"
23 And he said to them, You are of the earth; I am from heaven: you are of this world; I am not of this world.
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Jesus answered, "You belong to this world here below, but I come from above. You are from this world, but I am not from this world.
24 For this reason I said to you that death will overtake you in your sins: for if you have not faith that I am he, death will come to you while you are in your sins.
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That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you will die in your sins if you do not believe that "I Am Who I Am'."
25 Then they said to him, Who are you? Jesus said, What I said to you from the first.
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"Who are you?" they asked him. Jesus answered, "What I have told you from the very beginning.
26 I have much to say about you and against you: but he who sent me is true and what he has said to me I say to the world.
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I have much to say about you, much to condemn you for. The one who sent me, however, is truthful, and I tell the world only what I have heard from him."
27 They did not see that his words were about the Father.
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They did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.
28 So Jesus said, When the Son of man has been lifted up by you, then it will be clear to you who I am, and that I do nothing of myself, but say as the Father gave me teaching.
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So he said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, you will know that "I Am Who I Am'; then you will know that I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say.
29 He who sent me is with me; he has not gone from me, because at all times I do the things which are pleasing to him.
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And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him."
30 When he said this a number came to have faith in him.
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Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him.
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had faith in him, If you keep my word, then you are truly my disciples;
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So Jesus said to those who believed in him, "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples;
32 And you will have knowledge of what is true, and that will make you free.
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you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33 They said to him in answer, We are Abraham's seed and have never been any man's servant: why do you say, You will become free?
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"We are the descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and we have never been anybody's slaves. What do you mean, then, by saying, "You will be free'?"
34 And this was the answer Jesus gave them: Truly I say to you, Everyone who does evil is the servant of sin.
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Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
35 Now the servant does not go on living in the house for ever, but the son does.
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A slave does not belong to a family permanently, but a son belongs there forever.
36 If then the son makes you free, you will be truly free.
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If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free.
37 I am conscious that you are Abraham's seed; but you have a desire to put me to death because my word has no place in you.
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I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you will not accept my teaching.
38 I say the things which I have seen in my Father's house: and you do the things which come to you from your father's house.
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I talk about what my Father has shown me, but you do what your father has told you."
39 In answer they said to him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's children you would do what Abraham did.
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They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." "If you really were Abraham's children," Jesus replied, "you would do the same things that he did.
40 But now you have a desire to put me to death, a man who has said to you what is true, as I had it from God: Abraham did not do that.
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All I have ever done is to tell you the truth I heard from God, yet you are trying to kill me. Abraham did nothing like this!
41 You are doing the works of your father. They said to him, We are true sons of Abraham; we have one Father, who is God.
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You are doing what your father did." "God himself is the only Father we have," they answered, "and we are his true children."
42 Jesus said to them, If God was your Father you would have love for me, because it was from God I came and am here. I did not come of myself, but he sent me.
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Jesus said to them, "If God really were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own authority, but he sent me.
43 Why are my words not clear to you? It is because your ears are shut to my teaching.
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Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to listen to my message.
44 You are the children of your father the Evil One and it is your pleasure to do his desires. From the first he was a taker of life; and he did not go in the true way because there is no true thing in him. When he says what is false, it is natural to him, for he is false and the father of what is false.
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You are the children of your father, the Devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies.
45 But because I say what is true, you have no belief in me.
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But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me.
46 Which of you is able truly to say that I am a sinner? If I say what is true, why have you no belief in me?
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Which one of you can prove that I am guilty of sin? If I tell the truth, then why do you not believe me?
47 He who is a child of God gives ear to the words of God: your ears are not open to them because you are not from God.
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He who comes from God listens to God's words. You, however, are not from God, and that is why you will not listen."
48 The Jews said to him in answer, Are we not right in saying that you are of Samaria and have an evil spirit?
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They asked Jesus, "Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?"
49 And this was the answer of Jesus: I have not an evil spirit; but I give honour to my Father and you do not give honour to me.
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"I have no demon," Jesus answered. "I honor my Father, but you dishonor me.
50 I, however, am not in search of glory for myself: there is One who is searching for it and he is judge.
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I am not seeking honor for myself. But there is one who is seeking it and who judges in my favor.
51 Truly I say to you, If a man keeps my word he will never see death.
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I am telling you the truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die."
52 The Jews said to him, Now we are certain that you have an evil spirit. Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead; and you say, If a man keeps my word he will never see death.
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They said to him, "Now we know for sure that you have a demon! Abraham died, and the prophets died, yet you say that whoever obeys your teaching will never die.
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are dead: who do you say that you are?
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Our father Abraham died; you do not claim to be greater than Abraham, do you? And the prophets also died. Who do you think you are?"
54 Jesus said in answer, If I take glory for myself, my glory is nothing: it is my Father who gives me glory, of whom you say that he is your God.
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Jesus answered, "If I were to honor myself, that honor would be worth nothing. The one who honors me is my Father - the very one you say is your God.
55 You have no knowledge of him, but I have knowledge of him; and if I said I have no knowledge of him I would be talking falsely like you: but I have full knowledge of him, and I keep his word.
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You have never known him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his word.
56 Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day: he saw it and was glad.
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Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad."
57 Then the Jews said to him, You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?
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They said to him, "You are not even fifty years old - and you have seen Abraham?"
58 Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am.
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"I am telling you the truth," Jesus replied. "Before Abraham was born, "I Am'."
59 So they took up stones to send at him: but Jesus got secretly out of their way and went out of the Temple.
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Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.