Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 And Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
1
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Early in the morning he returned to the temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and taught them.
2
Early the next morning he returned to the temple courtyard. All the people went to him, so he sat down and began to teach them.
3 The legal experts and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. Placing her in the center of the group,
3
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone
4 they said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery.
4
and asked Jesus, "Teacher, we caught this woman in the act of adultery.
5 In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone women like this. What do you say?"
5
In his teachings, Moses ordered us to stone women like this to death. What do you say?"
6 They said this to test him, because they wanted a reason to bring an accusation against him. Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger.
6
They asked this to test him. They wanted to find a reason to bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and used his finger to write on the ground.
7 They continued to question him, so he stood up and replied, "Whoever hasn't sinned should throw the first stone."
7
When they persisted in asking him questions, he straightened up and said, "The person who is sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her."
8 Bending down again, he wrote on the ground.
8
Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.
9 Those who heard him went away, one by one, beginning with the elders. Finally, only Jesus and the woman were left in the middle of the crowd.
9
One by one, beginning with the older men, the scribes and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman.
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Is there no one to condemn you?"
10
Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Where did they go? Has anyone condemned you?"
11 She said, "No one, sir." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, don't sin anymore."
11
The woman answered, "No one, sir." Jesus said, "I don't condemn you either. Go! From now on don't sin."
12 Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won't walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
12
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark."
13 Then the Pharisees said to him, "Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn't valid."
13
The Pharisees said to him, "You testify on your own behalf, so your testimony isn't true."
14 Jesus replied, "Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I'm going. You don't know where I come from or where I'm going.
14
Jesus replied to them, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is true because I know where I came from and where I'm going. However, you don't know where I came from or where I'm going.
15 You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one.
15
You judge the way humans do. I don't judge anyone.
16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I'm not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me.
16
Even if I do judge, my judgment is valid because I don't make it on my own. I make my judgment with the Father who sent me.
17 In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true.
17
Your own teachings say that the testimony of two people is true.
18 I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other."
18
I testify on my own behalf, and so does the Father who sent me."
19 They asked him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You don't know me and you don't know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."
19
The Pharisees asked him, "Where is your father?" Jesus replied, "You don't know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."
20 He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn't yet come.
20
Jesus spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury area of the temple courtyard. No one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.
21 Jesus continued, "I'm going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I'm going, you can't come."
21
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. He said, "I'm going away, and you'll look for me. But you will die because of your sin. You can't go where I'm going."
22 The Jewish leaders said, "He isn't going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, ‘Where I'm going, you can't come'?"
22
Then the Jews asked, "Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means when he says, 'You can't go where I'm going'?"
23 He said to them, "You are from below; I'm from above. You are from this world; I'm not from this world.
23
Jesus said to them, "You're from below. I'm from above. You're from this world. I'm not from this world.
24 This is why I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don't believe that I Am, you will die in your sins."
24
For this reason I told you that you'll die because of your sins. If you don't believe that I am the one, you'll die because of your sins."
25 "Who are you?" they asked. Jesus replied, "I'm exactly who I have claimed to be from the beginning.
25
The Jews asked him, "Who did you say you are?" Jesus told them, "I am who I said I was from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say in judgment concerning you. The one who sent me is true, and what I have heard from him I tell the world."
26
I have a lot I could say about you and a lot I could condemn you for. But the one who sent me is true. So I tell the world exactly what he has told me."
27 They didn't know he was speaking about his Father.
27
(The Jews didn't know that he was talking to them about the Father.)
28 So Jesus said to them, "When the Human One is lifted up, then you will know that I Am. Then you will know that I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me.
28
So Jesus told them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you'll know that I am the one and that I can't do anything on my own. Instead, I speak as the Father taught me.
29 He who sent me is with me. He doesn't leave me by myself, because I always do what makes him happy."
29
Besides, the one who sent me is with me. He hasn't left me by myself. I always do what pleases him."
30 While Jesus was saying these things, many people came to believe in him.
30
As Jesus was saying this, many people believed in him.
31 Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching.
31
So Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
32
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
33 They responded, "We are Abraham's children; we've never been anyone's slaves. How can you say that we will be set free?"
33
They replied to Jesus, "We are Abraham's descendants, and we've never been anyone's slaves. So how can you say that we will be set free?"
34 Jesus answered, "I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
34
Jesus answered them, "I can guarantee this truth: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin.
35 A slave isn't a permanent member of the household, but a son is.
35
A slave doesn't live in the home forever, but a son does.
36 Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free.
36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.
37 I know that you are Abraham's children, yet you want to kill me because you don't welcome my teaching.
37
I know that you're Abraham's descendants. However, you want to kill me because you don't like what I'm saying.
38 I'm telling you what I've seen when I am with the Father, but you are doing what you've heard from your father."
38
What I'm saying is what I have seen in my Father's presence. But you do what you've heard from your father."
39 They replied, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus responded, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do Abraham's works.
39
The Jews replied to Jesus, "Abraham is our father." Jesus told them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.
40 Instead, you want to kill me, though I am the one who has spoken the truth I heard from God. Abraham didn't do this.
40
I am a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. But now you want to kill me. Abraham wouldn't have done that.
41 You are doing your father's works." They said, "Our ancestry isn't in question! The only Father we have is God!"
41
You're doing what your father does." The Jews said to Jesus, "We're not illegitimate children. God is our only Father."
42 Jesus replied, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God. Here I am. I haven't come on my own. God sent me.
42
Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love me. After all, I'm here, and I came from God. I didn't come on my own. Instead, God sent me.
43 Why don't you understand what I'm saying? It's because you can't really hear my words.
43
Why don't you understand the language I use? Is it because you can't understand the words I use?
44 Your father is the devil. You are his children, and you want to do what your father wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has never stood for the truth, because there's no truth in him. Whenever that liar speaks, he speaks according to his own nature, because he's a liar and the father of liars.
44
You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn't know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he's doing what comes naturally to him. He's a liar and the father of lies.
45 Because I speak the truth, you don't believe me.
45
So you don't believe me because I tell the truth.
46 Who among you can show I'm guilty of sin? Since I speak the truth, why don't you believe me?
46
Can any of you convict me of committing a sin? If I'm telling the truth, why don't you believe me?
47 God's children listen to God's words. You don't listen to me because you aren't God's children."
47
The person who belongs to God understands what God says. You don't understand because you don't belong to God."
48 The Jewish opposition answered, "We were right to say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon, weren't we?"
48
The Jews replied to Jesus, "Aren't we right when we say that you're a Samaritan and that you're possessed by a demon?"
49 "I don't have a demon," Jesus replied. "But I honor my Father and you dishonor me.
49
Jesus answered, "I'm not possessed. I honor my Father, but you dishonor me.
50 I'm not trying to bring glory to myself. There's one who is seeking to glorify me, and he's the judge.
50
I don't want my own glory. But there is someone who wants it, and he is the judge.
51 I assure you that whoever keeps my word will never die."
51
I can guarantee this truth: Whoever obeys what I say will never see death."
52 The Jewish opposition said to Jesus, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham and the prophets died, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never die.'
52
The Jews told Jesus, "Now we know that you're possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, but you say, 'Whoever does what I say will never taste death.'
53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and the prophets died, so who do you make yourself out to be?"
53
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets have also died. Who do you think you are?"
54 Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is meaningless. My Father, who you say is your God, is the one who glorifies me.
54
Jesus said, "If I bring glory to myself, my glory is nothing. My Father is the one who gives me glory, and you say that he is your God.
55 You don't know him, but I do. If I said I didn't know him, I would be like you, a liar. But I do know him, and I keep his word.
55
Yet, you haven't known him. However, I know him. If I would say that I didn't know him, I would be a liar like all of you. But I do know him, and I do what he says.
56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see my day. He saw it and was happy."
56
Your father Abraham was pleased to see that my day was coming. He saw it and was happy."
57 "You aren't even 50 years old!" the Jewish opposition replied. "How can you say that you have seen Abraham?"
57
The Jews said to Jesus, "You're not even fifty years old. How could you have seen Abraham?"
58 "I assure you," Jesus replied, "before Abraham was, I Am."
58
Jesus told them, "I can guarantee this truth: Before Abraham was ever born, I am."
59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and left the temple.
59
Then some of the Jews picked up stones to throw at Jesus. However, Jesus was concealed, and he left the temple courtyard.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.