Before Abraham Was, I Am

¹but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

²Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them.

³The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle,

⁴they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.

⁵Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?”

⁶They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of.

⁷But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”

⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger.

⁹They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.

¹⁰Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”

¹¹She said, “No one, Lord.”

¹²Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

¹³The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”

¹⁴Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going.

¹⁵You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

¹⁶Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.

¹⁷It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid.

¹⁸I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

¹⁹They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?”

²⁰Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

²¹Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”

²²The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”

²³He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

²⁴I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

²⁵They said therefore to him, “Who are you?”

²⁶I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However, he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”

²⁷They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.

²⁸Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.

²⁹He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

³⁰As he spoke these things, many believed in him.

³¹Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.

³²You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

³³They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.

³⁵A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.

³⁶If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.

³⁸I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”

³⁹They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.”

⁴⁰But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.

⁴¹You do the works of your father.”

⁴²Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.

⁴³Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.

⁴⁴You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.

⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.

⁴⁶Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

⁴⁷He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”

⁴⁸Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”

⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.

⁵⁰But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.

⁵¹Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”

⁵²Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’

⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”

⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God.

⁵⁵You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him and keep his word.

⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”

⁵⁹Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.