Bible in Basic English
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.
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?
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.
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.
Then they said to him, Who are you? Jesus said, What I said to you from the first.
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.
They did not see that his words were about the Father.
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.
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.
When he said this a number came to have faith in him.
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had faith in him, If you keep my word, then you are truly my disciples;
And you will have knowledge of what is true, and that will make you free.
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?
And this was the answer Jesus gave them: Truly I say to you, Everyone who does evil is the servant of sin.
Now the servant does not go on living in the house for ever, but the son does.
If then the son makes you free, you will be truly free.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why are my words not clear to you? It is because your ears are shut to my teaching.
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.
But because I say what is true, you have no belief in me.
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?
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.
The Jews said to him in answer, Are we not right in saying that you are of Samaria and have an evil spirit?
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.
I, however, am not in search of glory for myself: there is One who is searching for it and he is judge.
Truly I say to you, If a man keeps my word he will never see death.
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.
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are dead: who do you say that you are?
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.
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.
Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day: he saw it and was glad.
Then the Jews said to him, You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?
Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am.
So they took up stones to send at him: but Jesus got secretly out of their way and went out of the Temple.
— John 8:21-1964, Bible in Basic English
“Jesus 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." The Jews therefore said, "Will he kill himself, that he says, 'Where I am going, you can't come?'" He said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I 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." They said therefore to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I 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." They didn't understand that he spoke to them about the Father. Jesus 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. He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn't left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him." As he spoke these things, many believed in him. Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's seed, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will be made free?'" Jesus answered them, "Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn't live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's seed, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father." They answered him, "Our father is Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn't do this. You do the works of your father." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God." Therefore 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. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you can't hear my word. You 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 its father. But because I tell the truth, you don't believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don't hear, because you are not of God." Then the Jews answered him, "Don't we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I don't have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. But I don't seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death." Then the Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say, 'If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.' Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?" Jesus 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. You 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. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad." The Jews therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM." Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
I give witness about myself and the Father who sent me gives witness about me.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Then they said to him, Who are you? Jesus said, What I said to you from the first.
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.
They did not see that his words were about the Father.
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.
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.
When he said this a number came to have faith in him.
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had faith in him, If you keep my word, then you are truly my disciples;
And you will have knowledge of what is true, and that will make you free.
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?
And this was the answer Jesus gave them: Truly I say to you, Everyone who does evil is the servant of sin.
Now the servant does not go on living in the house for ever, but the son does.
If then the son makes you free, you will be truly free.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why are my words not clear to you? It is because your ears are shut to my teaching.
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.
But because I say what is true, you have no belief in me.
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?
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.
The Jews said to him in answer, Are we not right in saying that you are of Samaria and have an evil spirit?
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.
I, however, am not in search of glory for myself: there is One who is searching for it and he is judge.
Truly I say to you, If a man keeps my word he will never see death.
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.
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? and the prophets are dead: who do you say that you are?
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.
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.
Your father Abraham was full of joy at the hope of seeing my day: he saw it and was glad.
Then the Jews said to him, You are not fifty years old; have you seen Abraham?
Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am.
So they took up stones to send at him: but Jesus got secretly out of their way and went out of the Temple.