John 8

Io 8.1Iēsus autem perrēxit in montem Olīvētī:

Jesus, however, proceeded to the mount of the olive grove:

Note. The story of the woman accused of adultery (Io 7.53–8.11) is missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts of John and is placed elsewhere in some; it was in the Latin Bible by Jerome's time and stands here in the Vulgate. mōns Olīvētī: 'the mount of the olive grove', the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem.

Io 8.2et dīlūculō iterum vēnit in templum, et omnis populus vēnit ad eum, et sedēns docēbat eōs.

and at daybreak again he came into the temple, and all the people came to him, and sitting down he was teaching them.

Note. dīlūculō: ablative of time, 'at daybreak'. sedēns docēbat: teachers sat to teach. The imperfect docēbat pictures the teaching going on when the scribes arrive.

Io 8.3Addūcunt autem scrībae et pharisaeī mulierem in adulteriō dēprehēnsam: et statuērunt eam in mediō,

The scribes and pharisees, however, lead in a woman caught in adultery: and they placed her in the middle,

Note. Addūcunt: a vivid present in the middle of past narrative. in adulteriō dēprehēnsam: perfect passive participle, 'caught in adultery'. in mediō: 'in the middle', i.e. in front of everyone.

Io 8.4et dīxērunt eī: Magister, haec mulier modo dēprehēnsa est in adulteriō.

and they said to him: Teacher, this woman just now has been caught in adultery.

Io 8.5In lēge autem Mōysēs mandāvit nōbīs huiusmodī lapidāre. Tū ergō quid dīcis?

In the law, however, Moses commanded us to stone such women. You therefore, what do you say?

Note. mandāvit nōbīs … lapidāre: mandō with a dative of the person and an infinitive, 'commanded us to stone'. huiusmodī: indeclinable genitive, 'of this kind', here used as a noun: 'such women'. Tū ergō quid dīcis? The emphatic Tū sets Jesus against Moses.

Io 8.6Hoc autem dīcēbant tentantēs eum, ut possent accūsāre eum. Iēsus autem inclīnāns sē deorsum, digitō scrībēbat in terrā.

This, however, they were saying testing him, so that they might be able to accuse him. Jesus, however, bending himself downward, with a finger was writing on the ground.

Note. tentantēs: Clementine spelling of temptantēs, 'testing'. ut possent accūsāre: purpose clause with the imperfect subjunctive after a past main verb. digitō: ablative of instrument, 'with his finger'.

Io 8.7Cum ergō persevērārent interrogantēs eum, ērēxit sē, et dīxit eīs: Quī sine peccātō est vestrum, prīmus in illam lapidem mittat.

When therefore they kept on questioning him, he raised himself, and said to them: He who is without sin of you, let him first throw a stone at her.

Note. persevērārent interrogantēs: perseverō with a participle, 'kept on asking'. Quī sine peccātō est vestrum: vestrum is the partitive genitive of vōs, 'of you'. mittat: jussive subjunctive, 'let him throw'.

Io 8.8Et iterum sē inclīnāns, scrībēbat in terrā.

And again bending himself, he was writing on the ground.

Io 8.9Audientēs autem ūnus post ūnum exībant, incipientēs ā seniōribus: et remānsit sōlus Iēsus, et mulier in mediō stāns.

Hearing it, however, they were going out one after one, beginning from the elders: and Jesus remained alone, and the woman standing in the middle.

Note. ūnus post ūnum: 'one after another'. incipientēs ā seniōribus: 'beginning from the elders'; seniōrēs are the older men.

Io 8.10Ērigēns autem sē Iēsus, dīxit eī: Mulier, ubi sunt quī tē accūsābant? nēmō tē condemnāvit?

Raising himself, however, Jesus said to her: Woman, where are those who were accusing you? Has no one condemned you?

Io 8.11Quae dīxit: Nēmō, Domine. Dīxit autem Iēsus: Nec ego tē condemnābō: vāde, et iam amplius nōlī peccāre.

She said: No one, Lord. Jesus, however, said: Neither will I condemn you: go, and from now on do not sin any more.

Note. Quae: connecting relative, 'she'. vāde … nōlī peccāre: two imperatives; nōlī + infinitive is the regular negative command. iam amplius: 'from now on any more'.

Io 8.12Iterum ergō locūtus est eīs Iēsus, dīcēns: Ego sum lūx mundī: quī sequitur mē, nōn ambulat in tenebrīs, sed habēbit lūmen vītae.

Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying: I am the light of the world: he who follows me does not walk in the shadows, but will have the light of life.

Note. lūx mundī: the first of the great 'I am' sayings in this part of John. habēbit lūmen vītae: lūx is light itself, lūmen a light that shines; Latin uses both here.

Io 8.13Dīxērunt ergō eī pharisaeī: Tū dē tēipsō testimōnium perhibēs; testimōnium tuum nōn est vērum.

The pharisees therefore said to him: You bear witness about yourself; your witness is not true.

Note. testimōnium perhibēs: perhibeō testimōnium is the Vulgate's regular phrase for 'bear witness'. tēipsō = tē + ipsō, 'yourself'. The objection rests on the rule that a man's witness about himself is not enough.

Io 8.14Respondit Iēsus, et dīxit eīs: Et sī ego testimōnium perhibeō dē mēipsō, vērum est testimōnium meum: quia sciō unde vēnī et quō vādō; vōs autem nescītis unde veniō aut quō vādō.

Jesus answered, and said to them: Even if I bear witness about myself, my witness is true: because I know from where I came and to where I go; you, however, do not know from where I come or to where I go.

Note. Et sī: 'even if'. quia sciō: quia 'because' with the indicative. unde vēnī et quō vādō: indirect questions, but John's Latin keeps the indicative where classical Latin would use the subjunctive.

Io 8.15Vōs secundum carnem iūdicātis: ego nōn iūdicō quemquam;

You judge according to the flesh: I judge no one;

Io 8.16et sī iūdicō ego, iūdicium meum vērum est, quia sōlus nōn sum: sed ego et quī mīsit mē, Pater.

and if I judge, my judgement is true, because I am not alone: but I and he who sent me, the Father.

Note. quia sōlus nōn sum: 'because I am not alone'. Pater stands in apposition to quī mīsit mē, 'he who sent me, the Father'.

Io 8.17Et in lēge vestrā scrīptum est, quia duōrum hominum testimōnium vērum est.

And in your law it has been written that the witness of two men is true.

Note. scrīptum est quia: 'it is written that'. Biblical Latin often uses quia + indicative for reported statements where classical Latin would use the accusative and infinitive (duōrum hominum testimōnium vērum esse).

Io 8.18Ego sum quī testimōnium perhibeō dē mēipsō, et testimōnium perhibet dē mē quī mīsit mē, Pater.

I am he who bears witness about myself, and he who sent me bears witness about me, the Father.

Io 8.19Dīcēbant ergō eī: Ubi est Pater tuus? Respondit Iēsus: Neque mē scītis, neque Patrem meum: sī mē scīrētis, forsitan et Patrem meum scīrētis.

They were saying therefore to him: Where is your Father? Jesus answered: Neither me do you know, nor my Father: if you knew me, perhaps you would know my Father also.

Note. sī mē scīrētis … scīrētis: a present contrary-to-fact condition, with the imperfect subjunctive in both halves: 'if you knew me, you would know'. forsitan: 'perhaps'.

Io 8.20Haec verba locūtus est Iēsus in gazophylaciō, docēns in templō: et nēmō apprehendit eum, quia necdum vēnerat hōra eius.

These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, teaching in the temple: and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Note. gazophylacium: Greek loanword for the temple treasury, where the offering chests stood. necdum vēnerat hōra eius: 'his hour had not yet come'. In John the 'hour' is the time of Jesus' death and glory.

Io 8.21Dīxit ergō iterum eīs Iēsus: Ego vādō, et quaerētis mē, et in peccātō vestrō moriēminī. Quō ego vādō, vōs nōn potestis venīre.

Jesus therefore said again to them: I go, and you will seek me, and in your sin you will die. Where I go, you cannot come.

Note. moriēminī: future of the deponent morior, 'you will die'. Quō ego vādō: 'where I go'. quō is the adverb of motion 'to where', not the ablative of quī.

Io 8.22Dīcēbant ergō Iūdaeī: Numquid interficiet sēmetipsum, quia dīxit: Quō ego vādō, vōs nōn potestis venīre?

The Jews therefore were saying: Surely he will not kill himself, because he said: Where I go, you cannot come?

Note. Numquid: introduces a question expecting the answer 'no': 'surely he will not …?'. sēmetipsum: sē strengthened with -met and ipse, 'himself'.

Io 8.23Et dīcēbat eīs: Vōs dē deorsum estis, ego dē supernīs sum. Vōs dē mundō hōc estis, ego nōn sum dē hōc mundō.

And he was saying to them: You are from below, I am from the things above. You are of this world, I am not of this world.

Note. dē deorsum … dē supernīs: Late Latin can put a preposition before an adverb (dē deorsum, 'from below'). supernīs is a neuter plural used as a noun, 'the things above'.

Io 8.24Dīxī ergō vōbīs quia moriēminī in peccātīs vestrīs: sī enim nōn crēdideritis quia ego sum, moriēminī in peccātō vestrō.

I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins: for if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sin.

Note. crēdideritis: future perfect in the sī-clause, where English uses a present: 'if you do not believe'. quia ego sum: 'that I am'. The phrase echoes the divine name of Exodus 3.14.

Io 8.25Dīcēbant ergō eī: Tū quis es? Dīxit eīs Iēsus: Prīncipium, quī et loquor vōbīs.

They were saying therefore to him: You, who are you? Jesus said to them: The beginning, I who also speak to you.

Note. Prīncipium, quī et loquor vōbīs: a famously difficult reply. The Latin can be read as 'I am the beginning, I who am also speaking to you'; the Greek behind it is just as hard. Translators differ.

Io 8.26Multa habeō dē vōbīs loquī, et iūdicāre; sed quī mē mīsit, vērāx est; et ego quae audīvī ab eō, haec loquor in mundō.

Many things I have to say and to judge about you; but he who sent me is truthful; and I, the things which I heard from him, these I speak in the world.

Note. Multa habeō … loquī: habeō + infinitive, 'I have many things to say'; this construction is one of the roots of the future tense in the Romance languages. vērāx: 'truthful'.

Io 8.27Et nōn cognōvērunt quia Patrem eius dīcēbat Deum.

And they did not understand that he was calling God his Father.

Note. Patrem eius dīcēbat Deum: dīcō with two accusatives, 'he was calling God his Father'. eius refers to Jesus.

Io 8.28Dīxit ergō eīs Iēsus: Cum exaltāveritis Fīlium hominis, tunc cognōscētis quia ego sum, et ā mēipsō faciō nihil, sed sīcut docuit mē Pater, haec loquor:

Jesus therefore said to them: When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am, and that from myself I do nothing, but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak:

Note. Cum exaltāveritis: future perfect in a future time clause, 'when you have lifted up'. Exaltō has a double sense in John: 'lift up' on the cross, and 'exalt'. ā mēipsō: 'from myself, on my own authority'.

Io 8.29et quī mē mīsit, mēcum est, et nōn relīquit mē sōlum: quia ego quae placita sunt eī, faciō semper.

and he who sent me is with me, and he has not left me alone: because I always do the things which are pleasing to him.

Note. mēcum = cum mē. quae placita sunt eī: 'the things which are pleasing to him'. placitus is a perfect participle used as an adjective.

Io 8.30Haec illō loquente, multī crēdidērunt in eum.

As he was speaking these things, many believed in him.

Note. Haec illō loquente: ablative absolute, 'as he was saying these things'. crēdidērunt in eum: Biblical Latin says crēdō in + accusative, 'believe in'; classical Latin would use the dative.

Io 8.31Dīcēbat ergō Iēsus ad eōs, quī crēdidērunt eī, Iūdaeōs: Sī vōs mānseritis in sermōne meō, vērē discipulī meī eritis,

Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed him: If you remain in my word, truly you will be my disciples,

Note. ad eōs … Iūdaeōs: the noun comes at the end of its relative clause. manseritis: future perfect in a future condition, 'if you remain'.

Io 8.32et cognōscētis vēritātem, et vēritās līberābit vōs.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Io 8.33Respondērunt eī: Sēmen Abrahae sumus, et nēminī servīvimus umquam: quōmodo tū dīcis: Līberī eritis?

They answered him: We are the seed of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to anyone: how do you say: You will be free?

Note. Sēmen Abrahae: 'the seed (offspring) of Abraham'. Abraham is usually indeclinable, but here and elsewhere it has a Latin genitive Abrahae. servīvimus: servīre takes the dative (nēminī), 'be a slave to'.

Io 8.34Respondit eīs Iēsus: Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs: quia omnis quī facit peccātum, servus est peccātī.

Jesus answered them: Amen, amen I say to you: everyone who does sin is a slave of sin.

Note. Āmēn, āmēn: a Hebrew word, 'truly', kept untranslated by the Latin; John doubles it. quia: here it introduces the saying itself, like a colon or opening quotation mark.

Io 8.35Servus autem nōn manet in domō in aeternum: fīlius autem manet in aeternum.

The slave, however, does not remain in the house for ever: the son, however, remains for ever.

Note. in aeternum: 'for ever'. The contrast is between the slave, who has no lasting place in the household, and the son, who belongs to it.

Io 8.36Sī ergō vōs fīlius līberāverit, vērē līberī eritis.

If therefore the son sets you free, truly you will be free.

Note. Sī … līberāverit: future perfect in a future condition, 'if the son sets you free'.

Io 8.37Sciō quia fīliī Abrahae estis: sed quaeritis mē interficere, quia sermō meus nōn capit in vōbīs.

I know that you are sons of Abraham: but you seek to kill me, because my word does not find room in you.

Note. sermō meus nōn capit in vōbīs: capiō here is intransitive, 'find room, have a place': 'my word has no place in you'.

Io 8.38Ego quod vīdī apud Patrem meum, loquor: et vōs quae vīdistis apud patrem vestrum, facitis.

I, what I have seen with my Father, I speak: and you, the things which you have seen with your father, you do.

Note. quod vīdī apud Patrem: apud + accusative of a person, 'at the house of, with'.

Io 8.39Respondērunt, et dīxērunt eī: Pater noster Abraham est. Dīcit eīs Iēsus: Sī fīliī Abrahae estis, opera Abrahae facite.

They answered, and said to him: Our father is Abraham. Jesus says to them: If you are sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham.

Note. Dīcit: present tense in narrative, frequent in John. opera Abrahae facite: imperative, 'do the works of Abraham'.

Io 8.40Nunc autem quaeritis mē interficere, hominem, quī vēritātem vōbīs locūtus sum, quam audīvī ā Deō: hoc Abraham nōn fēcit.

Now, however, you seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you, which I heard from God: this Abraham did not do.

Note. hominem, quī … locūtus sum: the relative clause keeps the first person, 'a man who have spoken', because the speaker is the man.

Io 8.41Vōs facitis opera patris vestrī. Dīxērunt itaque eī: Nōs ex fornicātiōne nōn sumus nātī: ūnum patrem habēmus Deum.

You do the works of your father. They said therefore to him: We were not born from fornication: we have one father, God.

Note. ex fornicātiōne: 'from fornication', i.e. 'we are not illegitimate'. nātī: from the deponent nāscor, 'be born'.

Io 8.42Dīxit ergō eīs Iēsus: Sī Deus pater vester esset, dīligerētis utique et mē; ego enim ex Deō prōcessī, et vēnī: neque enim ā mēipsō vēnī, sed ille mē mīsit.

Jesus therefore said to them: If God were your father, you would surely love me also; for I came forth from God, and have come: for I did not come from myself, but he sent me.

Note. Sī Deus pater vester esset, dīligerētis: present contrary-to-fact condition. utique: 'certainly, surely'. prōcessī et vēnī: 'I came forth and have come'.

Io 8.43Quārē loquēlam meam nōn cognōscitis? Quia nōn potestis audīre sermōnem meum.

Why do you not understand my speech? Because you are not able to hear my word.

Note. loquēla is the manner of speaking, sermō the content of what is said. Quia nōn potestis: the answer to Quārē?, 'Because you cannot'.

Io 8.44Vōs ex patre diabolō estis: et dēsīderia patris vestrī vultis facere. Ille homicīda erat ab initiō, et in vēritāte nōn stetit: quia nōn est vēritās in eō: cum loquitur mendācium, ex propriīs loquitur, quia mendāx est, et pater eius.

You are from your father the devil: and the desires of your father you wish to do. He was a killer from the beginning, and he did not stand in the truth: because there is no truth in him: when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own things, because he is a liar, and the father of it.

Note. ex patre diabolō: diabolus is a Greek word, 'slanderer'. ex propriīs: 'from his own resources', i.e. it is his nature. pater eius: 'the father of it', of the lie.

Io 8.45Ego autem sī vēritātem dīcō, nōn crēditis mihi.

But if I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Io 8.46Quis ex vōbīs arguet mē dē peccātō? sī vēritātem dīcō vōbīs, quārē nōn crēditis mihi?

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

Note. arguet mē dē peccātō: arguō dē, 'convict of'.

Io 8.47Quī ex Deō est, verba Deī audit. Proptereā vōs nōn audītis, quia ex Deō nōn estis.

He who is from God hears the words of God. For this reason you do not hear, because you are not from God.

Io 8.48Respondērunt ergō Iūdaeī, et dīxērunt eī: Nōnne bene dīcimus nōs quia Samarītānus es tū, et daemonium habēs?

The Jews therefore answered, and said to him: Do we not say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?

Note. Samarītānus: Samaritans and Jews disputed where God should be worshipped, and 'Samaritan' was an insult here. daemonium habēs: 'you have a demon', i.e. you are possessed, mad.

Io 8.49Respondit Iēsus: Ego daemonium nōn habeō: sed honōrificō Patrem meum, et vōs inhonōrāstis mē.

Jesus answered: I do not have a demon: but I honour my Father, and you have dishonoured me.

Note. honōrificō … inhonōrāstis: two Late Latin compounds, 'honour' and 'dishonour'. inhonōrāstis is a shortened form of inhonōrāvistis.

Io 8.50Ego autem nōn quaerō glōriam meam: est quī quaerat, et iūdicet.

I, however, do not seek my glory: there is one who seeks it, and judges.

Note. est quī quaerat: relative clause of characteristic with the subjunctive, 'there is one who seeks'.

Io 8.51Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs: sī quis sermōnem meum servāverit, mortem nōn vidēbit in aeternum.

Amen, amen I say to you: if anyone keeps my word, he will not see death for ever.

Note. sī quis … servāverit: future perfect in a future condition; after sī, quis is the indefinite 'anyone'. mortem nōn vidēbit: 'he will not see death', a Hebrew way of saying 'will not die'.

Io 8.52Dīxērunt ergō Iūdaeī: Nunc cognōvimus quia daemonium habēs. Abraham mortuus est, et prophētae; et tū dīcis: Sī quis sermōnem meum servāverit, nōn gustābit mortem in aeternum.

The Jews therefore said: Now we have recognised that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say: If anyone keeps my word, he will not taste death for ever.

Note. gustābit mortem: 'will taste death', another Hebraism for dying. The Jews repeat Jesus' words but change 'see' to 'taste'.

Io 8.53Numquid tū maior es patre nostrō Abraham, quī mortuus est? et prophētae mortuī sunt. Quem tēipsum facis?

Surely you are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died. Whom do you make yourself?

Note. maior … patre nostrō: ablative of comparison, 'greater than our father'. Quem tēipsum facis? 'Whom do you make yourself (out to be)?'

Io 8.54Respondit Iēsus: Sī ego glōrificō mēipsum, glōria mea nihil est: est Pater meus, quī glōrificat mē, quem vōs dīcitis quia Deus vester est,

Jesus answered: If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing: it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God,

Note. dīcitis quia Deus vester est: quia + indicative reporting what is said, 'you say that he is your God'.

Io 8.55et nōn cognōvistis eum: ego autem nōvī eum. Et sī dīxerō quia nōn sciō eum, erō similis vōbīs, mendāx. Sed sciō eum, et sermōnem eius servō.

and you have not known him: I, however, know him. And if I say that I do not know him, I shall be like you, a liar. But I know him, and his word I keep.

Note. Et sī dīxerō: future perfect, 'if I say'. similis vōbīs: similis takes the dative.

Io 8.56Abraham pater vester exsultāvit ut vidēret diem meum: vīdit, et gāvīsus est.

Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it, and was glad.

Note. exsultāvit ut vidēret: the ut-clause gives the object of his joy, 'rejoiced that he would see'. gāvīsus est: perfect of the semi-deponent gaudeō, 'he was glad'.

Io 8.57Dīxērunt ergō Iūdaeī ad eum: Quīnquāgintā annōs nōndum habēs, et Abraham vīdistī?

The Jews therefore said to him: Fifty years you do not yet have, and you have seen Abraham?

Note. Quīnquāgintā annōs nōndum habēs: 'you do not yet have fifty years', i.e. you are not yet fifty.

Io 8.58Dīxit eīs Iēsus: Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs, antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum.

Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I am.

Note. antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum: antequam with the subjunctive. fieret 'came to be' is set against sum 'I am': the present tense is the point of the saying.

Io 8.59Tulērunt ergō lapidēs, ut iacerent in eum: Iēsus autem abscondit sē, et exīvit dē templō.

They took up stones therefore, to throw at him: Jesus, however, hid himself, and went out of the temple.

Note. ut iacerent in eum: purpose clause. abscondit sē: 'hid himself'; the form is the same in the present and the perfect, and the perfect fits the narrative.