# John 8.12

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 10. And Jesus lifted up himself, and said unto her, <span class="rl-speech">Woman, where are they? did no man condemn thee?</span> 11. And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, <span class="rl-speech">Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from henceforth sin no more.]]</span>
>
> **12. Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, <span class="rl-speech">saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.</span>**
>
> 13. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true. 14. Jesus answered and said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go.</span> (John 8:10-14, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”</span> 11. She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, <span class="rl-speech">“Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”</span>
>
> **12. Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, <span class="rl-speech">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.”</span>**
>
> 13. The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” 14. Jesus answered them, <span class="rl-speech">“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.</span> (John 8:10-14, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 10. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, <span class="rl-speech">Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?</span> 11. She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, <span class="rl-speech">Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.</span>
>
> **12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.**
>
> 13. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14. Jesus answered and said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.</span> (John 8:10-14, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 10. <span class="rl-speech">And Jesus having bent himself back, and having seen no one but the woman, said to her, 'Woman, where are those, thine accusers? did no one pass sentence upon thee?'</span> 11. and she said, 'No one, Sir;' and Jesus said to her, <span class="rl-speech">'Neither do I pass sentence on thee; be going on, and no more sin.'</span>
>
> **12. Again, therefore, Jesus spake to them, <span class="rl-speech">saying, 'I am the light of the world; he who is following me shall not walk in the darkness, but he shall have the light of the life.'</span>**
>
> 13. The Pharisees, therefore, said to him, 'Thou of thyself dost testify, thy testimony is not true;' 14. Jesus answered and said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'And if I testify of myself, my testimony is true, because I have known whence I came, and whither I go, and ye, ye have not known whence I come, or whither I go.</span> (John 8:10-14, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G1510 - eimi](/codex/g1510-eimi/), *eimi* (Strong's G1510). Also appears in: [Matthew 8.5-12](/codex/matthew-8-5-12/), [Matthew 14.22-33](/codex/matthew-14-22-33/), [Matthew 18.20](/codex/matthew-18-20/).
- [G2222 - zoe](/codex/g2222-zoe/), *zoe* (Strong's G2222). Also appears in: [Matthew 7.13-14](/codex/matthew-7-13-14/), [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/), [Matthew 25.46](/codex/matthew-25-46/).
- [G2424 - Iesous](/codex/g2424-iesous/), *Iesous* (Strong's G2424). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.1](/codex/matthew-1-1/), [Matthew 1.16](/codex/matthew-1-16/), [Matthew 1.18](/codex/matthew-1-18/).
- [G2889 - kosmos](/codex/g2889-kosmos/), *kosmos* (Strong's G2889). Also appears in: [Mark 14](/codex/mark-14/), [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/), [John 1.10](/codex/john-1-10/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Christology](/codex/christology/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 8](/codex/john-8/)
- [Zeitgeist - Pagan Parallels](/codex/zeitgeist-pagan-parallels/)

**People:**

- [Jesus](/codex/jesus/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G1510 - eimi](/codex/g1510-eimi/)

**Passages:**

- [1 John 1.5](/codex/1-john-1-5/)

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