John 8:31-59

English Standard Version

The Truth Will Set You Free

³¹ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ^(A)“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³² and you will ^(B)know the truth, and the truth ^(C)will set you free.” ³³ They answered him, ^(D)“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(E)everyone who practices sin is a slave^[a] to sin. ^35 (F)The slave does not remain in the house forever; ^(G)the son remains forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet ^(H)you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. ^38 (I)I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard ^(J)from your father.”

You Are of Your Father the Devil

³⁹ They answered him, ^(K)“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, ^(L)“If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, ⁴⁰ but now ^(M)you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth ^(N)that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, ^(O)“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have ^(P)one Father—even God.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, ^(Q)“If God were your Father, you would love me, for ^(R)I came from God and ^(S)I am here. ^(T)I came not of my own accord, but ^(U)he sent me. ^43 (V)Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot ^(W)bear to hear my word. ^44 (X)You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. ^(Y)He was a murderer from the beginning, and ^(Z)does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. ^(AA)When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶ Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ^47 (AB)Whoever is of God hears the words of God. ^(AC)The reason why you do not hear them is that ^(AD)you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

⁴⁸ The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and ^(AE)have a demon?” ⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but ^(AF)I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ Yet ^(AG)I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Truly, truly, ^(AH)I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never ^(AI)see death.” ⁵² The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! ^(AJ)Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet ^(AK)you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never ^(AL)taste death.’ ^53 (AM)Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” ⁵⁴ Jesus answered, ^(AN)“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. ^(AO)It is my Father who glorifies me, ^(AP)of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’^{[b] 55} But ^(AQ)you have not known him. ^(AR)I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be ^(AS)a liar ^(AT)like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. ^56 (AU)Your father Abraham ^(AV)rejoiced ^(AW)that he would see my day. ^(AX)He saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷ So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”^{[c] 58} Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, ^(AY)I am.” ⁵⁹ So ^(AZ)they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.