John 8:34-59
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
34 Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.(A) 35 A slave does not remain in a household forever, but a son[a] always remains.(B) 36 So if a son frees you, then you will truly be free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. 38 [b]I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence; then do what you have heard from the Father.”
39 [c]They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them,(C) “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. 41 You are doing the works of your father!” [So] they said to him, “We are not illegitimate. We have one Father, God.”(D) 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.(E) 43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.(F) 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me?(G) 47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.”(H)
48 The Jews answered and said to him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan[d] and are possessed?” 49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed; I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the one who judges.(I) 51 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”(J) 52 [So] the Jews said to him, “Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham,[e] who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?”(K) 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.(L) 56 Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it[f] and was glad.(M) 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”[g] 58 [h]Jesus said to them,(N) “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.(O)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 8:35 A slave…a son: an allusion to Ishmael and Isaac (Gn 16; 21), or to the release of a slave after six years (Ex 21:2; Dt 15:12).
- 8:38 The Father: i.e., God. It is also possible, however, to understand the second part of the verse as a sarcastic reference to descent of the Jews from the devil (Jn 8:44), “You do what you have heard from [your] father.”
- 8:39 The works of Abraham: Abraham believed; cf. Rom 4:11–17; Jas 2:21–23.
- 8:48 Samaritan: therefore interested in magical powers; cf. Acts 7:14–24.
- 8:53 Are you greater than our father Abraham?: cf. Jn 4:12.
- 8:56 He saw it: this seems a reference to the birth of Isaac (Gn 17:7; 21:6), the beginning of the fulfillment of promises about Abraham’s seed.
- 8:57 The evidence of the third-century Bodmer Papyrus P75 and the first hand of Codex Sinaiticus indicates that the text originally read: “How can Abraham have seen you?”
- 8:58 Came to be, I AM: the Greek word used for “came to be” is the one used of all creation in the prologue, while the word used for “am” is the one reserved for the Logos.
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