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John 8:31-59
English Standard Version
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.
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John 8:31-59
Christian Standard Bible
John 8:31-59
Christian Standard Bible
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,[a](A) you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth,(B) and the truth will set you free.”
33 “We are descendants[b] of Abraham,”(C) they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.(D) 35 A slave does not remain in the household forever,(E) but a son does remain forever.(F) 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. 37 I know you are descendants of Abraham,(G) but you are trying to kill me because my word has no place among you. 38 I speak what I have seen(H) in the presence of the Father; [c](I) so then, you do what you have heard from your father.”
39 “Our father is Abraham,” they replied.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did.(J) 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth(K) that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You’re doing what your father does.”(L)
“We weren’t born(M) of sexual immorality,”(N) they said. “We have one Father—God.”(O)
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,(P) because I came from God(Q) and I am here. For I didn’t come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to[d] my word.(R) 44 You are of your father the devil,(S) and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer(T) from the beginning(U) and does not stand in the truth,(V) because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature,[e] because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you can convict me of sin?(W) If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”
Jesus and Abraham
48 The Jews responded to him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan(X) and have a demon?” (Y)
49 “I do not have a demon,” Jesus answered. “On the contrary, I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory; (Z) there is one who seeks it and judges. 51 Truly I tell you, if anyone keeps my word,(AA) he will never see death.”
52 Then the Jews said, “Now we know you have a demon. Abraham died and so did the prophets. You say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died. Who do you claim to be?”
54 “If I glorify myself,” Jesus answered, “my glory is nothing. My Father—about whom you say, ‘He is our God’—he is the one who glorifies me. 55 You do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say I don’t know him,(AB) I would be a liar like you. But I do know him,(AC) and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it(AD) and was glad.”
57 The Jews replied, “You aren’t fifty years old yet, and you’ve seen Abraham?” [f]
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”(AE)
59 So they picked up stones(AF) to throw at him.(AG) But Jesus was hidden[g](AH) and went out of the temple.[h](AI)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 8:31 Or my teaching, or my message, also in v. 37
- 8:33 Or offspring; lit seed, also in v. 37; Jn 7:42
- 8:38 Other mss read of my Father
- 8:43 Or cannot hear
- 8:44 Lit from his own things
- 8:57 Other mss read and Abraham has seen you?
- 8:59 Or Jesus hid himself
- 8:59 Other mss add and having gone through their midst, he passed by
John 8:31-59
New International Version
John 8:31-59
New International Version
Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,(A) you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(B)
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants(C) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.(D) 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.(E) 36 So if the Son sets you free,(F) you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,(G) because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,(H) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.[a]”(I)
39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,”(J) said Jesus, “then you would[b] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,(K) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.(L) Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father.”(M)
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”(N)
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,(O) for I have come here from God.(P) I have not come on my own;(Q) God sent me.(R) 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil,(S) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.(T) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.(U) 45 Yet because I tell the truth,(V) you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.(W) The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Jesus’ Claims About Himself
48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan(X) and demon-possessed?”(Y)
49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself;(Z) but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”(AA)
52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!(AB) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham?(AC) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,(AD) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.(AE) 55 Though you do not know him,(AF) I know him.(AG) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.(AH) 56 Your father Abraham(AI) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it(AJ) and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,(AK) I am!”(AL) 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him,(AM) but Jesus hid himself,(AN) slipping away from the temple grounds.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.