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The Son Will Make You Free

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, (A)If you abide in My word, then you are truly My (B)disciples; 32 and (C)you will know the truth, and (D)the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “(E)We are Abraham’s seed and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (F)everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 (G)And the slave does not remain in the house forever; (H)the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son (I)makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are (J)Abraham’s seed; yet (K)you are seeking to kill Me, because My word [a]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [b]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from (L)your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is (M)our father.” Jesus *said to them, (N)If you are Abraham’s children, you would do the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now (O)you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has (P)told you the truth, which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of (Q)your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of sexual immorality; (R)we have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, (S)you would love Me, (T)for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have (U)not even come of Myself, but [c](V)He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand [d](W)what I am saying? It is because you cannot (X)hear My word. 44 (Y)You are of (Z)your father the devil, and (AA)you want to do the desires of your father. (AB)He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because (AC)there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [e]a lie, he (AD)speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [f]lies. 45 But because (AE)I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If (AF)I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 (AG)He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

48 (AH)The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a (AI)Samaritan and (AJ)have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not (AK)have a demon, but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 But (AL)I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone (AM)keeps My word he will never (AN)see death—ever.” 52 (AO)The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You (AP)have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, ‘If anyone (AQ)keeps My word, he will never (AR)taste of death—ever.’ 53 Surely You (AS)are not greater than our father Abraham who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, (AT)If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; (AU)it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; 55 and (AV)you have not known Him, (AW)but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be (AX)a liar like you, (AY)but I do know Him and (AZ)keep His word. 56 (BA)Your father Abraham (BB)rejoiced [g]to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 (BC)So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, (BD)I am.” 59 Therefore they (BE)picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus [h](BF)hid Himself and went out of the temple.

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Footnotes

  1. John 8:37 Or makes no progress
  2. John 8:38 Or in the presence of
  3. John 8:42 Lit that One
  4. John 8:43 Or My way of speaking
  5. John 8:44 Lit the lie
  6. John 8:44 Lit it
  7. John 8:56 Lit in order that he might see
  8. John 8:59 Lit was hidden

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.

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Footnotes

  1. John 8:38 Or presence. Therefore do what you have heard from the Father.
  2. John 8:39 Some early manuscripts “If you are Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then