John 8:33-47

New Testament for Everyone

³³ “We are Abraham’s descendants!” they replied. “We’ve never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say that ‘you’ll become free’?”

³⁴ “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” Jesus replied. “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ The slave doesn’t live in the house forever; the son lives there forever. ³⁶ So, you see, if the son makes you free, you will be truly free.”

Children of Abraham—or of the devil

³⁷ “I know you’re Abraham’s descendants,” Jesus went on. “But you’re trying to kill me, because my word doesn’t find a place among you. ³⁸ I am speaking of what I have seen with the father; and you, too, are doing what you heard from your father.”

³⁹ “Abraham is our father!” they replied.

“If you really were Abraham’s children,” replied Jesus, “you would do what Abraham did! ⁴⁰ But now you’re trying to kill me—me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God! That’s not what Abraham did. ⁴¹ You’re doing the works of your father.”

“There wasn’t anything immoral about the way we were born!” they replied. “We’ve got one father, and that’s God!”

⁴² “If God really was your father,” replied Jesus, “you would love me, because I came from God, and here I am. I didn’t come on my own initiative, you see, but he sent me. ⁴³ Why don’t you understand what I’m saying? It can only be because you can’t hear my word. ⁴⁴ You are from your father—the devil! And you’re eager to get on with what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he’s never remained in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells lies, he speaks what comes naturally to him, because he is a liar—in fact, he’s the father of lies! ⁴⁵ But because I speak the truth, you don’t believe me. ⁴⁶ Which of you can bring a charge of sin against me? If I speak the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ The one who is from God speaks God’s words. That’s why you don’t listen, because you’re not from God.”