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
International Standard Version
Freedom and Slavery
31 So Jesus told those Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are really my disciples. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They replied to him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves to anybody. So how can you say, ‘You will be set free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, I tell all of you[a] emphatically, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.[b] 35 The slave does not remain in the household forever, but the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”
The Real Children of Abraham
37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are trying to kill me because you’ve not received what I’ve told you. 38 I declare what I’ve seen in my[c] Father’s presence, and you’re doing what you’ve heard from your father.”
39 They replied to him, “Our father is Abraham!”
Jesus told them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did.[d] 40 But now you’re trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham wouldn’t have done that. 41 You are doing your father’s actions.”
They told him, “We’re not illegitimate children. We have one Father, God himself.”
42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would’ve loved me, because I came from God and am here. I haven’t come on my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I’ve said? It’s because you can’t listen to my words. 44 You belong to your father the Devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But it is because I speak the truth that you don’t believe me. 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The one who belongs to God listens to the words of God. The reason you don’t listen is because you don’t belong to God.”
Jesus is Superior to Abraham
48 The Jewish leaders[e] replied to him, “Surely we’re right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon, aren’t we?”
49 Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon. On the contrary, I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and he is the Judge. 51 Truly, I tell all of you[f] emphatically, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”
52 Then the Jewish leaders[g] told him, “Now we really know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, but you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham, who died, are you? The prophets also died. Who are you making yourself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I were trying to glorify myself, my glory would mean nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 You don’t know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I don’t know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”
57 Then the Jewish leaders[h] asked him, “You are not even 50 years old, yet you have seen Abraham?”[i]
58 Jesus told them, “Truly, I tell all of you[j] emphatically, before there was an Abraham, I AM!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the Temple.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 8:34 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- John 8:34 Other mss. lack of sin
- John 8:38 Other mss. read the
- John 8:39 Lit. the works of Abraham
- John 8:48 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- John 8:51 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
- John 8:52 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. The Jews
- John 8:57 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- John 8:57 Other mss. read Abraham has seen you?
- John 8:58 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.
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.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
