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 Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
True Disciples
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”(A) 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”(B)
34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.(C) 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever.(D) 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham, yet you look for an opportunity to kill me because there is no place in you for my word. 38 I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.”[a](E)
Jesus and Abraham
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would do[b] what Abraham did,(F) 40 but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one Father, God himself.”(G) 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God, and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.(H) 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. 44 You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.(I) 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.[c] 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”(J)
48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”(K) 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.(L) 51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”(M) 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’(N) 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?”(O) 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’(P) 55 though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I keep his word.(Q) 56 Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.”(R) 57 Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”[d] 58 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”(S) 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.(T)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.