³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^(A) 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.^{(B) 35} Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^{(C) 36} So if the Son sets you free,^(D) you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(E) because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,^(F) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[a]”^(G)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^(H) said Jesus, “then you would^[b] do what Abraham did.

² To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,^(A) listen to me! The God of glory^(B) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.^(C)