Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

³⁹ They answered him, `Abraham is our father.' Jesus said, `If you were Abraham's children, you would do what Abraham did.

⁴⁰ But you want to kill me because I told you the truth which I learned from God. Abraham did not do that.

⁴¹ You are doing your father's work.' Then they said to him, `We were not born of an unmarried woman. God is the Father of us all.'

⁴² Jesus said to them, `If God were your Father you would love me, because I have come from God. I did not come by my own power. God sent me.

⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say? I will tell you why. It is because you do not want to understand it.

⁴⁴ `The bad spirit, the devil, is your real father. You gladly do the wrong things he wants you to do. From the beginning he killed people. He has nothing to do with what is true. His way is to tell lies. He himself is a liar and all lying comes from him.

⁴⁵ You do not believe me because I tell you what is true.

⁴⁶ Which one of you can prove that what I have done is bad? I tell you what is true. Why then do you not believe me?

⁴⁷ The person who comes from God listens to what God says. You do not come from God. That is why you do not listen to me.'