John 8:39-59

You Are of Your Father the Devil

39 They answered him, ¹“Abraham is our father. ” Jesus said to them, ²“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,

40 but now ³you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth ⁴that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.

41 You are doing the works your father did. ”They said to him, ⁵“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have ⁶one Father—even God. ”

42 Jesus said to them, ⁷“If God were your Father, you would love me, for ⁸I came from God and ⁹I am here. ¹⁰I came not of my own accord, but ¹¹he sent me.

43 ¹²Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot ¹³bear to hear my word.

44 ¹⁴You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. ¹⁵He was a murderer from the beginning, and ¹⁶does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. ¹⁷When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

47 ¹⁸Whoever is of God hears the words of God. ¹⁹The reason why you do not hear them is that ²⁰you are not of God. ”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and ²¹have a demon? ”

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but ²²I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.

50 Yet ²³I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.

51 Truly, truly, ²⁴I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never ²⁵see death. ”

52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! ²⁶Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet ²⁷you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never ²⁸taste death. ’

53 ²⁹Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be? ”

54 Jesus answered, ³⁰“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. ³¹It is my Father who glorifies me, ³²of whom you say, ‘He is our God. ’ ^[a]

55 But ³³you have not known him. ³⁴I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be ³⁵a liar ³⁶like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.

56 ³⁷Your father Abraham ³⁸rejoiced ³⁹that he would see my day. ⁴⁰He saw it and was glad. ”

57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? ” ^[b]

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, ⁴¹I am. ”

59 So ⁴²they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.