³⁷I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet jyou seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. ³⁸kI speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard lfrom your father.”

You Are of Your Father the Devil

³⁹They answered him, m“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, n“If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, ⁴⁰but now oyou seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth pthat I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. ⁴¹You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, q“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have rone Father—even God.” ⁴²Jesus said to them, s“If God were your Father, you would love me, for tI came from God and uI am here. vI came not of my own accord, but whe sent me. ⁴³xWhy do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot ybear to hear my word. ⁴⁴zYou are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. aHe was a murderer from the beginning, and bdoes not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. cWhen he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. ⁴⁶Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? ⁴⁷dWhoever is of God hears the words of God. eThe reason why you do not hear them is that fyou are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

⁴⁸The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and ghave a demon?” ⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but hI honor my Father, and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰Yet iI do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹Truly, truly, jI say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never ksee death.” ⁵²The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! lAbraham died, as did the prophets, yet myou say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never ntaste death.’ ⁵³oAre you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” ⁵⁴Jesus answered, p“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. qIt is my Father who glorifies me, rof whom you say, ‘He is our God.’3 ⁵⁵But syou have not known him. tI know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be ua liar vlike you, but I do know him and I keep his word. ⁵⁶wYour father Abraham xrejoiced ythat he would see my day. zHe saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”4 ⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, aI am.” ⁵⁹So bthey picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

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