8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, ¹  “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge ²  about you, but the Father ³  who sent me is truthful, ⁴  and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” ⁵  8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) ⁶ 

8:28 Then Jesus said, ⁷  “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, ⁸  and I do nothing on my own initiative, ⁹  but I speak just what the Father taught me. ¹⁰  8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, ¹¹  because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people ¹²  believed in him.

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ¹³  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ¹⁴  you are really ¹⁵  my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ¹⁶  8:33 “We are descendants ¹⁷  of Abraham,” they replied, ¹⁸  “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ¹⁹  ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ²⁰  everyone who practices ²¹  sin is a slave ²²  of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family ²³  forever, but the son remains forever. ²⁴  8:36 So if the son ²⁵  sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. ²⁶  But you want ²⁷  to kill me, because my teaching ²⁸  makes no progress among you. ²⁹  8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the ³⁰  Father; ³¹  as for you, ³²  practice the things you have heard from the ³³  Father!”

8:39 They answered him, ³⁴  “Abraham is our father!” ³⁵  Jesus replied, ³⁶  “If you are ³⁷  Abraham’s children, you would be doing ³⁸  the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying ³⁹  to kill me, a man who has told you ⁴⁰  the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁴¹  8:41 You people ⁴²  are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then ⁴³  they said to Jesus, ⁴⁴  “We were not born as a result of immorality! ⁴⁵  We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, ⁴⁶  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ⁴⁷  I ⁴⁸  have not come on my own initiative, ⁴⁹  but he ⁵⁰  sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ⁵¹  my teaching. ⁵²  8:44 You people ⁵³  are from ⁵⁴  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ⁵⁵  He ⁵⁶  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ⁵⁷  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ⁵⁸  he speaks according to his own nature, ⁵⁹  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁶⁰  8:45 But because I am telling you ⁶¹  the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty ⁶²  of any sin? ⁶³  If I am telling you ⁶⁴  the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to ⁶⁵  God listens and responds ⁶⁶  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ⁶⁷  because you don’t belong to God.” ⁶⁸