⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!^(A) Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham?^(B) He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself,^(C) my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.^{(D) 55} Though you do not know him,^(E) I know him.^(F) If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.^{(G) 56} Your father Abraham^(H) rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it^(I) and was glad.”

⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”

⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born,^(J) I am!”^{(K) 59} At this, they picked up stones to stone him,^(L) but Jesus hid himself,^(M) slipping away from the temple grounds.

Greetings and Doxology

⁴ John,

To the seven churches^(A) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you^(B) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(C) and from the seven spirits^[a](D) before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,^(E) the firstborn from the dead,^(F) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(G)

To him who loves us^(H) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,^{(I) 6} and has made us to be a kingdom and priests^(J) to serve his God and Father^(K)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.^(L)

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(P) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(Q) the Almighty.”^(R)