John 8:45
New International Version
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!

New Living Translation
So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!

English Standard Version
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Berean Standard Bible
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

Berean Literal Bible
Now because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

King James Bible
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

New King James Version
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

New American Standard Bible
But because I say the truth, you do not believe Me.

NASB 1995
“But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

NASB 1977
“But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

Legacy Standard Bible
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

Amplified Bible
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me [and continue in your unbelief].

Christian Standard Bible
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

American Standard Version
But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.

Contemporary English Version
Everything I have told you is true, and you still refuse to have faith in me.

English Revised Version
But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So you don't believe me because I tell the truth.

Good News Translation
But I tell the truth, and that is why you do not believe me.

International Standard Version
But it is because I speak the truth that you don't believe me.

Majority Standard Bible
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

NET Bible
But because I am telling you the truth, you do not believe me.

New Heart English Bible
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Weymouth New Testament
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.

World English Bible
But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And because I say the truth, you do not believe Me.

Berean Literal Bible
Now because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

Young's Literal Translation
'And because I say the truth, ye do not believe me.

Smith's Literal Translation
And because I say the truth, ye believe me not.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if I say the truth, you believe me not.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if I speak the truth, you do not believe me.

New American Bible
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.

New Revised Standard Version
But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“But you are not believing in me, I who am speaking the truth.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But because I speak the truth, you believe me not.

Godbey New Testament
And because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.

Haweis New Testament
But because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Mace New Testament
but as to me, because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me.

Weymouth New Testament
But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me.

Worrell New Testament
And, because I speak the truth, ye believe Me not.

Worsley New Testament
And because I say the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convicteth me of sin?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Children of the Devil
44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me! 46Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?…

Cross References
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 18:37
“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”

1 John 2:21
I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 5:43
I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Isaiah 59:14-15
So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. / Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

Jeremiah 9:3-6
“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD. / “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander. / Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity. ...

Psalm 52:3
You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah

Zechariah 8:17
do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.

Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.


Treasury of Scripture

And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.

John 3:19,20
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil…

John 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Galatians 4:16
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

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Belief Believe Speak Truth True.
John 8
1. Jesus delivers the woman taken in adultery.
12. He declares himself the light of the world, and justifies his doctrine;
31. promises freedom to those who believe;
33. answers the Jews who boasted of Abraham;
48. answers their reviling, by showing his authority and dignity;
59. and slips away from those who would stone him.














But because I speak the truth
In this phrase, Jesus emphasizes His role as the embodiment of truth, aligning with John 14:6 where He declares Himself the way, the truth, and the life. The truth He speaks is not just factual accuracy but divine revelation, contrasting with the lies of the world. This reflects the prophetic role of Jesus as the ultimate prophet, fulfilling Deuteronomy 18:18. His truth is rooted in the eternal nature of God, as seen in Psalm 119:160, where the entirety of God's word is truth.

you do not believe Me!
This highlights the spiritual blindness and hardness of heart among His listeners, particularly the Pharisees, who are unable to accept Jesus' divine authority and message. This disbelief fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10, where the people would hear but not understand. The cultural context of first-century Judaism, with its strict adherence to the Law and skepticism of new teachings, contributes to their unbelief. This phrase also connects to John 1:11, where Jesus came to His own, but His own did not receive Him, illustrating the rejection He faced despite His truthfulness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is speaking to the Jewish leaders and people who are questioning His authority and teachings.

2. Jewish Leaders
The Pharisees and other religious leaders who are in opposition to Jesus and are challenging His claims and teachings.

3. Jerusalem
The setting of this discourse, where Jesus is teaching in the temple courts.

4. The Truth
A key theme in this passage, representing the divine truth that Jesus embodies and proclaims.

5. The Devil
Mentioned earlier in the chapter as the father of lies, contrasting with Jesus, who speaks the truth.
Teaching Points
The Nature of Truth
Jesus embodies and speaks the truth. As believers, we are called to recognize and accept the truth He presents.

The Challenge of Unbelief
Despite the clarity and authority of Jesus' words, many choose not to believe. This challenges us to examine our own hearts and openness to God's truth.

Spiritual Discernment
Understanding and accepting the truth requires spiritual discernment, which comes from a relationship with God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Consequences of Rejecting Truth
Rejecting the truth of Jesus leads to spiritual blindness and separation from God. We must be vigilant in seeking and adhering to the truth.

Living Out the Truth
As followers of Christ, we are called to live out the truth in our daily lives, reflecting Jesus' teachings in our actions and words.(45) And because I tell you the truth.--The pronoun is full of emphatic meaning. And I, as contrary to him, because 1 tell you the truth, as contrary to the lie which is his characteristic.

Ye believe me not--i.e., ye believe not what I say. It does not mean, Ye believe not on Me, but Ye accept not the truth which I speak. There is something startling in this sharp opposition of truth and unbelief. To speak the truth is commonly to command belief. The mind of man is so constituted that truth is the first object of its search. Here was perfect truth presented to men, and they refused to accept it, because it was the truth, and they were themselves children of him who was a liar.

Verse 45. - Then, turning to these children of the wicked one, Christ delivered a tremendous denunciation: But because I say the truth - because I am the Organ, Utterance, and Incarnation of the truth - ye believe me not. If he spake lies to them, they would greedily receive them. The very cause of their lack of credence is the utterance of truth. The "I" is emphatic, and set over against the "you" of the second clause. There is a tragic force about this charge almost unparalleled, implying the most wilful estrangement from God, a rejection of known truth because it was truth, a love of darkness because it was darkness, a moral obtuseness which answers to the terrible language, "Lest they should see with their eyes," etc.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

because
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

speak
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

truth,
ἀλήθειαν (alētheian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 225: From alethes; truth.

you do not believe
πιστεύετέ (pisteuete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

Me!
μοι (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.


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John 8:44
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