Compare John 8:31-34 in Four Translations

So Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They replied to Jesus, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. So how can you say that we will be set free?”

Jesus answered them, “I can guarantee this truth: Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin.”
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
Meaning-for-Meaning (Closest Natural Equivalence)

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Word-for-Word (Formal Equivalence)

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Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.”
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Thought-for-Thought (Functional Equivalence)

Jesus spoke to the Jews who had believed him. “If you obey my teaching,” he said, “you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s children. We have never been slaves of anyone. So how can you say that we will be set free?”

Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.”
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
Paraphrase (Retelling)

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