²³ Jesus said, “You people are from here below [^Cfrom the earth], but I am from above [^Cfrom heaven or from God]. You belong to this world, but I ·don’t belong to this world [^Lam not of this world]. ²⁴ So I told you that you would die in your sins. Yes, you will die in your sins if you don’t believe that ·I am he [^LI am; ^Cthis may be an allusion to God’s (Yahweh’s) self identification either from Ex. 3:14 (the great “I AM”) or Is. 40—55, where God repeatedly says, “I am he”)].”

²⁵ [^LTherefore] They asked, “Then who are you?”

Jesus answered them, “·I am what I have told you from the beginning [or Why do I speak to you at all?].