John 10
1 “Amen, amen, I say to you, he who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up by another way, he is a thief and a robber.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't come in through the gate of the sheepfold but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
The one who comes in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
4 And when he has sent out his sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice.
After bringing them out, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
5 But they do not follow a stranger; instead they flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
They won't follow strangers. In fact they run away from a stranger because they don't recognize the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus spoke this proverb to them. But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
When Jesus gave this illustration those who were listening to him didn't understand what he meant.
7 Therefore, Jesus spoke to them again: “Amen, amen, I say to you, that I am the door of the sheep.
So Jesus explained again, “I tell you the truth: I am the gate of the sheepfold.
8 All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not listen to them.
All those who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them.
9 I am the door. If anyone has entered through me, he will be saved. And he shall go in and go out, and he shall find pastures.
I am the gate. Anyone who comes in through me will be healed. They will be able to come and go, and find the food they need.
10 The thief does not come, except so that he may steal and slaughter and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I've come to bring you life, life full to overflowing.
11 I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives his life for his sheep.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 But the hired hand, and whoever is not a shepherd, to whom the sheep do not belong, he sees the wolf approaching, and he departs from the sheep and flees. And the wolf ravages and scatters the sheep.
The man paid to look after the sheep is not the shepherd and he runs away when he sees the wolf coming. He abandons the sheep because they're not his, and the wolf attacks and scatters the flock
13 And the hired hand flees, because he is a hired hand and there is no concern for the sheep within him.
for the man is only working for pay and doesn't care about the sheep.
14 I am the good Shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me,
I am the good shepherd. I know who are mine, and they know me,
15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for my sheep.
just as the Father knows me and I know him. I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and I must lead them. They shall hear my voice, and there shall be one sheepfold and one shepherd.
I have other sheep that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them too. They will listen to my voice and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
17 For this reason, the Father loves me: because I lay down my life, so that I may take it up again.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it away from me. Instead, I lay it down of my own accord. And I have the power to lay it down. And I have the power to take it up again. This is the commandment that I have received from my Father.”
No one takes it from me; I choose to lay it down. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it back. This is the command my Father gave me.”
19 A dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words.
The Jews were again divided in their opinion about Jesus over these words.
20 Then many of them were saying: “He has a demon or he is insane. Why do you listen him?”
Many of them said, “He's demon-possessed! He's mad! Why are you listening to him?”
21 Others were saying: “These are not the words of someone who has a demon. How would a demon be able to open the eyes of the blind?”
Others said, “These aren't the words of someone who's demon-possessed. Besides, a demon can't open eyes that are blind.”
22 Now it was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem, and it was winter.
It was winter, and the time of the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem.
23 And Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.
Jesus was walking in the Temple through Solomon's porch. The Jews surrounded him, asking,
24 And so the Jews surrounded him and said to him: “How long will you hold our souls in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
“How long are you going to keep us hanging in suspense? If you are the Messiah then tell us plainly!”
25 Jesus answered them: “I speak to you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in the name of my Father, these offer testimony about me.
Jesus replied, “I already told you but you refuse to believe it. The miracles I do in my Father's name prove who I am.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.
You don't believe me because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep hear my voice. And I know them, and they follow me.
My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
29 What my Father gave to me is greater than all, and no one is able to seize from the hand of my Father.
My Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone else; no one can snatch them from him.
30 I and the Father are one.”
I and the Father are one.”
31 Therefore, the Jews took up stones, in order to stone him.
Once again the Jews picked up stones to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them: “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?”
Jesus said to them, “You've seen many good deeds that I've done from the Father. Which one are you stoning me for?”
33 The Jews answered him: “We do not stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy and because, though you are a man, you make yourself God.”
The Jews replied, “We're not stoning you for a good deed, but for blasphemy because you are just a man but you're claiming to be God.”
34 Jesus responded to them: “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said: you are gods?’
Jesus answered them, “Isn't it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?
35 If he called those to whom the word of God was given gods, and Scripture cannot be broken,
He called those people ‘gods,’ the people to whom the word of God came—and Scripture can't be altered.
36 why do you say, about him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You have blasphemed,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’
So why are you saying the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said ‘I am the Son of God’?
37 If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe in me.
If I'm not doing what my Father does, then don't believe me.
38 But if I do them, even if you are not willing to believe in me, believe the works, so that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
But if that is what I'm doing, even though you don't believe me, you should believe because of the evidence of what I've done. That way you can know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
39 Therefore, they sought to apprehend him, but he escaped from their hands.
Once again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from them.
40 And he went again across the Jordan, to that place where John first was baptizing. And he lodged there.
He went back across the Jordan River to the place where John had begun baptizing, and he stayed there.
41 And many went out to him. And they were saying: “Indeed, John accomplished no signs.
Many people came to him, and they said, “John didn't perform miracles, but everything he said about this man has come true.”
42 But all things whatsoever that John said about this man were true.” And many believed in him.
Many who were there put their trust in Jesus.
