< John 10 >
1 “Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is a 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 leads them out.
4 And whenever he takes out his own sheep he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 But they will not follow a stranger; rather they will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
7 Then Jesus addressed them again: “Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only in order to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life on behalf of the sheep.
12 But the hired man, not being the shepherd and not owning the sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep, and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.
13 Now the hired man runs away because he is a hired man and it does not matter to him about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own sheep, and I am known by them.
15 Just as the Father knows me, I also know the Father, and I lay down my life on behalf of the sheep.
16 I also have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 “Because of this the Father loves me, in that I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
19 Therefore there was another division among the Jews because of these words.
20 Many of them were saying: “He has a demon and is raving mad. Why do you listen to him?”
21 Others were saying: “These are not the sayings of someone who is demonized. A demon cannot open blind people's eyes, can it?”
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem; and it was winter.
23 And Jesus was walking about in the temple, in Solomon's porch.
24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them: “I did tell you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name—these testify concerning me.
26 But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep, just like I told you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they will never ever be wasted; and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (aiōn , aiōnios )
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch out of my Father's hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Therefore the Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.
32 Jesus answered them: “Many good works I have shown you from my Father. For which one of them are you stoning me?”
33 The Jews answered Him saying, “It is not for a good work that we are stoning you, but for blasphemy; precisely because you, being a man, make yourself God!”
34 Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?
35 If He called them ‘gods’ to whom the Word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
36 do you say ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father sanctified and sent into the world because I said, ‘I am God's Son’?
37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me.
38 But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in Him.”
39 So they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped from their hand.
40 He went away again across the Jordan, to the place where John was baptizing at first; and He remained there.
41 And many came to Him and said, “Though John did not perform any sign, everything John said about this man was true.”
42 And many of the people there believed into Him.
