The Good News According to John, Chapter 10
{10:1} "Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the
door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a
thief and a robber. {10:2} But one who enters in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep. {10:3} The gatekeeper opens the gate for him,
and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and
leads them out. {10:4} Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes
before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. {10:5}
They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for
they don't know the voice of strangers." {10:6} Jesus spoke this
parable to them, but they didn't understand what he was telling them.
{10:7} Jesus therefore said to them again, "Most certainly, I tell
you, I am the sheep's door. {10:8} All who came before me are thieves
and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. {10:9} I am the
door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and
go out, and will find pasture. {10:10} The thief only comes to steal,
kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it
abundantly. {10:11} I am the good shepherd.[1] The good shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep. {10:12} He who is a hired hand, and not a
shepherd, who doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the
sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
{10:13} The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn't
care for the sheep. {10:14} I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and
I'm known by my own; {10:15} even as the Father knows me, and I know
the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. {10:16} I have other
sheep, which are not of this fold.[2] I must bring them also, and they
will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
{10:17} Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life,[3]
that I may take it again. {10:18} No one takes it away from me, but I
lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power
to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father."
{10:19} Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of
these words. {10:20} Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is
insane! Why do you listen to him?" {10:21} Others said, "These are not
the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn't possible for a demon
to open the eyes of the blind, is it?"[4]
{10:22} It was the [5>]Feast of the Dedication[<5] at Jerusalem.
{10:23} It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in
Solomon's porch. {10:24} The Jews therefore came around him and said
to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ,
tell us plainly."
{10:25} Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you don't believe. The
works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me. {10:26}
But you don't believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you.
{10:27} My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
{10:28} I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no
one will snatch them out of my hand. {10:29} My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of
my Father's hand. {10:30} I and the Father are one."
{10:31} Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him. {10:32}
Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of those works do you stone me?"
{10:33} The Jews answered him, "We don't stone you for a good work,
but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God."
{10:34} Jesus answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, 'I said,
you are gods?'[6] {10:35} If he called them gods, to whom the word of
God came (and the Scripture can't be broken), {10:36} do you say of
him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You
blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?' {10:37} If I don't
do the works of my Father, don't believe me. {10:38} But if I do them,
though you don't believe me, believe the works; that you may know and
believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
{10:39} They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their
hand. {10:40} He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place
where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. {10:41} Many
came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything that
John said about this man is true." {10:42} Many believed in him there.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {10:11} Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22
[2] {10:16} Isaiah 56:8
[3] {10:17} Isaiah 53:7-8
[4] {10:21} Exodus 4:11
[5] {10:22} The "Feast of the Dedication" is the Greek name for
"Chanukkah," a celebration of the rededication of the Temple.
[6] {10:34} Psalm 82:6
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