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
"Hanukkah," a celebration of the rededication of the Temple.
[6] {10:34} Psalm 82:6
________________________________________________________________________
The World English Bible is dedicated to the Public Domain by the
translators and editors. It is not copyrighted. "World English Bible"
and the World English Bible logo are a trademarks of Rainbow Missions,
Inc. They may only be used to identify this translation of the Holy
Bible as published by Rainbow Missions, Inc., and faithful copies and
quotations. "Faithful copies" include copies converted to other formats
(i. e. HTML, PDF, etc.) or typeset differently, without altering the
text of the Scriptures. Use of the markings of direct quotes of Jesus
Christ for different rendition (i. e. red text) is optional. Comments
and typo reports are welcome at http://eBible.org/cgi-bin/comment.cgi.
Please see http://WEBible.org/ for updates, revision status, free
downloads, and printed edition purchase information.
_______________________________________________
Bible mailing list subscription management information:
http://eBible.org/subscribe.htm
http://lists.worldenglishbible.org/mailman/listinfo/bible
